The team of counsellors at TalkItOver is committed to following the Code of Ethics as prescribed by the the American Counselling Association (2005). Some of the key aspects under the different sections of the Code are shared below briefly.

Section A: The Counselling Relationship

Welfare of clients: Counsellors encourage client growth and development in ways that foster the interest and welfare of clients and promote formation of healthy relationships.

Informed Consent: Clients have the freedom to choose whether to enter into or remain in a counselling relationship and need adequate information about the counselling process and the counselor.

Confidentiality: Clients have the right to confidentiality and to be provided with an explanation

of its limitations.

Non professional interactions: Non-professional relationships between counsellors and present and former clients should be avoided.

Establishing Fees: In establishing fees for professional counselling services, counsellors consider
the financial status of clients and locality. In the event that the established fee structure is inappropriate for a client, counsellors assist clients in finding comparable services of acceptable cost.

Section B: Confidentiality, Privileged Communication and Privacy

Counsellors recognize that trust is a cornerstone of the counselling relationship.

Respecting client rights: Respect for the client’s rights to privacy and confidentiality.

Section C: Professional Responsibility

Knowledge of standards: Counsellors have a responsibility to read, understand, and follow the ACA Code of Ethics and adhere to applicable laws and regulations.

Professional competence: Counsellors practice only within the boundaries of their competence.

Monitor Effectiveness: Counsellors continually monitor their effectiveness as professionals and take steps to improve when necessary. Counsellors in private practice take reasonable steps to seek peer supervision as needed to evaluate their efficacy as counsellors.

Continuing education: Counsellors recognize the need for continuing education to acquire and maintain a reasonable level of awareness of current scientific and professional information in their fields of activity.

Accurate advertising: When advertising or otherwise representing their services to the public, counsellors identify their credentials in an accurate manner that is not false, misleading, deceptive, or fraudulent.

Non-discrimination: Counsellors do not condone or engage in discrimination based on age, culture,
disability, ethnicity, race, religion/ spirituality, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status/ partnership, language preference, socioeconomic status or any basis.

Section D: Relationships With Other Professionals

Counsellors develop positive working relationships and systems of communication with colleagues to enhance services to clients.

Section E: Evaluation, Assessment, and Interpretation

Counsellors use assessment instruments as one component of the counselling process, taking into account the client’s personal and cultural context.

Section F: Supervision, Training, and Teaching

Counsellors aspire to foster meaningful and respectful professional relationships and to maintain appropriate boundaries with supervisees and students.

Section G: Research and Publication

Counsellors who conduct research are encouraged to contribute to the knowledge base of the profession and promote a clearer understanding of the conditions that lead to a healthy and more just society.

Section H: Resolving Ethical Issues

Counsellors behave in a legal, ethical, and moral manner in the conduct of their professional work.