5.0 RELATIONSHIPS

Question 1

5.1 Preserving client welfare

Answer 1

A registrant must take steps to protect or act in accordance with the client’s welfare in all professional relationships

Question 2

5.2 Providing explanation of procedures

Answer 2

A registrant must give a truthful, understandable, and appropriate account of the client’s condition to the client. The registrant must keep the client fully informed as to the purpose and nature of any evaluation, treatment, or other procedure, and of the client’s right to freedom of choice regarding services provided.

Question 3

5.3 Disclosure of assessment results

Answer 3

To the extent advisable and not contraindicated, a registrant must within a
reasonable time properly inform an individual who has undergone a psychological assessment, or their legal representative(s), of the conclusions, opinions, and advice generated by the assessment.

Question 4

5.4 No abuse of information/power with clients or former clients

Answer 4

A registrant must not:

a) use information obtained during the provision of psychological services, or use a power relationship associated with the provision of psychological services, to abuse or exploit a client or former client;
b) use information received from a client to acquire, directly or indirectly, a material advantage or other benefit; or

c) seek any benefits from relations with a client aside from appropriate agreed upon monetary compensation for the psychological services
rendered.

Question 5

5.5 No misuse of influence

Answer 5

Because a registrant’s scientific and professional judgments and actions may affect the lives of others, the registrant must be alert to and guard against personal, financial, social, organizational, political or other factors that might lead to misuse of their influence. A registrant providing psychological services to a client must not:

a) persuade or influence that client to make gifts or contributions to them or to institutions, organizations, or charities in which they have a direct interest;
b) induce that client to solicit business on the registrant’s behalf; or
c) in any other way exert influence to the detriment of the client.

Question 6

5.6 Gifts

Answer 6

A registrant must not accept a gift of more than token value from a client.

Question 7

5.7 No stereotyping

Answer 7

A registrant must not impose on their clients any stereotypes of behaviour, values, or roles related to age, gender, religion, race, ethnicity, disability, nationality, sexual preference, diagnosis, or any other factor which would interfere with the objective provision of psychological services to the clients.

Question 8

5.8 Referrals on request

Answer 8

A registrant providing psychological services to a client must make an appropriate referral when requested to do so by the client.

Question 9

5.9 Multiple clients

Answer 9

When a registrant agrees to provide psychological services to two or more individuals who have a relationship, such as spouses or parents and children, the registrant must establish clarity at the outset of the services regarding the following issues:

a) the identification of the individuals who are to be considered the clients;

b) a determination of the nature of the relationship the registrant will have with each individual, including any necessary clarification of the
role and obligations of the registrant;

c) the intended or probable uses of the services provided or of the information obtained from
the services provided; and

d) parameters of confidentiality.

Question 10

5.10 Prohibited dual relationships

Answer 10

a) A registrant must not undertake or continue a professional relationship with a client when the objectivity or competency of the registrant could reasonably be expected to be impaired because of the registrant’s present or previous familial, social, sexual, emotional, financial, supervisory, political, administrative, or legal relationship with the client or with another relevant person associated with or related to the client.

b) A registrant must also take steps to avoid altering the terms of an
existing professional relationship such that a dual role is created.

c) If a dual relationship is unavoidable, the registrant must document the specific circumstance, an account of why the duality is unavoidable
and document the informed consent of the client(s) for all services.

Question 11

5.11 Third-party conflicts

Answer 11

If there is a foreseeable risk that a registrant will be asked to perform conflicting roles because of the involvement of a third party, the registrant must:

a) clarify the nature and direction of their responsibilities;
b) keep all parties appropriately informed as matters develop; and
c) resolve the situation in accordance with this Code.

Question 12

5.12 Identifying conflicts of interest or dual roles

Answer 12

a) As soon as it becomes apparent that a registrant may be called upon to
perform potentially conflicting roles, the registrant must:

1. identify the present or potential issues,
2. notify all parties whose rights might be affected by the potentially conflicting role or conflicts of interest, and
3. think through the implications of any new or continued involvement in a matter and make a decision whether or not to proceed as planned, proceed with any necessary adjustments, or withdraw, and document,
   as appropriate.

b) Examples of such conflicts include, but are not limited to, acting as marital counsellor to husband and wife and then acting as witness for either of them in
a divorce proceeding, being both a reviewer (e.g. reviewing another registrant’s assessment report) and an evaluator (e.g. perform an additional task such as conduct a complete or partial assessment), or being asked to conduct an independent psychological assessment of the registrant’s therapy client.

Question 13

5.13 Third-party requests for services

Answer 13

When a registrant agrees to provide psychological services to an individual or
entity at the request of a third party, the registrant must clarify at the outset of
the services the nature of the relationship with each affected party, including:
a) the registrant’s role with, and obligations to, each affected party;

b) the probable uses of the services provided or the information obtained; and
c) any limits to the obligation of confidentiality.

Question 14

5.14 No harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, or discrimination

Answer 14

a) A registrant must not engage in behaviour that is harassing or demeaning to any individual.

b) A registrant must not engage in the sexual harassment of any
individual.

c) A registrant must not exploit or discriminate against any individual, sexually, financially, or in any other way.

Question 15

5.16 No former sex partners

Answer 15

A registrant must not accept as a client an individual with whom the registrant has engaged in sexual or romantic intimacies.

Question 16

5.17 Continuity of care when absent

Answer 16

During foreseeable absences from their professional practice, a registrant must arrange for one or more other appropriate professionals to provide coverage of their practice and deal with any urgent needs of their clients, as required.

Question 17

5.18 Continuity of care when employment ends

Answer 17

When entering into employment or contractual relationships, a registrant must make provisions, to the extent possible and with paramount consideration for client welfare, for the
transfer of responsibility for client care if the employment or contractual relationship ends.

Question 18

5.19 Assistance on termination of services

Answer 18

When psychological services are to be terminated, a registrant must offer to help locate alternative services or assistance for the client, unless the services are being terminated under Standard 5.20(d).

Question 19

5.20 Terminating psychological services

Answer 19

A registrant:

a) must not abandon their clients;

b) must terminate psychological services when it is reasonably clear that
i. the client no longer needs or wants the services, or
ii. the client is not benefitting from the
relationship;

c) may terminate psychological services when a potential conflict of interest or dual relationship arises, or attempt to resolve the situation in some other appropriate manner that preserves client welfare; and

d) may terminate psychological services if threatened or otherwise endangered by the client or another person with whom the client has
a relationship.

Question 20

5.21 Appropriate training/supervision

Answer 20

A registrant must provide appropriate training to their employees and
supervisees and must take steps to see that such persons perform
psychological services responsibly, competently, and ethically.

Question 21

5.22 Supervision to ensure standards

Answer 21

A registrant who supervises others in the provision of psychological services must ensure that the services provided meet professional standards and the requirements of this Code.

Question 22

5.23 Delegation of responsibilities

Answer 22

A registrant so authorized by the College may delegate to their employees, supervisees, research assistants, or any other person only those responsibilities that such persons are able to perform competently on the basis of their education, training, or experience and must provide supervision appropriate to the delegation.

Question 23

5.24 Institutional conflicts

Answer 23

If institutional policies, procedures, or practices prevent fulfillment of the obligations specified in Standards 5.21 to 5.23, a registrant must:

a) clarify the nature of the conflict;
b) make known the conflicting obligation and the registrant’s commitment to comply with this Code; and
c) to the extent feasible, seek to resolve the conflict in a way that permits full adherence to the Code.

Question 24

5.26 Avoiding harm

Answer 24

A registrant must take steps to avoid harming any individual with whom they work or have any form of professional relationship. This obligation includes taking steps to avoid foreseeable harm caused by acts of commission and to avoid foreseeable harm caused by a failure to take appropriate action.

Question 25

5.28 No sexual or romantic relationships with those under one’s authority or with clients or former clients

Answer 25

a) A registrant must not enter into sexual or romantic relationships with individuals over whom they have supervisory or evaluative influence or other authority, such as students, supervisees, employees, and research participants.
b) A registrant must not engage in sexual or other physical intimacies, or enter into a romantic relationship, with any client or former client, or with individuals they know to be close relatives, guardians, or significant others such as a spouse, former spouse, child, sibling, parent or grandparent of a client or former client.

c) Paragraph (b) does not apply to a relationship between a registrant and a former client or a relative, guardian or significant other of a
client or former client that commenced before September 1, 2014 and was in compliance with the Code of Conduct at the time the relationship commenced.

Question 26

5.30 Treatment of complaints and complainants

Answer 26

A registrant must accord dignity and respect to all complainants and respondents.

Question 27

5.31 Respecting others

Answer 27

A registrant must, in their work-related activities and professional relationships, respect the rights of others to hold values, attitudes, and opinions that differ from their own.

Question 28

5.32 Research subjects

Answer 28

A registrant must respect the dignity and protect the welfare of research participants and must comply with all relevant laws, applicable institutional rules and guidelines, and any practice advisories issued by the College concerning the treatment of research participants.

Question 29

5.33 Therapeutic relationships

Answer 29

Registrants who offer therapeutic services must demonstrate interpersonal and therapeutic skills that would reasonably be regarded by peers as sufficient for those services, including:

a) interpersonal competence and an ability to establish rapport and a working therapeutic alliance that serves the client’s best interests;
b) active self-awareness sufficient to protect the client from unintended harm;
c) knowledge of client specific factors sufficient for sensitive, culturally competent therapeutic services;
d) an ability to appropriately process interpersonal events within the therapeutic relationship; and
e) willingness to refer the client to another resource when for any reason, including a mismatch between client characteristics and therapeutic services, referral is in the best interests of the client.

Question 30

5.34 No inappropriate supervision

Answer 30

Registrants are responsible for ensuring that they do not offer supervision services for an inappropriate purpose or to someone who lacks the requisite education, training, and/or experience to undertake the supervised activities. They are also responsible for ensuring that the purpose, intent, and substance of their supervision services are consistent with the intended objectives of the supervisee in seeking the supervision services, or they must decline to offer the services.