Ethics

BACP – British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists

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The Ethical principles of Counselling and Psychotherapy:
 

1. Being Trustworthy: honouring the trust placed in the practitioner (also referred to as fidelity)

2. Autonomy: respect for the clients right to be self-governing

3. Beneficence: a commitment to promoting the client’s well-being

4. Non-maleficence: a commitment to avoiding harm to the client

5. Justice: the fair and impartial treatment of all clients and the provision of adequate services

6. Self-respect: fostering the practitioners self-knowledge and care for self
    

The fundamental values of counselling and psychotherapy include a commitment to:

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1. Respecting human rights and dignity

2. Ensuring the integrity of practitioner-client relationships

3. Enhancing the quality of professional knowledge and its application

4. Alleviating personal distress and suffering

5. Fostering a sense of self that is meaningful to the person(s) concerned

6. Increasing personal effectiveness

7. Enhancing the quality of relationships between people

8. Appreciating the variety of human experience and culture

9. Striving for the fair and adequate provision of counselling and psychotherapy services

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ICF – International Coaching Federation

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An ICF Professional Coach agrees to practice the ICF Professional Core Competencies and pledges accountability to the ICF Code of Ethics.

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The ICF Pledge of Ethics

As an ICF Professional Coach, I acknowledge and agree to honour my ethical and legal obligations to my coaching clients and sponsors, colleagues, and to the public at large. I pledge to comply with the ICF Code of Ethics and to practice these standards with those whom I coach.
If I breach this Pledge of Ethics or any part of the ICF Code of Ethics, I agree that the ICF in its sole discretion may hold me accountable for so doing. I further agree that my accountability to the ICF for any breach may include sanctions, such as loss of my ICF Membership and/or my ICF Credentials.

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Approved by the Ethics and Standards Committee on October 30, 2008. Approved by the ICF Board of Directors on December 18, 2008.