Section C

Professional Responsibility

Introduction

Counselors aspire to have open, honest, and accurate communication in dealing with the public and other professionals. Counselors facilitate access to counseling services, and they practice in a nondiscriminatory manner within the boundaries of professional and personal competence; they also have a responsibility to abide by the ACA Code of Ethics. Counselors actively participate in local, state, and national associations that foster the development and improvement of counseling. Counselors are expected to advocate to promote changes at the individual, group, institutional, and societal levels that improve the quality of life for individuals and groups and remove potential barriers to the provision or access of appropriate services being offered. Counselors have a responsibility to the public to engage in counseling practices that are based on rigorous research methodologies. Counselors are encouraged to contribute to society by devoting a portion of their professional activity to services for which there is little or no financial return (pro bono publico).

C.1. Knowledge of and Compliance with Standards

Counselors have a responsibility to read, understand, and follow the ACA Code of Ethics and adhere to applicable laws and regulations in any jurisdiction where they are licensed or supervised to practice.

C.2. Professional Competence

C.2.a. Boundaries of Competence

Counselors practice only within the boundaries of their competence, based on their education, training, supervised and professional experiences, and professional credentials.

C.2.b. Specialty Areas of Practice

Counselors practice in specialty areas new to them only after appropriate education, training, and supervised experience. While developing skills in new specialty areas, counselors take steps to ensure the competence of their work and protect others from possible harm. 

C.2.c. Qualified for Employment

Counselors accept employment for positions for which they are qualified given their education, training, supervised experience, state and national professional credentials, and appropriate professional experience.

C.2.d. Consulting on Ethical Obligations

Consult with counselors and professionals who have relevant expertise, professional literature, and/or ACA Ethics staff with questions regarding ethical obligations or professional practice.

C.2.e. Continuing Education

Counselors engage in continuing education to maintain and acquire knowledge of research-based developments within the profession. They maintain competence in professional skills while learning new procedures regarding best practices for working with diverse populations.

C.2.f. Monitor Well-being

Counselors continuously assess and monitor their well-being and identify personal strategies for creating and implementing self-care plans to achieve wellness.

C.2.g. Impairment

Counselors refrain from accepting or continuing a professional relationship with a client when they are physically, mentally, or emotionally impaired. They seek consultation and professional services and limit, suspend, or terminate their professional responsibilities until they can resume their work. Counselors assist colleagues in recognizing their professional impairment and document consultation and assistance when provided.

C.2.h. Counselor Incapacitation, Death, Retirement, or Termination of Practice

Counselors prepare a professional will for the confidential transfer of clients and the dissemination of records to an identified colleague or records custodian in the case of the counselor’s incapacitation, death, retirement, or termination of practice.

C.2.i. Contingency Plan

A contingency plan is developed for continued client services in the event that counseling services are interrupted by disaster, such as acts of violence, terrorism, natural disaster, or public health crisis.

C.3. Advertising and Soliciting Clients

C.3.a. Accurate Advertising

Counselors identify and present their credentials and services in an accurate manner that is not false, misleading, deceptive, or fraudulent. This applies to all forms of representation, including, but not limited to websites, directories, social media, digital marketing, and artificial-intelligence-generated advertising.

C.3.b. Testimonials

Counselors do not solicit testimonials from current clients and/or former clients, and any other persons who may be vulnerable to undue influence.

C.3.c. Recruiting Through Employment or Institution Affiliation

Counselors/supervisors do not use their places of employment or institutional affiliation to recruit or redirect clients, supervisees, or consultees for personal gain in their private practices.

C.3.d. Promotion of Professional Products and Training

Counselors who develop products, workshops, or training events related to their professional expertise ensure that all promotional materials are accurate, transparent, and sufficient for consumers to make informed decisions.

C.3.e. Promotion Within Professional Relationships

Counselors do not use their counseling, teaching, training, or supervisory roles to promote products or events in ways that are deceptive, coercive, or that exploit the power imbalance inherent in those relationships.

C.4. Professional Qualifications

Counselors accurately represent their qualifications and correct any known misrepresentations.

• Credentials: Counselors claim only licenses or certifications that are current and in good standing.
• Educational degrees: Counselors clearly differentiate between earned and honorary degrees.
• Implying doctoral-level competence: Counselors use only conferred degrees and do not use ABD (All but dissertation) as an earned credential. Counselors do not imply doctoral-level competence when possessing a master’s degree in counseling or a related field. Counselors do not refer to themselves as “Dr.” in a counseling context when their doctorate is not in counseling or a related field.
• Accreditation status: Counselors accurately represent the accreditation status of their degree program and college/university.

C.5. Nondiscrimination

Counselors promote fairness and equity for all, not limited to clients, students, colleagues, research participants, and other stakeholders.

Counselors do not condone or engage in discrimination based on age, culture, disability, ethnicity, race, religion/spirituality, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital/ partnership status, language preference, socioeconomic status, or immigration status or any basis proscribed by law.

C.6. Public Responsibility

C.6.a. Harassment

Counselors do not engage in or condone harassment of clients, supervisees, students, research participants, and/or colleagues.

C.6.b. Reports to Third Parties

Counselors are accurate, honest, and objective when reporting their professional activities to third parties.

C.6.c. Public and Professional Presentations

Counselors present information during professional presentations based upon appropriate counseling research and practice that is consistent with the ACA Code of Ethics.

C.6.d. Exploitation of Others

Counselors do not exploit others in their professional relationships.

C.6.e. Contributing to the Public Good (Pro Bono Publico)

Counselors make reasonable efforts to provide public service and service to the counseling profession for which there is little or no financial gain.

C.7. Treatment Modalities

C.7.a. Scientific Basis for Treatment

When providing services, counselors use techniques/procedures/modalities that are grounded in theory and/or have an empirical or scientific foundation.

C.7.b. Development and Innovation

When counselors use developing or innovative techniques/procedures/modalities, they explain the potential risks, benefits, and ethical considerations of using such techniques/procedures/modalities. Counselors strive to minimize potential risks or harm when using these techniques/procedures/modalities.

C.7.c. Harmful Practices

Counselors do not use techniques/procedures/modalities when substantial evidence suggests harm, even if such services are requested.

C.8. Personal Public Statements

When making personal statements in a public context, counselors clarify they are speaking from their personal perspectives and that they are not speaking on behalf of all counselors or the profession.