Code of Ethics for Counselors and Marriage and Family Therapists __________________________________
AAMFT has also spoken out against the practice of conver- sion/reparative therapy. Like the ACA’s opinion on the topic, AAMFT’s policy, adopted in 2009 by their Board of Directors, states that homosexuality is not considered a disorder that requires treatment, so there is no basis for therapy. AAMFT advises members to conduct therapy based on the best research and clinical evidence available following their Code of Eth- ics. The following information was obtained from the 2015 AAMFT website, and reprinted on the 2023 website, and shows the commitment and action of the association to sup- port same-sex couples [29]: AAMFT has joined with the American Psycho- logical Association and other mental health asso- ciations in filing briefs in federal court that support the right of same-sex couples to marry under state law. For example, on March 6, 2015, AAMFT, along with the Michigan Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, joined in a brief filed with the U.S. Supreme Court that is in support of parties who are challenging laws in four states that deny the status of marriage to same-sex couples. The purpose of these briefs, known as an amicus brief, is to alert a court of issues relevant to the lawsuit that parties in the lawsuit might not adequately address. Many professional mental health associations file such briefs concerning issues of importance to their members. These briefs are written by individuals not involved in a legal case who have expertise to offer the court in support of a specific cause. The NBCC provides the following directives from their code in response to this topic [12; 30]: • Counselors shall demonstrate multicultural counseling competence in practice. Counselors will not use counseling techniques or engage in any professional activities that discriminate against or show hostility toward individuals or groups based on gender, ethnicity, race, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, disability, religion, or any other legally prohibited basis. • Counselor educators will practice cultural responsiveness in their teaching, and respect the cultural identity, values, sexual orientation, and gender identity, of their students. • Sexual Orientation Change Content Restriction: The program content of continuing education providers cannot present or include information promoting Sexual Orientation Change Efforts as a therapeutic method.
DUAL RELATIONSHIPS When reviewing revised codes of ethics, considerable informa- tion addresses dual relationships that counselors may have with the client. Mental health professionals must have guidelines, often referred to as boundaries, which are designed to minimize the opportunity for therapists to use clients for their own gain and to ensure the welfare of clients who disclosed confidential information to the therapist. Dual relationships are sometimes referred to as “multiple-role relationships,” which occur when the counselor assumes two or more concurrent or sequential roles that involve the client in and out of the professional relationship. The dual relationship may include a second role that could be social, financial, educational, or professional. In all codes of ethics, there are key elements in the guidelines that relate to dual relationships. These key elements are sum- marized as follows: • A dual relationship exists when a mental health practitioner is in a counseling relationship at the same time that they are in a relationship with the client outside of counseling. • Guidelines also govern a promise or an agreement to enter into another relationship in the future with the client, or a person associated with the client. • The mental health practitioner should not take on a dual role with the client if it would impair the practitioner’s assessment, objectivity, competence, effectiveness, communication, or confidentiality as a therapist. • The mental health practitioner should not enter into a dual relationship if the possibility exists that it could exploit or harm the client. • Mental health practitioners are responsible for establishing clear, appropriate, sensitive, and ethical boundaries prior to entering into any dual relationship with the client. • If the mental health practitioner becomes aware that potential harm may occur, or if unintentional harm has already occurred due to a multiple relationship, the practitioner must take immediate action and present evidence that they have attempted to remediate the harm. • Clients may be harmed in counseling relationships if professional boundaries are crossed, and sexual conduct with clients is strictly prohibited.
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