“Clients need to be able to participate freely as they work with
practitioners of the counselling professions towards their desired goals.
This requires clients to be able to trust their practitioner with their
wellbeing and sensitive personal information. Therefore, as members or
registrants of BACP, we take being trustworthy as a serious ethical
commitment. We have agreed that we will:
- Put clients first by:
a. making clients our primary concern while we are working with them
b. providing an appropriate standard of service to our clients. - Work to professional standards by:
a. working within our competence
b. keeping our skills and knowledge up to date
c. collaborating with colleagues to improve the quality of what is being offered to
clients
d. ensuring that our wellbeing is sufficient to sustain the quality of the work
e. keeping accurate and appropriate records. - Show respect by:
a. valuing each client as a unique person
b. protecting client confidentiality and privacy
c. agreeing with clients on how we will work together
d. working in partnership with clients.
Our commitment to clients - Build an appropriate relationship with clients by:
a. communicating clearly what clients have a right to expect from us
b. communicating any benefits, costs and commitments that clients may
reasonably expect
c. respecting the boundaries between our work with clients and what lies outside
that work
d. not exploiting or abusing clients
e. listening out for how clients experience our working together. - Maintain integrity by:
a. being honest about the work
b. communicating our qualifications, experience and working methods accurately
c. working ethically and with careful consideration of how we fulfil our legal
obligations. - Demonstrate accountability and candour by:
a. being willing to discuss with clients openly and honestly any known risks
involved in the work and how best to work towards our clients’ desired
outcomes by communicating any benefits, costs and commitments that clients
may reasonably expect
b. ensuring that clients are promptly informed about anything that has occurred
which places the client at risk of harm or causes harm in our work together,
whether or not clients are aware of it, and quickly taking action to limit or repair
any harm as far as possible
c. reviewing our work with clients in supervision
d. monitoring how clients experience our work together and the effects of our work
with them.”
Extract taken from The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy
Jackie Fedozi Counselling 