The Treatment Professional’s Guide to Avoiding Prison, Lawsuits, and General Peril: Ethics for Everyone

Client welfare is the chief ethical concern for a counselor.

Education, experience, and employment qualifications are all aspects of a
counselor’s competency.

A counselor with a doctorate in education (EdD) and an LPC can simply refer to themselves as a doctor when speaking to clients and does not need to reference their LPC.

There is never any reason to breach confidentiality.

A counselor operating in their own private practice can set their own price for their services as long as the charges are explained and consented to by the client.

A counselor may withhold records from a former client if that former client has not paid them in full.

A counselor may propose a bartering arrangement if their client cannot afford their services.

It is acceptable for a counselor to charge extra for telehealth services as long as the client is informed of and agrees to the fees.

Everyone knows a counselor cannot provide services to their significant other.

It is permissible, however, for a counselor to provide services to an ex-girlfriend/boyfriend if it has been more than one year since their relationship ended.

Following clients on social media is an appropriate and helpful practice for counselors.