Psychology code of ethics

• The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) of the Philippines has adopted and promulgated a Code of Ethics and Professional Standards for Psychology Practitioners
• The Code of Ethics and Professional Standards was endorsed to the Professional Regulatory Board of Psychology and the PRC for adoption and promulgation
• The Code of Ethics and Professional Standards sets forth the ethical and technical principles that shall govern the practice of all Psychologists and Psychometricians in the Philippines
• The Psychological Association of the Philippines (PAP) adopted a Code of Ethics and Professional Standards for Psychology Practitioners in 2008, which was reviewed and updated in 2015
• The Code of Ethics and Professional Standards for Psychology Practitioners in the Philippines is part of the rules and regulations governing the practice of the Psychology profession in the country
• The Code of Ethics and Professional Standards for Psychology Practitioners in the Philippines shall take effect 15 days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in any newspaper of national circulation
• The Code of Ethics and Professional Standards for Psychology Practitioners in the Philippines was adopted and promulgated by the Professional Regulatory Board of Psychology through Resolution No. 11, Series of 2017
• Principles in the Code of Ethics and Professional Standards for Psychology Practitioners in the Philippines


  • Respect for the Dignity of Persons and Peoples
  • Competent Caring for the Well-Being of Persons and Peoples
  • Integrity
  • Professional and Scientific Responsibilities to Society
• Respect for the Dignity of Persons and Peoples


  Recognizing the inherent worth of all human beings and the dignity of peoples and their cultures
• Competent Caring for the Well-Being of Persons and Peoples

  Working for the benefit of persons and peoples, and avoiding harm
• Integrity


  Honesty, truthfulness, and managing conflicts of interest to uphold the best interests of persons and peoples
• Professional and Scientific Responsibilities to Society

  Using psychological knowledge to promote the well-being of society and its members, and conducting affairs in an ethical manner
• Psychology practitioners accept as fundamental the Principle of Professional and Scientific Responsibilities to Society
• Related values accepted by Psychology practitioners

  • The responsibility to increase scientific and professional knowledge in ways that allow the promotion of the well-being of society and all its members
  • The responsibility to use Psychological knowledge for beneficial purposes and to protect such knowledge from being misused, used incompetently, or made useless
  • The responsibility to conduct its affairs in ways that are ethical and consistent with the promotion of the well-being of society and all its members
  • The responsibility to promote the highest ethical ideals in the performance of scientific, professional and educational activities of its members
  • The responsibility to adequately train its members as regards their ethical responsibilities and required competencies
  • The responsibility to develop its ethical awareness and sensitivity, and to be as self-correcting as possible
• The following general ethical standards and procedures describe various aspects of the professional and scholarly activities of Psychology practitioners
• Resolving Ethical Issues


  Procedures for resolving ethical issues
• Standards of Professional Competence

  Procedures for maintaining professional competence
• Confidentiality


  Procedures for maintaining confidentiality
• Human Relations


  Procedures for ethical human relations
• Advertisement and Public Statements

  Procedures for ethical advertisement and public statements
• Records and Fees


  Procedures for ethical records and fees
• If an action is likely to cause harm to a person or organization, Psychology practitioners shall take further action to report such violation to the appropriate institutional authorities
• Complaints against any Psychology practitioner may be lodged with the Board and the Commission
• Psychology practitioners shall cooperate with the ethics investigation and proceedings conducted by the Board and/or the Psychological Association/s to which they belong
• Psychology practitioners shall refrain from filing baseless, frivolous or malicious ethical complaints
• Psychology practitioners shall not discriminate against complainants and respondents in any ethical complaint
• Boundaries of Competences


  Psychology practitioners shall provide services, teach, and conduct research only within the boundaries of their competences, based on their education, training, supervised internship, consultation, study or professional experience
• Providing Services in Emergencies


  Psychology practitioners shall make available their services in emergency situations to individuals when the necessary mental health services are not available, even if they lack the training appropriate to the case, to ensure that these individuals are not deprived of the emergency services they require at that point in time
• Maintaining Competence


  Psychology practitioners shall undertake continuing education and training to ensure that their services continue to be relevant and applicable
• Bases for Scientific and Professional Judgments


  Psychology practitioners shall base their work on established scientific and professional knowledge of the discipline
• Delegation of Work to Others

  Psychology practitioners shall take reasonable steps to avoid delegating work to persons who have a multiple relationship, delegate only responsibilities they can competently perform, and ensure the work is performed competently
• Personal Problems and Conflicts

  Psychology practitioners shall refrain from initiating an activity when they know or anticipate that there is a substantial likelihood that their personal problems or schedules will prevent them from performing such activities in a competent or sustained manner
• Unfair Discrimination


  Psychology practitioners shall not discriminate against persons based on age, gender, gender identity, race, ethnicity, culture, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, socioeconomic status, or for any basis contrary to what is prescribed by law
• Sexual Harassment


  Psychology practitioners shall not engage in sexual harassment as defined in the Philippine Anti-Sexual Harassment Act (R. A. No. 7877)
• Other Harassments


  Psychology practitioners shall not knowingly harass or demean persons with whom they interact in their work on account of age, sex, identity, race, ethnicity, culture, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, language, or socioeconomic status
• Avoiding Harm


  Psychology practitioners shall take reasonable steps to avoid harming their clients/patients, students, supervisees, research participants, organizational clients, and others with whom they work with and to minimize harm where it is foreseeable but unavoidable
• Multiple Relationships


  Psychology practitioners shall refrain from entering into multiple relationships if such could reasonably be expected to impair their objectivity, competence, or effectiveness in performing their functions as such, or if such relationship will likely result to exploitation or harm to the person with whom the professional relationship exists
• Conflict of Interest


  Psychology practitioners shall refrain from taking on a professional role when personal, scientific, legal, financial, or other interests or relationship could reasonably be expected to impair their objectivity, competence, or effectiveness in performing their functions as such; or expose the person or organization with whom they are in a relationship with to exploitation
• Third-Party Requests for Services


  When Psychology practitioners agree to provide services to a person or entity at the request of a third party, they shall stipulate at the outset of the service the nature of the relationship with all individuals or organizations involved
• Exploitative Relationships


  Psychology practitioners shall not exploit persons over whom they have supervisory, evaluative, or other authority such as clients/patients, students, supervisees, research participants, and employees