Decalogue Of The Psychologist: Ethical And Professional Requirements Of Our Profession
Psychology is a booming profession However, to practice as psychologists it is not enough to study a degree in psychology. And we work with people, who will be affected to a greater or lesser extent by our actions.
Therefore, the practice of the profession of psychologist is subject to a large number of ethical and professional considerations that must be taken into account.
Below you can see a decalogue from the psychologist that outlines the main ethical and professional requirements to be assessed.
1. Be guided by the principles of beneficence, non-maleficence and justice
The psychologist’s task, regardless of his field of action, involves seek the maximum benefit for your patients or clients We have the obligation to act in search of the well-being of others, helping them to the extent that we are able, and this being the main driving force of our professional activity.
The principle of non-maleficence works under the assumption that we must refrain from doing acts that harm others. However, sometimes to achieve the maximum possible well-being it is necessary to apply techniques and procedures that will make the client suffer emotionally. After all, in many cases aspects are worked on that are in themselves painful for the subject, and Facing them usually leads to certain suffering
In these cases, professional action must focus on ensuring that said suffering is not unnecessary or that it will entail benefits for the client that are higher than the level of suffering.
Finally, we must put our prejudices aside and treat everyone who enters our office in the same way. If we are not able for some reason, it is advisable to refer you to another professional.
2. Remember: we are people who deal with people
We are dealing with human beings and not with objects, programs or products. It may seem that this point is obvious, but nevertheless it is something that sometimes seems not to be taken into account.
It is important that whoever comes to us feels cared for, understood and not criticized, and although it is essential to act objectively We should not underestimate the possible suffering of the person nor what is important to her.
Being objective and knowing how to maintain your position as a professional does not necessarily mean being aseptic. This makes patients feel unaccepted and makes both the therapeutic relationship and adherence to treatments and interventions difficult. As Carl Jung said, “master all the techniques, but when you touch a human soul, be just another human soul.”
3. Never judge your patient
The client or patient who comes for consultation will open a door to their life from which we will be able to visualize more or less profound parts of their existence, their fears and experiences.
The patient trusts part of his life, his thoughts and beliefs. These must always be respected, despite the fact that in some cases they can directly confront their own. If the psychologist is not qualified to do so, he or she must refer the client to another professional.
4. Respect the confidentiality of your patients or clients
The information that patients provide us must be, unless judicial decree or in case of serious danger to the life of the subject or others, totally confidential We are entrusted with information that in many cases is not shared with anyone else with the purpose of helping to improve the subject’s condition.
If the information collected is intended to be used in some way (for example for research or training of professionals) or even communicated to others outside the team that is caring for the individual, the patient must give prior consent.
You should never try to impose your own opinion on a subject Even though we think that certain actions, techniques or interventions may be the most effective, we should not try to force them. The subject who comes for consultation has their own system of values, their own agenda and ultimately their own life, and we do not have the right to make them do something they do not want to do. You can convince the person or help him or her make a decision, but in the end the person who has to make it must be him or her.
6. Recognize your limits: we don’t know everything
We are not omnipotent: it is necessary to be honest and recognize our own limits, recognize our mistakes and even our lack of competence to resolve specific cases. If something is beyond us, we can refer you to another professional that can better help the individual who comes to us, since our objective should at all times be to help him and not reinforce our ego.
Furthermore, we must keep in mind that experience and having a large body of knowledge can sometimes make us confident. However, this confidence should not make us fall into the error of presupposing or assuming that we know everything.
Although clients can tell us very important parts of their lives and we can form a rough idea of what they are like and how they act in their real life, the circumstances and elements that surround their daily lives are largely unknown to us.
7. Act objectively
Our values, tastes, beliefs or even personal problems should not influence or bias our work at any time.
We must remain objective and know what our role is as professionals We help the person to be able to make decisions regarding their life, putting ourselves in their place and taking into account their point of view.
8. Remember what you work for. The important thing is the user.
It must be taken into account that the people who come for consultation are looking for some kind of professional help What should always take priority is, as we have said before, your well-being. We have to work with this objective.
Those whose main motivation for practicing are aspects such as economic issues, strengthening their ego through power over others or resolving their own personal shortcomings will not be good psychologists.
9. Let’s be competent: it is necessary to continually train and update
Having basic training is necessary to be able to practice, but it is not enough if what we want is for our actions to be effective and efficient. psychology It is a discipline in which progress is constantly being made
As with education and medicine, it is necessary for psychologists to be aware of the various advances, studies and techniques generated. This is essential when offering the best possible service to clients, allowing the most effective techniques to be used and the methodologies used to be adjusted to the needs and circumstances of each subject to be treated.
Furthermore, we must keep in mind that we must be competent when practicing. We can’t do whatever we want. We are not dealing with human guinea pigs: What we propose must have an empirical basis and proven effectiveness, in addition to being directed towards a specific objective. People should be informed what is going to be done and what results can be expected from the intervention.
10. Respect and love your profession
As a psychologist, you are representing a professional sector that works hard to help their peers improve different areas of their lives.
Your work It will have great repercussions on the lives of those you treat Respect your role and keep in mind its importance. Furthermore, avoid damaging the profession or the contribution of other professionals as much as possible.
