Ethical Practice in Applied Psychology was written specifically to the Australian Psychological Society (APS) Code of Ethics and is an essential text for the new and experienced psychologist. This book offers undergraduate and postgraduate psychology students a much-needed lifeline into ethical practice. More experienced practitioners will also benefit from the current and comprehensive content.
The text is easy to read and contains many practical examples, highlighting key words and continually referring back to the APS Codes and Guidelines. The authors map out in great detail how the codes and guidelines apply in practice. Case studies illustrate how the codes and guidelines apply in practice in the Australian context and are drawn from both clinical and non-clinical samples. The authors adopt a developmental approach, taking into consideration the ethical issues that present at different ages.
At the end of each chapter is a series of questions that encourage reflective practice and challenge the reader to anticipate future ethical issues. These also help to consolidate learning for the reader. The use of headings assists to navigate the text and orient the reader to key concepts.
A user-friendly ‘Decision Assistance Model’ is presented in the text. This is discussed in detail and the application of the model is illustrated through case studies. The model recognises the need for time-sensitive decision making, while acknowledging the complexity of the task.
The five sections of the book cover:
1. ‘Core ethical requirements for psychologists in Australia’: The reader is introduced to the APS Code of Ethics and its importance to psychological practice. Engaging with ethical content is made less overwhelming because the authors break down the complexity of the Code into three core ethical components of psychology (Confidentiality, Competency, and Consent).
2. ‘Managing boundaries and working with groups’: This section covers ethical principles for managing boundaries in psychological practice, including multiple relationships, boundary violations, non-exploitation and power imbalance. For example, when providing psychological services to clients, psychologists must be aware of potential power imbalances in therapy as clients are often vulnerable.
3. ‘Clients who pose a risk to themselves or others’: The section includes legal obligations, and explains the ethical requirements needed to complete a risk assessment. An ethically guided ‘Protection, Care and Support Plan’ is used to explain the systematic process that psychologists must review throughout their practice with relevance to legal considerations. Best practice is described, including the ‘Hierarchy of Harm’ in relation to breaching confidentiality.
4. ‘Three spheres of practice: Research, Assessment and Intervention’: This part provides a practical road map for navigating the complexities of research, assessment, and intervention. It includes the criteria for robust research, and therapies that have been endorsed by the APS.
5. ‘A guide to gaining and maintaining registration and the ethical issues in professional practice’: This section informs the reader of legal and professional requirements relating to record keeping, privacy, delegation, advertising and financial issues. It also highlights the relevance of the Australian Privacy Principles to psychological practice. Finally, important career planning information is provided with respect to gaining and maintaining registration.
Overall, the presentation of the text is visually appealing and easy to read, especially with the use of the clarifying statement in the annotated Code of Conduct. It provides a good variety of case studies (i.e., Educational and Developmental, Clinical, Forensic). The text is illustrated with short quotes that highlight take-home messages relevant to the chapter and integrates key documents for the reader. It contains relevant and up-to-date references. As postgraduate students who are currently studying an ethics unit, we could not identify any real limitations of this text, and we wish it had been available in time for our last ethics assignment!
