Code of Conduct for Psychologists

Below are selected sections of the Psychology Board of Australia’s Code of Conduct for Psychologists that relate most directly to how our practice works with clients and the community. These sections highlight our commitments to cultural safety, respectful practice, informed consent, professional relationships, and ethical behaviour. For the full Code of Conduct, please visit the Psychology Board of Australia website.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and cultural safety

Principle 2: Psychologists should consider the specific needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and their health and cultural safety, including the need to foster open, honest and culturally safe relationships.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ health

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples have inhabited and cared for the land as the First Peoples of Australia for millennia, and their diverse histories and cultures have uniquely shaped our nation. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health means not just the physical wellbeing of an individual but refers to the social, emotional and cultural wellbeing of the whole community in which each individual is able to achieve their full potential as a human being, thereby bringing about the total wellbeing of their community. It is a whole-of-life view and includes the cyclical concept of life-death-life.

Understanding and acknowledging factors such as colonisation and its impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ health helps inform service delivery. In particular, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples bear the burden of gross social and health inequity. It is for these reasons that cultural safety in the context of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health needs to be specifically considered.

Respectful and culturally reflective practice for all

Principle 3: Respectful, culturally reflective practice requires psychologists to have knowledge of how their own culture, values, attitudes, assumptions and beliefs influence their interactions with people and families, the community, other practitioners and colleagues. Psychologists should contribute to a respectful and safe culture for all, communicate with all clients in a respectful way and meet their privacy and confidentiality obligations including when communicating online.

Cultural safety and culturally reflective practice for all communities

Australia is a culturally and linguistically diverse nation. Principle 2 explains cultural safety with specific reference to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and their status as First Nations Peoples; however, culturally reflective practice, as determined by the members of the relevant culture, is important for all communities.

Privacy and confidentiality

Psychologists have ethical and legal obligations to protect the privacy of clients. Clients have a right to expect that you will hold information about them securely and in confidence, unless the release of information is required or authorised by law or is required to facilitate emergency service provision.

Working with clients

Principle 4: Basing relationships on respect, trust and effective communication enables psychologists to work in partnership with clients. Psychologists should maintain effective and proper relationships with their clients, provide explanations that enable clients to understand and participate in the services being provided, recognise that some clients have specific needs, and be open and honest when services lead to harmful outcomes.

Working relationships with clients

Effective relationships between psychologists and clients require high standards of personal conduct. Effective practice includes that you:

a. be respectful, empathic and honest,

b. treat clients according to their specific needs and circumstances,

c. support clients to be engaged and informed about their wellbeing, and to use this information in their decisions about services, and

d. recognise that there is a power imbalance in the psychologist–client relationship, and do not exploit clients in any way, including physically, emotionally, sexually or financially.

Informed consent

Informed consent is a person’s voluntary decision about accessing services that is made with knowledge and understanding of the benefits and risks involved.

Children, young people and other clients who might have additional needs

Some clients have additional needs. These clients could include children and young people, older people, those living with physical and/or cognitive disability, those with impaired decision-making capacity and those who are at higher risk, for example from family violence.

Associated parties

Effective practice includes that you, where it is relevant:

a. be considerate to a client’s associated parties, and respectful of their role in the services provided to the client, and

b. with appropriate consent, or where otherwise permitted, be responsive in providing information to associated parties.

Concerns about psychologists’ conduct, health or performance

Clients have a right to raise concerns about their psychologists’ conduct, health and performance with the Board or other authorised bodies.

Boundaries

Boundaries allow psychologists and clients to engage safely and effectively. Boundaries refer to the clear separation that should exist between conduct aimed at meeting the psychological needs of clients and the psychologists’ own personal views, feelings and relationships that are not relevant to the service.

Boundaries are integral to an effective psychologist–client relationship. They help psychologists provide effective services to clients and protect both parties. Violation of boundaries may be viewed as unethical, and even unprofessional conduct or professional misconduct that can lead to regulatory action being taken, including cancellation of registration as a psychologist.

Working with other practitioners and colleagues

Principle 5: Effective relationships and collaboration with practitioners and colleagues strengthen the psychologist–client relationship and improve outcomes for clients. Effective relationships must be free of unlawful discrimination, bullying and harassment.

Respect for other practitioners and colleagues

Mutual respect and clear communication between all those involved in assisting clients improve client outcomes.

Teamwork and collaboration

Many psychologists work closely with a wide range of other practitioners and colleagues.

Delegation, referral and handover

Psychologists who refer or hand over are transferring responsibility for the service to another practitioner. This is distinct from delegating, which is when a psychologist directs another person to perform tasks related to the service, under the responsibility of the psychologist.

Psychologists’ behaviour

Principle 8: Psychologists must demonstrate a standard of practice and personal behaviour that warrants the trust and respect of the community and their peers. This includes complying with the standards of the Board and practising ethically and honestly.

Reporting obligations

Psychologists have a statutory obligation under the National Law to report certain matters to the Board or Ahpra. For instance, psychologists have a legal obligation to report to the Board or Ahpra any restrictions that are placed by their employers on the services they can provide.

Public behaviour and statements

Psychologists recognise that they have an obligation to enhance and protect the profession’s reputation by refraining from practice and personal behaviour that might bring the profession into disrepute and/or reflect on their ability to practise as psychologists.

Psychologists should be aware that statements intended to be private could become public and can affect the public standing of the profession.

Client records

Maintaining clear and accurate client records is essential for continuing quality service provision and good governance. The form and content of your records will depend on the nature of the services you provide, your work setting and other factors such as legal and organisational requirements.

Conflicts of interest

Clients rely on the independence and trustworthiness of psychologists for any advice or service offered. A conflict of interest arises when a psychologist, entrusted with acting in the interests of a client, also has financial, personal or other interests, or relationships with others, that could affect the service or could reasonably be perceived to do so.

Multiple interests are common. They require identification, careful consideration, appropriate disclosure and accountability. When these interests compromise or might reasonably be perceived by an independent observer to compromise the psychologist’s primary duty to the client, psychologists must recognise and resolve this conflict in the best interests of the client.