Counselors play a key role in developing individuals and shaping communities. In their role,
counselors are often responsible for cultivating and maintaining relationships, monitoring clients’
well-being, and working with different cultural values and confidential information. The American
Counseling Association (ACA) understands this and has a code of ethics, updated every 10 years, to
help counselors navigate the challenging and sensitive aspects of their roles. Below we have
compiled a basic summary of the 2014 ACA code of ethics, so counselors have the foundational
knowledge to work in the field confidently and ethically.
, What Is the Purpose for the ACA Code of Ethics?
Ethics codes provide professional standards for counselors with the purpose of protecting the dignity
and well-being of clients. The main reasons for the code of ethics include informing professional
counselors and counselors-in-training of their ethical guidelines, professional obligations, and
responsibilities to their clients. This helps counselors decide an appropriate plan of action for their
clients and provides the ethical standards by which complaints and inquiries can be made regarding
ACA members.
D
The five core professional values of the Counseling@Northwestern program include:
Enhancing human development throughout the life span.
Honoring diversity and embracing a multicultural approach in support of the worth, dignity,
potential, and uniqueness of people within their social and cultural contexts.
IE
Promoting social justice
Safeguarding the integrity of the counselor-client relationship.
Practicing in a competent and ethical manner.
Major Sections of the ACA 2014 Code of Ethics
IF
The Counseling Relationship (Section A)
The purpose of Section A is to provide ethical guidelines that focus on the counseling relationship
such as client welfare, informed consent, and managing multiple relationships.
Counselors must:
R
Work hard to create and sustain a relationship with their clients based on trust.
Obtain informed consent from clients entering a counseling relationship.
Respect a client’s confidentiality and privacy.
VE
Explain to clients what the counseling relationship entails (which could include fees, group
work, and termination).
Be cognizant of client’s culture, values, and beliefs.
Confidentiality and Privacy (Section B)
The purpose of Section B is to provide ethical guidelines that focus on the importance of trust,
boundaries, and confidential interactions.
Counselors must:
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