Oleh:

Nasrudin Subhi
Pusat Pengajian Psikologi dan Pembangunan Manusia,
Fakulti Sains Sosial dan Kemanusiaan,
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.

Why do we have ethics and act that binds the

counselling profession?
It is about being confident of having the correct
combination of attributes and skills to alleviate human
distress as promised

Specifically, ethics encompasses four

dimensions:
1. Having sufficient knowledge, skill and judgment to
use efficacious interventions
2. Respecting the human dignity and freedom of the
client(s)
3. Using the power inherent in the counsellors role
responsibly
4. Acting in ways that promote public confidence in
the profession of counselling

The second for ethical decision making codes

of ethics of the professional association
All specify the rules of conduct and standards of
care for members
E.g.:
o Code of ethics and standards of practice of ACA (2005)
o Ethical principals of psychologists and code of conduct
of APA (2002)
o Kod Etika Kaunselor PERKAMA (1994)
o Kod Etika Kaunselor PERKAMA (2008)
o Akta Etika Kaunselor Lembaga Kaunselor (Malaysia)
(2011)

Tujuan:
1. Menyediakan garis panduan kepada pengamal
kaunseling dan juga menjadi asas dalam
menyelesaikan isu etika yang timbul
2. Menggariskan piawai perlakuan kaunselor dalam
menjalin perhubungan professional dengan klien,
rakan-rakan kaunselor, majikan, individu dan
profesion lain serta masyarakat keseluruhannya.
Ia juga merangkumi etika perlakuan yang sesuai
dengan kedudukan dan identity sebagai seorang
pengamal kaunseling
3. Mendidik pengamal kaunseling dan masyarakat umum
mengenai hak dan tangungjawab masing- masing dalam
proses kaunseling

Some professionals might belong to more than one

association advantage of referring to more than
one codes of ethics
These codes represent the official statements of the
professions about what is expected of members and
all members are held accountable for actions that
violate the code
When a professional accept a membership or a
credential from the licensing agency agree to abide
by the stipulations of the code even if it may
contradict in some way the moral value that guide
personal life.

Advantages:
The support it gives the professional when faced with
an ethical questions
The existence and enforcement of codes of ethics
demonstrate that counsellors take seriously their
responsibility to protect the public welfare

Limitations:
Counsellor are often confronted with diverse populations;
its application to any one setting is limited
Due to rapid changes in term of forms of practice and new
populations- parts of codes are outdated as soon as they
are published; e.g. internet counselling, HIV, GLBTI
Sometimes codes might not represent ethical ideal but
rather consent of the Board of Directors; e.g. amendments
on 1992 APA code on sexual intimacies

Ethics deals with the actions professionals ought

to take in relation to each other, to clients and to
the public.
Ethics codes are the standards adopted by
national professional associations to govern the
definitions of ethical behaviour for their
members and lay out the penalties for
misbehaviour.

Violation of the law carry much stiffer penalties

than codes, of course, ranging from limitations
placed on ones license to practice and
vulnerability to being sued to criminal liability for
the most egregious actions
Ethical standards cover a wider range of
behaviours than do laws and generally are
written partly to inspire professionals to do their
best.

Sometimes counsellors believe that what is truly

in their clients best interest conflicts with the law
E.g. Pope & Bajt (1988) found that 57% of
psychologists intentionally violated a law or rule
because they believed compliance would injure more
than help their clients

One reason that laws and ethics sometimes

conflict is that they derive from different
philosophical perspectives and different cultural
world views