Ethics: The American Psychological Association's Code

Psychological professionals are represented by several large organizations in the United States and around the world. In many cases, membership can make a big difference in whether a training program or even a therapist is regarded with respect or suspicion. Because it's the organization I'm most familiar with, I'm going to use the American Psychological Association (APA) as my example.

The APA holds its members to the very highest standards of professional and ethical behaviors. Those ethics come first in any situation, even in the psychologist's day-to-day life.

In the publishing world, the most similar organization is the Association of Authors' Representatives (AAR).

Membership in both the AAR and the APA are voluntary, and the decision not to pursue membership is not a reflection on someone's skills or integrity. Still, those who are members have to meet high standards, making them a good bet.

The APA accredits , or publicly recognizes, training programs that meet the standards set forth by the APA. Psychologists who wish to practice independently (i.e. get licensed) are often required to have attended an APA-accredited school and internship.

One of the most important functions of the APA is to publish and police psychologists' ethical code . You'll notice as you browse that references to the ethical code are peppered throughout this site.

The complete Code is publicly available, but if you don't feel like reading legalese, you can check out books like Margaret Thaler Singer and Janja Lalich's Crazy Therapies or The Skeptic's Dictionary.

Ethics: The American Psychological Association's Code

Links to Ethical Codes Around the World