LPC Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice
Ethics as applied decision-making
The LPC ethics rules in Chapter 681 are not slogans; they are decision rules. Core duties include informed consent, confidentiality, competence, avoiding harmful multiple relationships, maintaining boundaries, accurate advertising, fair fees, appropriate termination, and record keeping. Informed consent must cover the nature of services, risks, benefits, alternatives, fees, confidentiality and its limits, and the client's right to withdraw. Confidentiality yields to specific exceptions: client authorization, legal requirements such as abuse reporting, court orders, and imminent danger.
Boundary questions are trap-heavy. Not every multiple relationship is unethical; the test is exploitation, impaired judgment, or harm. A small-town counselor may unavoidably encounter a client at the grocery store-document and manage it. Sexual relationships with current clients are absolutely prohibited; questions about former clients usually turn on the rule's cooling-off period and the presumption of harm.
Texas does not impose a general statutory duty to warn third parties. In Thapar v. Zezulka, the Texas Supreme Court declined to recognize such a duty for mental health professionals, though disclosure may be permitted to prevent imminent harm. Do not answer “must warn”; answer “may disclose under the rule and document.”
Worked example: A client states a specific plan to harm a named ex-partner. The counselor should assess imminence, consult, take reasonable protective steps permitted by law and policy, and document. Rule of thumb: confidentiality is the default; every exception must be grounded in law, consent, or imminent risk.