Code of Ethics: A Foundation for Professionalism - Essay Sample

Introduction

The Code of Ethics is an important piece of document in any business or organization if it wishes to attain its set goals and the designed mission. It details the guiding the principles in the professional world of business and trade in any industry and enables such professionals to conduct their activities as well as carry themselves in a manner that involves honesty and integrity. There are several codes of conduct and ethics contained in and supported by the American Constitution today, ranging from various different fields of everyday living. These cover areas like for example business ethics and even codes of professional practice and framework to guide the professionals in their everyday operations. They also guide the other involved parties in a business transaction and create a common understanding where business can then be transacted professionally with everyone's satisfaction being met while at it, leading to a mutual relationship between the client and their handlers. Similarly, they assist in shielding the customers and patients from the exploitation of any manner in the course of the practitioners time in practice and active duty. These formed the basis of our study, where we compared three of the most common of the code of ethics currently in use in the psychology industry of America today. We also looked at the various differences among these codes of ethics and drew a conclusion from our discussion.

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Three of the most common codes of ethics in use today include The American Association of Christian Counselors Code of Ethics. It details principles to guide the professional application of values associated with the Christian faith in the field of counseling. It uses biblical teachings as the main guiding framework in the manner that Christian pastors offer their counseling services to the members of the community. The standards to be aimed at are therefore detailed in the code and practice done accordingly.

The American Psychological Association Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct is another common document in use today in the psychology field. It guides the engaged parties in making ethical decisions in their practice. It also protects the clients' rights when seeking counseling services from the professionals, guiding their relationship. Finally, there also is The American Counseling Association Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice. Coming into practice in 2014, the current document aims to preserve respect for other humans when providing counseling services. Thus it details what is considered appropriate and inappropriate in the relationship between the counselors and their subjects (Sahdra, 2016).

A common similarity in all these three documents is that they aim to promote respect and a professional approach in dispensing counseling services among practitioners. Also, they provide the framework for establishing a working relationship between the clients and their handlers as they seek for their services in the industry. Additionally, they aim to improve the dignity and respect for the rights of other humans within the counseling profession and thus offer a means to promote the quality of life (Martin, 2012).

However, there are a few differences between the three common codes of ethics in use today in the counseling profession. For instance, while the American Association of Christian Counselors Code of Ethics uses Christian values as the guiding framework to preserving human respect in the profession, the other two use common law practices to set the guiding principles as well as the application of common law in solving problems that may arise in the course of practice. In addition, while The American Psychological Association Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct tries to emphasize a focus on responsibility in preserving professional integrity, the American Counseling Association Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice focus more on resolving ethical issues that may arise during the course of practice. Also, two are different from the American Association of Christian Counselors Code of Ethics in that they focus more on creating a working relationship between the various players in the industry while the latter is more based on Christian beliefs (Gosling, 2003).

The code of ethics is an important guiding principle of conduct in any business as we have discussed. The importance of observing these principles have been mentioned above as well as the few consequences of not following them. In the discussion, we have noted some of the common codes of ethics used in the counseling profession in America today. Among these are the American Association of Christian Counselors Code of Ethics, The American Psychological Association Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct as well as The American Counseling Association Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice. Though the three have several similarities in their approach to ethical practice, they still contain few differences as discussed in the text. However, the combined use of all these three documents guide the code of ethical practices in the world of counseling today as well as set a stable base for the delivery of quality services and establishing trust between the involved players.

Reference

Gosling, S., Rentfrow, P., & Swann, W. (2003). A very brief measure of the Big-Five personality domains. Journal of Research in Personality, 37(6), 504-528. doi:10.1016/s0092-6566(03)00046-1

Martin, A. J., Nejad, H., Colmar, S., & Liem, G. A. D. (2012). Adaptability: Conceptual and empirical perspectives on responses to change, novelty and uncertainty. Journal of Psychologists and Counsellors in Schools, 22(1), 58-81. doi: 10.1017/jgc.2012.8

Sahdra, B., Ciarrochi, J., & Parker, P. (2016). Nonattachment and mindfulness: Related but distinct constructs. Psychological Assessment, 28(7), 819-829. doi:10.1037/pas0000264