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International Association of Sexual Educators, Counsellors & Therapists |
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This code sets out principles of professional conduct developed to: - • Ensure that the welfare of consumers of member's services is paramount. • Maintain the integrity of IASECT and its members.
Glossary of Terms
1. MEMBER (a) Full Member:- Professional Member A person who meets the qualification standards of the selection Executive Committee of IASECT.
(b) Associate Member: - Semi Professional Member A person who meets the qualification standards of the selection Executive Committee of IASECT.
(c) General Member A person who is a current financial member of IASECT and who agrees to abide by its ethical standards.
(d) Student Member A person who is a currently studying toward being an Associate or Full member and who agrees to abide by its ethical standards International Association of Sexual Educators, Counselors and Therapists - IASECT
2. ASSOCIATION International Association of Sexual Educators, Counsellors and Therapists.
3. Executive Committee
(a) Executive Committee Annually elected body, responsible for the day – to – day running of the Association. ( b) Ethics Committee Annually elected panel of one professional, one general member of the Association and one consumers representative, one of whom shall be male and another female, which will adjudicate in the application of the code of ethics.
4. Client Any person who enters into a contract with a member for the expressed purpose of receiving a professional service.
5. Code Code of professional conduct. The sections which follow expand on and identify specific applications of the following general principles which operate in all situations.
A. General Principles
I. Responsibility : Members are personally responsible for the professional decisions they make. International Association of Sexual Educators, Counselors and Therapists - IASECT (a) Members are expected to consider foreseeable consequences of their actions and decisions and to make every effort to ensure that their services are provided in the best interest of the client. (b) In working with organisations, as employees or consultants, members shall have ultimate regard for the highest standards of their profession.
II. Competence : Members shall bring acceptable skill and learning to their areas of professional practice. (a) Members shall refrain from offering or undertaking work of advice beyond their professional competence (b) Members shall adhere to supervision requirements..
III. Propriety : The welfare of clients, students, the general public, and the integrity of the Association, shall take precedence over a member's self interest and over the interests of an employer or colleague. (a) Members shall refrain from any act which will tend to bring the Association into public disrepute.
IV. Confidentiality: (a) Confidentiality of client information is paramount. Information will be revealed to others only with the informed consent of the client. (b) Members must inform their clients of the legal or other contractual limits of confidentiality.
B. Client Relationship: The Therapeutic Contract and Clients Welfare
I. Vulnerability : 1.1 Members are expected to be responsive to the clients vulnerability and sensitive to their need to acquiesce in the direction of therapy.
II. Trust: 2.1 The client's ability to make judgements about their welfare are potentially clouded by the wish to succeed in therapy. The expectation by the client of competence, knowledge, and high ethical standards on the part of the member is reasonable. Such standards must be reflected by the member within the professional relationship.
III. Confidentiality: 2.3 Members must take provisions for maintaining confidentiality in the storage and disposal of records. 2.4 When working with persons who are unable to give informed consent, members must protect those persons best interests. 2.5 Members must not convey confidential communications from related professions to a client without permission from the source of such communications. They must also establish the limits of confidentiality before supplying confidential information to another professional person.
IV. Sexual Contact: 2.6 Members must not sexually exploit their professional relationship with clients, supervisees, or students. 2.7 IASECT for not support sexual relationships between members and their clients. Therapeutic physical intimacy by a member is only validated if the member of a Surrogates Society accepted by IASECT.
V. Professional Skill and Competence: 2.8 When there is evidence of a problem with which the member is not competent to deal, the member shall make this clear to the client and offer to refer the client to a more appropriate source of expertise.
2.9 General members are not considered by IASECT as eligible to practice as a sex therapist.
2.10 Members must be mindful that there is always a conflict o interests between personal and professional relationships which will always be detrimental to the client. When such conflict arises, advice re action should be sought from the Executive Committee.
2.11 It is not desirable for members to engage their supervisees or junior colleagues for whom they have administrative responsibility, in therapy. It is recognised however that training and supervision are an educational and therapeutic experience.
2.12 Members may neither give nor receive any remuneration for referring clients to tother professionals for professional services.
International Association of Sexual Educators, Counselors and Therapists - IASECT 2.13 Members shall terminate a clinical or consulting relationship when it is reasonably clear that the client is not benefiting from the treatment.
2.14 It is incumbent on all members to exercise restraint in the collection of information to ensure that the clients rights are safeguarded.
Information obtained in a clinical or consulting relationships, may be communicated only for professional purposes and only to persons legitimately concerned with the case for the benefit of the client.
2.15 If a therapeutic relationship has been developed, the protection of that client's rights can only be ensured by considering him/her to always be a client. The therapeutic relationship precludes a sexual relationship between the client and the therapist at any time in the future.
C. Breach of the Code: Procedures for Persons Considering invoking Any Section of the Code .
I. Source of Complaints : 3 General – The information leading a member to consider invoking the Code may come from a variety of sources such as but not restricted to the following. :
3.1 The client who might approach a member, asking advice or information on procedures for redress of what they perceive as unprofessional conduct or unethical behaviour by an Association member;
3.2 A member of some other professional body who may express concern about the ethics or practice involving an Association member;
3.3 A member who becomes aware of behaviour by a member which could contravene some sections of the Code;
3.4 A member who may be required by an employer to perform
II. Actions Required by a Member: 3.5 In circumstances where there is a factual knowledge of, or reasonable grounds for believing that the Code has been or is being violated, it becomes the member's professional responsibility to report in writing to the Ethics Committee, the nature of their concern.
3.6 Should a member be uncertain that the behaviour is in breach of the Code they should consult with the Ethics Committee.
3.7 If a member of the Ethics Committee us under investigation for a breach of ethics, that member shall stand down from the Executive Committee and another member shall be appointed by the Executive for the period of investigation.
III. Assisting a Client 3.8 Where a client asks for advice or action to obtain redress, a member should: 3.8.1 Advise the complainant to confirm through a member of the Executive that the subject of the complaint is a member of the Association; and International Association of Sexual Educators, Counselors and Therapists - IASECT 3.8.2 If confirmed, advise that person to convey that complaint to the Ethics Committee in writing.
IV. Alternate Areas for Redress 3.9 Whether or not the subject or the complaint is a member of the Association, advise the complainant of his or her rights and make them aware of the procedures to follow in registering a complaint.
3.10 Should a member find her/himself in a breach of the Code for any reason they should request a confidential consultation with two or more members of the Ethics Committee for advice.
3.11 Members who breach the ethical standards of a related professional organisation will be required to appear before the Ethics Committee.
3.12 Members have the right to appeal a decision of the Ethics Committee before the Executive Committee.
3.13 Members who appear before the Ethics Committee or the Executive in an appeal; may be accompanied by another person.
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