Ethics & Professional Standards
Codes, accreditation requirements, policies and guidance for ethical professional practice.
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GOVERNANCE · ETHICS · PUBLIC PROTECTION
Standards & Ethics
A clear professional framework for safe, respectful and accountable counselling, psychotherapy and allied healthcare practice in Ireland.
Integrity in every professional pathway.
These standards support sound judgement, transparent conduct and the consistent protection of clients, learners, colleagues and the wider public.
01 · PURPOSE AND SCOPE
A public-protection framework for professional practice
ICPHAA members place the dignity, welfare and autonomy of the people they serve at the centre of professional practice.
Ethical practice is active rather than passive. It requires informed judgement, careful reflection, appropriate supervision and the courage to respond when safety, trust or professional integrity may be at risk.
This accessible overview applies across membership pathways and areas of professional practice. Members are expected to work within their competence, comply with applicable law and organisational policy, and consult the formal ICPHAA Code of Ethics, scope-of-practice requirements and complaints procedure where detailed guidance is required.
How to use this page
Use this framework as a practical reference before, during and after professional decisions.
Identify the ethical principle or professional duty involved.
Consider the welfare and rights of everyone affected.
Consult supervision, policy and specialist advice where needed.
Record the reasoning, action taken and follow-up arrangements.
02 · CORE ETHICAL PRINCIPLES
Six principles that anchor professional conduct
The principles work together. No single principle automatically overrides every other consideration; members must weigh the circumstances, foreseeable consequences and the rights of those affected.
Dignity and autonomy
Respect each person’s worth, voice, identity, choices and right to participate meaningfully in decisions that affect them.
Beneficence
Act with a clear intention to promote wellbeing, therapeutic benefit, learning and appropriate professional support.
Non-maleficence
Anticipate and minimise avoidable harm, misuse of power, exploitation, unsafe practice and foreseeable professional risk.
Justice and inclusion
Provide fair, accessible and non-discriminatory practice while challenging prejudice, exclusion and inequitable barriers.
Fidelity and trust
Honour professional commitments, maintain dependable boundaries and communicate honestly about limitations and change.
Integrity and accountability
Take responsibility for decisions, remain open to scrutiny, correct errors promptly and engage constructively with concerns.
03 · STANDARDS OF CONDUCT
Professional duties expected of every member
Membership carries an ongoing responsibility to maintain competence, communicate transparently and protect the integrity of professional relationships.
Competence and development
Work only within current education, training, experience and authorised scope of practice.
Maintain relevant continuing professional development and reflective learning.
Recognise limitations and refer, consult or seek specialist support when appropriate.
Consent and communication
Explain the nature, purpose, risks, benefits, alternatives, fees and limits of the service.
Treat consent as an ongoing process that can be reviewed or withdrawn.
Communicate in language and formats that support genuine understanding.
Confidentiality and records
Protect private information and explain lawful or safety-related limits to confidentiality.
Keep accurate, proportionate and secure records in accordance with applicable requirements.
Share only what is necessary, with appropriate authority and a clear professional rationale.
Supervision and fitness to practise
Use supervision appropriate to role, experience, complexity and level of responsibility.
Monitor health, wellbeing, workload and circumstances that could impair safe practice.
Pause, restrict or seek support for practice where professional fitness is compromised.
Equality, diversity and power
Challenge prejudice and adapt practice respectfully to individual and cultural context.
Recognise how power, privilege, disability, faith, gender, sexuality, race and socioeconomic context may shape practice.
Avoid imposing personal beliefs, values or assumptions on those receiving services.
Honest professional representation
Represent titles, qualifications, membership status, accreditation and services accurately.
Ensure advertising, testimonials and public statements do not mislead or guarantee outcomes.
Declare relevant conflicts of interest and manage them transparently.
04 · BOUNDARIES, SAFEGUARDING AND SAFETY
Protecting the public in every practice setting
Clear boundaries and proportionate safeguarding responses protect clients, practitioners, learners and the integrity of the profession.
Professional boundaries
Never enter sexual, exploitative or coercive relationships with current clients.
Consider carefully whether dual or multiple relationships could impair judgement or create pressure.
Set clear expectations for contact, messaging, social media, gifts, fees, cancellations and endings.
Safeguarding and serious risk
Know the relevant safeguarding pathways for children and adults who may be at risk.
Respond proportionately to credible concerns involving serious harm, abuse, neglect or exploitation.
Record information considered, consultation obtained, decisions made and follow-up action.
Online and remote practice
Confirm identity, location, privacy, emergency contact and crisis arrangements where appropriate.
Use suitable privacy, security and informed-consent safeguards.
Assess whether remote work is clinically, ethically and practically appropriate.
Students and developing practitioners
Use titles that accurately reflect education, placement and membership status.
Work only within approved placement, supervision, insurance and organisational arrangements.
Do not imply independent accreditation or competence before it has been formally granted.
05 · ETHICAL DECISION PROCESS
A disciplined way to approach difficult decisions
Ethical reasoning should be proportionate, consultative and recorded. The following sequence supports defensible professional judgement.
Clarify the issue
Separate known facts from assumptions, feelings, values, legal questions, organisational policy and immediate safety concerns.
Identify everyone affected
Consider the client, children or adults at risk, third parties, colleagues, the public and the integrity of professional practice.
Review duties and evidence
Consult the ethical principles, professional standards, consent arrangements, relevant records, policy and applicable law.
Seek appropriate consultation
Use supervision, senior professional advice, safeguarding guidance or legal advice according to the nature and urgency of the concern.
Compare options and consequences
Test each option for proportionality, likely benefit, foreseeable harm, fairness, transparency and respect for autonomy.
Act, record and review
Document the decision and rationale, communicate appropriately, monitor the outcome and revise the plan if circumstances change.
06 · CONCERNS, COMPLAINTS AND ACCOUNTABILITY
A fair route for raising concerns
ICPHAA encourages concerns to be raised responsibly and considered through a fair, proportionate and transparent process.
A concern should identify the conduct or service involved and include relevant information that can be shared lawfully. Immediate risk or safeguarding matters should be directed first to the appropriate emergency, statutory or organisational pathway.
Submitting a concern does not itself determine wrongdoing. Information is reviewed fairly, members are given an opportunity to respond, conflicts of interest are managed, and outcomes are based on the available evidence and applicable standards.
Urgent safety concerns
ICPHAA’s professional process is not an emergency response service. Where there is an immediate danger, suspected crime or urgent safeguarding risk, contact the appropriate emergency or statutory service without delay.