Ethics
Ethics Information for Counseling Students
Being very familiar with the code of ethics for your profession is a responsibility of every professional counselor. The two major codes of ethics are those published by NBCC and the American Counseling Association. Which code you are bound by will depend on your credentialing after graduation.
Counselors certified by NBCC as National Certified Counselors (NCCs) are bound by the NBCC Code of Ethics. If you are also licensed by your state board, you will need to know what code of ethics is required by state law. Many states use the ACA Code of Ethics. If you are licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist, you may be bound by the code of ethics of the American Marriage of Family Therapy Association (AAMFT).
Posted below are the NBCC Code of Ethics, the NBCC Ethics Case Procedures, and the NBCC Practice of Internet Counseling as well as an Ethics FAQ and information for other groups of professionals..
NBCC Resources
External Resources
Student Ethics Frequently Asked Questions
NBCC certification represents to clients, members of the public, and other professionals that, among other things, a certificant has met criteria established by current research in the profession, in order to become certified, including demonstrating conduct that is consistent with the NBCC Code of Ethics and NBCC policies and agreements. The NBCC Ethics Officer reviews all ethics-related disclosures on a case-by-case basis to determine whether an applicant or certificant has acted in accordance with NBCC policies and agreements.
When the NBCC Credentialing Services Department (Credentialing Services) receives a certification application that includes an ethics disclosure, Credentialing Services forwards the application to the NBCC Ethics Office. The Ethics Officer reviews each ethics disclosure and informs the applicant in writing if any additional information is necessary. The Ethics Officer issues a written decision to the applicant regarding the applicant’s eligibility to be certified in consideration of the ethics disclosure.
When an ethics disclosure matter is satisfactorily resolved in all respects, the application is returned to Credentialing Services where staff review the application to ensure that all other eligibility requirements are met, including any requirements related to registration for the National Counselor Exam (NCE). Credentialing Services informs the applicant if any other information is needed for the application to continue to be reviewed, and also provides information related to registration for the NCE.
A complete description of the NBCC Ethics Office processes related to reviewing ethics matters is available on page 6 of the Spring 2008 edition of the NBCC newsletter, The NCC, available for download here.
No. All ethics matters must be satisfactorily resolved in all respects before an applicant will be registered to take the NCE.
NBCC does not identify certain offenses for which an applicant would be ineligible for certification. Rather, the NBCC Ethics Officer reviews each ethics disclosure on a case-by-case basis to determine whether the ethics disclosure relates to behavior that is contrary to NBCC policies and agreements, including the NBCC Code of Ethics. Applicants should be aware that the NBCC Board of Directors has approved the NBCC Certification Eligibility Policy Relating to Felony or Equivalent Criminal Convictions concerning the review and consideration of ethics disclosures regarding felony or equivalent criminal convictions. The policy can be downloaded for free at NBCC’s web site.
Codes of ethics identify the minimal ethical standards for the professional behavior of individuals who are certified by a certification organization, licensed by a state counselor board, or a member of a professional membership organization. Codes of ethics are created by members of the profession and adopted by regulatory bodies, such as certification boards (i.e., NBCC), state licensure boards, and professional membership organizations (e.g., the American Counseling Association).
In other words, all NBCC certificants and applicants are obligated to abide by the NBCC Code of Ethics. The NBCC Code of Ethics also provides an expectation of and assurance for the ethical practice for all who use the professional services of NBCC certificants and applicants. Additionally, the NBCC Code of Ethics serves the purpose of having an enforceable standard for all NBCC certificants and applicants and assures The NBCC Ethics Officer is responsible for overseeing the process of reviewing charges of violations of NBCC policies, agreements, procedures, and the Code of Ethics.
In contrast, laws are created by legislators, or elected officials, and adopted by governmental bodies. The primary purpose of state licensure laws is to protect the public, and this is done, in part, by legally defining who can use the title of a licensed counselor, who can provide counseling services in a particular state, and the scope of practice for licensed counselors. Laws are enforced by agents of government, such as state boards or police. State licensure boards are established by, and administered in accordance with, applicable laws and legal requirements.
The NBCC Ethics Officer reviews, investigates, and resolves ethics-related matters to determine if certificants or applicants have acted in accordance with the NBCC Code of Ethics. In this regard, the Ethics Officer adheres to the procedures specified in the NBCC Ethics Case Procedures, which have been adopted by the NBCC Board of Directors. A free copy of the Ethics Case Procedures may be downloaded from the NBCC web site. The Ethics Case Procedures also specify the disciplinary actions that NBCC may impose with respect to a determination that a certificant or applicant has violated the NBCC Code of Ethics.