Ethics of psychology

Like medicine, psychology is a profession which must answer has strict rules, and this for the good being of the patients but also of the experts.

Code of conduct of the psychologists

The code of conduct of the psychologists was written on March 25th, 1996. Three principal organizations are signatories of the known as code: The AEPU , the ANOP , the SFP. But in fact, there is a score of other organizations signatories.

The code of conduct of the psychologists is composed of a preamble, a treating title I of the general principles, of a clause of conscience, a title II considering the professional exercise, and finally of a treating title III of the training of the psychologist.

* Preamble:

" The respect of the person in her psychic dimension is an inalienable right. Its recognition founds the action of the psychologues"

* Title I: General principles:

This title includes/understands seven paragraphs and draft because of respecting the rights of the patients and professional competence.

* Clause of conscience:

" In all the circumstances where the psychologist estimates not to be able to respect these principles, it is in right to make play the clause of conscience."

* Title II: The professional exercise:

This part has 26 articles contained in five chapters.

Chapter 1: The title of psychologist and the definition of his profession

Chapter 2: Conditions of the exercise of its profession

Chapter 3: Technical methods of the professional exercise

Chapter 4: Duties of the psychologist towards his colleagues

Chapter 5: The psychologist and diffusion of psychology

* Title III: Training of the psychologist:

This part has 9 articles contained in 2 chapters.

Chapter 1: Principles of the formation

Chapter 2: Design of the formation

Ethics and therapy

In addition to the regulations of the Code of conduct, about the respect of the patient in his singularity, the psychotherapist must conform to a certain paramount ethics for his patient as well as for the respect of his own trade. This ethics of care applies to all the therapeutists, whatever their theory of reference and their therapeutic method.

The suggestion

See also Hypnosis and Hypnosis ericksonnienne

With more or less great degree, all the therapeutists have recourse, voluntarily or not, with the Suggestion. The therapeutists practitioner the Hypnose are obviously prone there, but the other therapies should not be neglected, like the Psychanalyse or the behavioral and cognitive therapies (TCC): the question of the suggestion in psychoanalysis was lengthily discussed and the subject is not exhausted yet.

Indeed, how to avoid the influence and the suggestion in a therapy by the word? The private interest of the therapeutist for such element of the speech of the patient for example is enough to rather direct the reflection of the patient in a direction than another.

For the health of the patient, it is essential to think on its own control of therapeutist and so that it can induce at his place: the risk is great to worsen pathology, if not to relieve it.

Example in psychoanalysis of controversy in connection with the suggestion: treatment by Freud of the man to the wolves . In the foreword of the work éponyme of Freud (in the man with the wolves , with the PUF, edition of 1990), P. Mahony clearly expresses the doubts of the analytical community vis-a-vis the resolution of the case of the man to the wolves, suspectant and detecting in the clinical account of Freud a been obstinated use of the suggestion . The man with the wolves never estimated himself cured: one sees well the dangers of the desire of the therapeutist, when it is not sufficiently elaborate and considered.

See: Counter-transference.

To impose limits

Certain therapies use the touch (certain art therapy…). In this case, it is obvious that the responsibility for the therapeutist is increased. He is, of course, proscribes any touch with sexual character. Moreover, the therapeutist must also be attentive with the desire of the patient towards his person, who is increased by the intimate proximity of the touch.

Small example: MY Sechehaye has, during the treatment of a schizophrenic patient , brought symbolically to nourish it with the center, by holding against its chest an apple that it gave him to eat. Even if this method could be moved by the theoretical reference frame of the therapeutist (Régression symbolic system being supported on reality, regression of the patient at the moments of frustration for the " réparer"), one can wonder such a practice whether today would be accepted by the profession as a whole as well as by the patients and their close relations.

Obligation of handing-over in question

Transfer and Counter-transference

If the Transfert in psychoanalysis is a reactualization of the infantile emotional movements towards the therapeutist (love and hatred), and thus of a great utility for the analyst, the Contre-transfert is not either to neglect. This one represents the emotional movements, of love or hatred, induced in the therapeutist by the patient, and is determined by its own history. It is thus advisable for the analyst to use his counter-transference in the cure, and not to neglect it or seek to eliminate it under penalty of damages for the patient. It is necessary then to reflect it, to work out it.

Called into question of the theoretical assets

It is very important in the field of psychotherapy, whatever the theory of reference, not to seek to integrate the patient of force in a nomenclature which is not appropriate to him. The private clinic must nourish the theory, and not the reverse: it is imperatively necessary to be able to question its corpus of knowledge to call it in question as the therapeutic private clinic requires it.

The therapeutic act must indeed be able to adapt to the patient, with his personality, its history, and with its request.

Ethics and research in psychology

Knowledge of the subject on the assumptions of the researcher

Here two points of sights clash. Indeed, whereas certain researchers (Anglo-Saxon for the majority) estimate that the person taking part in research must be briefing of the effective goal of the authors, others think that the subject does not owe the knowledge, to avoid all experimental skews (Effet Hawthorne, Désirabilité social…). This last point of the sight is applied mainly by two techniques (the Passation as a double blind man, and the Affabulation) which are not without bringing problems ethical S, owing to the fact that the subjects cannot give their prior agreement with full knowledge of the facts.

However, the researchers answer it by setting up a debriefing (or demystification) being used to announce on the subjects, as of the end of the experimentation, the details, the objectives, and assumptions, in a simplified but exact way, so that the participant includes/understands to what it contributed exactly.

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