The counseling Relationship (A)
Clients have the freedom to choose
whether to enter into or remain in
a counseling relationship and need
adequate information about the
counseling process and the counselor.
Counselors have an obligation to review in writing and verbally with clients the rights and responsibilities of
both counselors and clients. Informed
consent is an ongoing part of the
counseling process, and counselors
appropriately document discussions
of informed consent throughout the
counseling relationship. (A.2.a)
What is informed consent?
At initiation and throughout the counseling process, counselors inform clients of the limitations of confidentiality and seek to identify situations in which confidentiality must be breached.
What is Explanation of Limitations (B.1.d)?
True or false: Counselors do not engage in or condone
sexual harassment. Sexual harassment
can consist of a single intense or severe act,
or multiple persistent or pervasive acts.
True. (C.6.a)
True or false: Counselors need to take precautions to avoid disclosing confidential information
through public social media.
True. (H.6.d)
True or false: Lack of knowledge or misunderstanding of an ethical responsibility is a defense
against a charge of unethical conduct.
Counselors know and understand the
ACA Code of Ethics and other applicable
ethics codes from professional organiza-
tions or certifcation and licensure bod-
ies of which they are members. Lack of
knowledge or misunderstanding of an
ethical responsibility is not a defense
against a charge of unethical conduct. (I.1.a)
When counseling minors, incapacitated adults, or other persons unable to give voluntary consent, counselors
seek the assent of clients to services
and include them in decision making
as appropriate. Counselors recognize
the need to balance the ethical rights
of clients to make choices, their capac-
ity to give consent or assent to receive
services, and parental or familial legal
rights and responsibilities to protect
these clients and make decisions on
their behalf. (A.2.d)
What is inability to give consent?
To the extent possible, clients are
informed before confidential information is disclosed and are involved in the disclosure decision-making
process. When circumstances require
the disclosure of confidential information, only essential information is revealed.
What is Minimal Disclosure (B.2.e)?
Counselors recognize the need for continuing education to acquire and maintain a reasonable level of awareness of current scientific and professional
information in their felds of activity.
Counselors maintain their competence
in the skills they use, are open to new
procedures, and remain informed regarding best practices for working with
diverse populations.
What is Continuing Education (C.2f)?
Counselors who engage in the use of
distance counseling, technology, and/
or social media to interact with clients
take steps to verify the client’s identity
at the beginning and throughout the
therapeutic process. Verification can
include, but is not limited to, using
code words, numbers, graphics, or other
nondescript identifers.
What is Client Verification? (H.3)
When uncertain about whether a
particular situation or course of action may be in violation of the ACA Code of Ethics, counselors consult with other counselors who are knowledgeable about ethics and the ACA Code of Ethics, with colleagues, or with appropriate authorities, such as the
ACA Ethics and Professional Standards Department.
What is Consultation? (I.2.c)
True or False: Counselors are permitted to engage in counseling relationships with persons with whom they have had a previous sexual and/or romantic relationship.
False (A.5.b)
True or false: Counselors do not have to protect the confidentiality of deceased clients, consistent with legal requirements and the documented
preferences of the client.
False: Counselors must protect the confidentiality of deceased clients. (B.3.f)
True or false: Counselors can recruit clients, supervisors, or consulates for their private practice at their place of employment or institutional affiliation.
False: Counselors do not use their places of
employment or institutional affliation to
recruit clients, supervisors, or consultees
for their private practices. (C.3.d)
Counselors use current encryption standards within their websites and/or technology-based communications that meet applicable legal requirements. Counselors take reasonable precautions to ensure the confidentiality of information transmitted
through any electronic means.
What is Security? (H.2.d)
When counselors have reason to believe
that another counselor is violating or has
violated an ethical standard and substantial harm has not occurred, they attempt to first resolve the issue informally with the other counselor if feasible, provided
such action does not violate confdential-
ity rights that may be involved.
What is Informal Resolution? (I.2.a)
True or false: Counselors should not accept any gifts from clients.
False: Counselors understand the challenges
of accepting gifts from clients and recognize that in some cultures, small gifts are a token of respect and gratitude. When determining whether to accept
a gift from clients, counselors take into
account the therapeutic relationship, the
monetary value of the gift, the client’s
motivation for giving the gift, and the
counselor’s motivation for wanting to
accept or decline the gift. (A.10.f)
When counseling minor clients or
adult clients who lack the capacity
to give voluntary consent to release
confdential information, counselors
seek permission from an appropriate
third party to disclose information.
In such instances, counselors inform
clients consistent with their level of
understanding and take appropriate
measures to safeguard client confidentiality.
What is Release of Confidential Information (B.5.c)?
Counselors claim only licenses or certifcations that are current and in good standing.
What is Credentials (C.4.b)?
True or false: Counselors only need to adhere to the laws and regulations of the state that they received their licensure in, and not the state that the client resides in when conducting distance counseling.
False: Counselors who engage in the use of distance counseling, technology, and social
media within their counseling practice
understand that they may be subject to
laws and regulations of both the counselor’s practicing location and the client’s
place of residence. Counselors ensure
that their clients are aware of pertinent
legal rights and limitations governing the
practice of counseling across state lines
or international boundaries. (H.1.b)
Counselors do not initiate, participate
in, or encourage the fling of ethics complaints that are retaliatory in nature or are made with reckless disregard or willful ignorance of facts that would disprove the allegation.
What is Unwarranted Complaints? (I.2.e)
True or False: Counselors can barter with clients.
True: Counselors may barter only if the bartering does not result in exploitation
or harm, if the client requests it, and
if such arrangements are an accepted
practice among professionals in the
community. Counselors consider the
cultural implications of bartering and
discuss relevant concerns with clients
and document such agreements in a
clear written contract. (A.10.e)
True or false: When court ordered to release confidential information, the counselor does not need to get consent from the client.
False: When ordered by a court to release
confidential or privileged information without a client’s permission, counselors seek to obtain written, informed consent from the client or take steps to
prohibit the disclosure or have it limited
as narrowly as possible because of potential harm to the client or counseling relationship. (B.2.d)
What does Scientific Basis for Treatment mean?
When providing services, counselors use
techniques/procedures/modalities that
are grounded in theory and/or have an
empirical or scientific foundation. (C.7.a)
True or false: Counselors are permitted to view client's social media if they happen to come across them organically.
False. Counselors respect the privacy of
their clients’ presence on social media
unless given consent to view such
information. (H.6.c)
True or false: When faced with ethical conflicts, the counselor must adhere to the ACA Code of Ethics always, even if it conflicts with the requirements of law, regulations, and/or other governing legal authority.
False: If ethical responsibilities conflict with
the law, regulations, and/or other governing legal authority, counselors make
known their commitment to the ACA
Code of Ethics and take steps to resolve
the confict. If the confict cannot be resolved using this approach, counselors,
acting in the best interest of the client,
may adhere to the requirements of the
law, regulations, and/or other governing legal authority. (I.1.c)