Code of Ethics & Professional Practice
The Code should be read in conjunction with the UKCP Code of Ethics and Professional Practice, and also the UKATA and BACP Codes of Ethics fur further information/clarification if required.
Therapists are responsible for the observation of the principles inherent in the Code of Ethics and Professional Practice and are to use the Code as the basis of good practice rather than a set of minimal requirements. The Code of Ethics and Professional Practice will be revised periodically to ensure compatibility with the new Code of Ethics and Professional Practice of the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (October 2019).
- JURISDICTION
1.1 The Code applies to all categories of membership of MIP – Trainee, Graduate, Primary Course Tutors and visiting trainers – in the management of their professional responsibilities to clients, colleagues within MIP and the wider profession.
- INTENTION
The Code of Ethics and Professional Practice is intended to:
- Protect and inform members of the general public who are inquiring about, or receiving, training or clinical services of MIP members.
- Make clear and explicit the standards of professional practice of MIP members and promote good practice.
- In the event of a breach of ethics and professional practice the Complaints Procedure may be invoked and appropriate sanctions may include suspension or exclusion of membership.
- MIP is required to report to the UKCP the names of members whose membership has been suspended or terminated.
- CLIENT-THERAPIST RELATIONSHIP
- This is a professional relationship within which the welfare of the client is the therapist’s primary concern.
- The dignity, worth and uniqueness of the client is to be respected at all times.
- It is the therapist’s aim to promote increased awareness, encourage self-support, and facilitate the self-development and autonomy of clients with a view to increasing the range of choices available to them, together with their ability/willingness to accept responsibility for the decisions they make.
- Therapists are responsible for working in ways which enhance their client’s sense of empowerment, their capacity to become self-supporting, their ability to make creative choices and changes in response to their evolving needs, circumstances, values and beliefs.
- Therapists should be respectful of their client’s age, health, gender, sexuality, religion, ethnic group, social context and any other significant aspects of their life.
- Therapists should provide regular opportunities with the client to review the terms of the therapeutic contract and the progress of therapy.
- Decisions regarding the termination of therapy are the joint responsibility of client and therapist. Should a therapist’s professional assessment not accord with a client’s decision to terminate, a therapist should facilitate termination in a manner that is respectful of the client’s autonomy. Termination of therapy or facilitation of a change of therapist should be managed with care and consideration for the client’s dignity and well-being.
- Therapists must recognise the importance of a good relationship for effective therapy and be mindful of the power and influence this responsibility gives them. The therapist must act in a manner consistent with this recognition and not exploit clients in any way, for their own personal advantage or their own needs.
- Therapists should not take money under false pretences – knowingly retaining a client, after therapy has ceased to be effective. Fees must not be changed without prior negotiation with the client.
- A physical, sexual relationship with a client is exploitative and unethical.
- Sexual harassment in the form of deliberate or repeated comments, gestures, or physical contacts of a sexual nature that are, or could be, considered offensive by the client, are unethical.
- Therapists need to be aware when other relationships or external commitments conflict with the interests of the client. When such a conflict of interest exists it is the therapist’s responsibility to declare it and be prepared to work through the issues with the client.
- Therapists need to recognise that dual relationships – where the client is also an employee, close friend, relative, or partner – will likely impair their professional judgement and cause undue stress to clients and themselves.
- It is the therapist’s responsibility to manage any future relationship with the client, once the therapeutic relationship has ended. The therapist needs to be aware of potential exploitation and should take professional advice if they feel there is a possibility of boundaries being blurred.
- CONFIDENTIALITY
Confidentiality is intrinsic to good practice. All exchanges between therapists and client must be regarded as confidential. Where a therapist has any doubts about the limits of confidentiality they should seek supervision..
- A client should be informed at the outset of therapy (as part of the therapist-client contract) that in extreme circumstances where the client is a danger to themselves, or others, a therapist may break confidentiality and take appropriate action.
- When a therapist wishes to use specific information gained during work with a client, e.g. in a lecture or publication, the client’s permission should be obtained and anonymity preserved. Clients should be informed that they have the right to withdraw consent at any time.
- Therapists should provide a working environment which ensures privacy.
- Therapists should not make trivialising comments about clients.
- Therapists must maintain confidentiality after the completion of therapy.
- CLIENT SAFETY
5.1 Therapists must take all reasonable steps to protect clients from physical or psychological harm during therapy.
5.2 When a client develops a medical condition, therapists should encourage the client to obtain advice from their doctor or other suitably qualified person. Therapists should obtain clients` permission before contacting other professionals, unless there are overriding safety, ethical or legal considerations.
5.3. Therapists must make provisions for clients to be informed in the event of the therapist’s serious incapacity or death. Responsibilities will include management of a clinical will, confidential files and audio/video recordings.
6. SOCIAL MEDIA
Please refer to MIP’s Social Media Policy.
7. INITIAL CONTRACTING
7.1 Contracts with clients, whether written or verbal, should be explicit regarding fees, payment schedule, holidays, cancellation of sessions by client or therapist. The length of therapy, referring on of clients and terminations, are discussed with clients and mutual agreement sought. This should be done at the outset before any commitment is made to ongoing therapy. Subsequent changes to the contract must be negotiated and agreed with the client.
7.2 If requested by a client, therapists should provide information about their qualifications and experience.
7.3 If requested by a client, therapists should refer clients to the MIP Codes of Ethics and Professional Practice and MIP Complaints Procedure.
7.4 Therapists must inform clients if they become aware of any relevant conflict of interest at the initial interview or at any subsequent stage of therapy.
7.5 Therapists are responsible for setting and monitoring the boundaries between a professional relationship and a social one, and for making such boundaries explicit to the client.
8. COMPETENCE
8.1 Therapists accept clients commensurate with their training, skill and supervision arrangements.
8.2 Therapists should pay attention to the limits of their competence. Where a therapist recognises they are reaching their limit, then consultation with a colleague and/or supervisor is essential. It may be appropriate to refer the client to someone else.
8.3 Therapists have a responsibility to maintain their own effectiveness and ability to practice. Therapists should not work with clients when their capacity is impaired for any reason.
8.4 Therapists should protect their own physical safety when engaged in therapy.
8.5 Therapists must secure professional insurance to protect themselves in the event of legal action being taken against them or against the owners of premises in which they work.
8.6 Therapists should have appropriate therapeutic and supervisory support to maintain ethical and professional practice.
9. SUPERVISION
9.1 Supervision provides a challenging and supportive context for therapists to share their work, enhance their practice and protect the client. Therapists should not practice without appropriate levels of supervision.
9.2 A therapist’s supervisor should not be their therapist.
9.3 Therapists, together with their supervisors, share responsibility for maintaining a focus on supervision which is purposeful and relevant to the therapist’s clinical practice.
10. CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT
10.1 Therapists have a particular responsibility to continue their personal and professional development through any or all of the following: personal therapy, regular supervision, further training, research, publication.
11. RECORDS
11.1 Therapists should keep adequate client records which must be kept safely under secure conditions, in line with the GDPR.
11.2 As a minimum, records should include client’s:
- name, address and telephone number
- name and telephone number of general practitioner
- details of any current involvement with other members of the caring professions, if applicable
- information regarding significant medical problems
- ongoing case notes
11.3 Therapists must ensure that computer based records comply with the requirements of the Data Protection Act 2018 and their electronic equipment is registered with the I.C.O.
12 ADVERTISING
12.1 Advertising should be confined to descriptive statements about the services available and the qualifications of the person providing them. Advertising should not include testimonials, make comparative statements, or in any way imply that the services concerned are more effective than those provided by other schools of therapy or organisations. Therapists should refrain from claiming qualifications they do not possess.
12.2 Trainee Therapists should not describe themselves as a psychotherapist.
12.3 Therapists should not describe themselves as affiliated to any organisation in such a manner that inaccurately and improperly implies or suggests authorisation or sponsorship by that organisation.
13. RESEARCH
13.1 Therapists are obliged to conduct any research in counselling and/or psychotherapy with ethical endeavour and to follow the UKCP and MIP guidelines for ethical practice in research.
14. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
14.1 Therapists should be reasonably conversant with the legal implications of their work as psychotherapists, and have access to legal advice, and consult with their professional indemnity insurers.
14.2 A therapist of MIP who is convicted in a Court of Law for any criminal offence, or is the subject of a successful civil action by a client, should inform MIP and the UKCP.
14.3 Therapists who become aware of a specific crime in the course of their clinical practice, whether current or past, should seek supervisory and legal advice immediately.
15. RESPONSIBILITIES TO THE PSYCHOTHERAPY PROFESSION
15.1 Therapists should not accept anyone as a client if they are already the client of another counsellor/psychotherapist.
15.2 Therapists should conduct themselves personally and professionally in ways that promote the confidence of the general public in the professions of psychotherapy.
15.3 A therapist who is concerned about the professional conduct of another therapist, should discuss their concerns with this person. In the event that the matter cannot be resolved satisfactorily, it should be escalated to the Director who may then invoke the MIP Complaints procedure.
16. SAFEGUARDING
16.1 MIP strongly recommends that the needs of the individual is honoured, and promotes a pro-active safeguarding policy for children and vulnerable adults, when appropriate.
16.2 The therapist, when faced with safeguarding issues, will contact their own supervisor. When appropriate, a referral will be escalated to the local authority, the police and other professional agencies.
16.3 It is a requirement that every trainee and therapist who works with the general public has a DBS Certificate. This needs to be updated every 3 years.
16.4 When working with children, appropriate regular supervision by a child and adolescent specific supervisor must be in place.
16.5 All therapists working at MIP who have clients under 18 years of age, need to be in possession of a specific qualification or working towards qualification to work with children and young people. This qualification must be recognised by the UKCP and/or the BACP.
Please refer to MIP’s Safeguarding Policy for further information.
17. Professional Misconduct
17.1 Professional practice which falls short of the required standards may result in the termination of membership of MIP or termination of their services.
This policy will be reviewed regularly every 18 months ad updated a minimum of every 36 months.
Last Reviewed & Revised April 2020
