ASOCIATIA DE PSIHOSEXOLOGIE DIN ROMANIA (APSR)

Chapter 1. PREAMBLE

1. APSR promotes the continuous professional and ethical training. In this sense, APSR requires its members to strictly observe the ethical principles and rules set by the Code of Ethics, which have a general and professional character.

2. While general principles and rules are addressed to all members of the APSR, regardless of their level of training and profession, professional principles and rules are aimed exclusively to practitioners.

3. The practitioner psychologist possesses credible, effective and scientifically validated knowledge and applies it responsibly in his/her work, fulfilling multiple roles in fields like research, education, evaluation, counseling, psychotherapy, etc. The psychologist’s activity aims at improving the awareness and decisional capacity of the society, but also the sustainable development of the individual’s personality in agreement with the complex demands of the time.

4. APSR recognize the limits of professional, competence and procedural nature, and therefore recommends a balanced approach in addressing certain issues, and caution in using certain new methods.

5. Innovation, experience and debates in the field will help continue expanding and enriching the Code of Ethics.

6. The Code of Ethics includes the obligation, valid for all members of the APSR, to be respected in accordance with law and legal regulations in force, and in harmony with ethical codes specific for professional associations of which APSR members belong.

7. The evaluation procedures and the necessary corrective actions in case of behavior that is not compliant with the Ethical Code are covered in the Rules of Organization and Functioning of the Disciplinary Commission.

Chapter 2: GENERAL ETHICAL PRINCIPLES AND RULES

Article 1. Respect for the rights and dignity of he individual.

1. APSR members must treat with respect every human person, regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, cultural paradigm, level of education, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic status, or any personal disabilities.

2. Fundamental human rights represent the reference guide for any APSR member in his/her behavior and/or practice.

3. APSR members must respect in particular the individual rights to: self-determination, freedom of conscience, correct information, freedom of consent, and confidentiality, to avoid prejudice, any form of discrimination and preferential treatment.

4. Irreducible value and dignity of every human person are at the core of the theoretical and/or practical activity of APSR members.

5. Based on these principles, APSR members are required to promote integrity in science, education, research and practice of psychology, helping to strengthen the role of psychologist in the society and hence to increase the level of quality of life.

Article 2.Transdisciplinarity, openness and rigor.

1. APSR members will address the psychosexology field with a trans-disciplinary approach, open and rigorous.

A.1. The trans-disciplinary approach proposes considering a multidimensional reality structured on multiple levels, which replaces the reality on one level of classical thought1

A.2. The trans-disciplinary approach implies an inclusive rationality, based on the rule of the included middle, which reveals the irreducible complexity of reality.

A.3. The open unity of the trans-disciplinary approach refers to the plurality, interdependence and dialogue of the different disciplinary approaches of a phenomenon. This large opening provides a fertile research field and a permanently innovative scientific methodology.

A.4. Scientific and methodological rigor must take into account all existing data and prevent any drift, ensuring quality and high standards of research and practice in psychology.

Chapter. 3 ETHICAL PRINCIPLES AND PROFESSIONAL RULES

Article 1.Definition of client

1. In the acceptance of APSR, the term "client" means any person (group, family, individual or legal entities) with whom the psychologist has a professional relationship, including indirect relationships.

Article 2.Practitioner's conduct towards customers

A. The principle of not causing harm (pain, manipulation, harm) at any level and to minimize the risk of inducing harm is essential in the ethical conduct of a practitioner member of the APSR.

2. The behavior, role and professional relations of a practitioner member of the APSR must be characterized by integrity and honesty, transparency, confidentiality and quality care.

B1. The practitioner member of the APSR is obliged to practice with integrity and honesty, avoiding any form of deliberate induction in error, in his/her research and professional practice, at individual or group level. He/she has also the obligation to provide accurate information to the client, avoiding anything that might cause mistrust of the client/general public and could bring a material of image damage to the APSR.

B2. The practitioner member of the APSR is obliged to practice in a transparent manner, as data obtained from research, counseling, therapy and evaluation are used by interested specialists and the general public. Within this general transparency, the practitioner will refuse any disclosure of confidential information – except for cases stipulated by legal regulations in force – and as such will strictly respect the client’s right to privacy and confidentiality. Transparency and confidentiality, applied coherently, have the role to stimulate the increase of the interest and public trust towards the psychologist, psychosexology and the APSR.

B3. The practitioner member of the APSR must provide high-quality care to his/her client, according to scientific, professional and ethical standards specific for both his profession and the APSR. In this sense, he/she is obliged to continue his/her professional development, to clarify his/her potential ethical dilemmas in consultation with colleagues and/or the APSR, but also has the obligation to recognize his/her professional, competency and procedures limitations.

3. The behavior towards the client, role and professional relations of the practitioner member of the APSR must be characterized by responsibility. The global responsibility of the practitioner member of the APSR involves:

C1. professional, scientific or ethical responsibility in relation to the client, community and society.

C2. general responsibility towards the quality of research and practice, the consequences of professional actions, and the image of the profession.

C3. extended responsibility for scientific and professional activities, including ethical standards of employees, nurses, students, etc. – individuals over whom he/she exercises influence and with whom he/she maintains different types of relationships.

C4. obligation not to practice when his/her ability or judgment are affected, including by temporary problems.

C5. obligation not to exploit the professional relationship for personal, religious, political or ideological interests, avoiding any form of abuse, conflict of interests or client exploitation.