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Code of Ethics for IAAP Individual Members

April 2005

This Code governs all Individual Members (members not belonging to a Member Society) and routers (any person in training to become an Individual Member of the IAAP) of the International Association for Analytical Psychology. All Individual Members and routers of the IAAP who are not subject to the Ethics Codes of Member Societies of the IAAP should be cognizant and acquaint themselves with the IAAP Code. An analytical psychologist should conduct himself/herself according to the highest ethical standards in his/her work and shall hold the interest of his/her patient to be paramount. This responsibility is central to being an analytical psychologist.

Breach of any of these ethical rules of the IAAP constitutes serious misconduct. Non-adherence to the Ethical Code by Individual Members may result in suspension or expulsion from any form of individual or group membership in the IAAP.

I. Analyst-Patient Relationships

Responsibilities to Patients:

An analyst shall respect the integrity of his/her patient under any circumstance, unless evident significant risks to the patient demand some intervention contrary to the patient’s approval.

    A) At the start of the treatment the analyst shall state clearly to the patient the terms and conditions of the treatment, e.g. times, frequency of sessions, and fee arrangements. The analyst shall ensure that these terms and conditions are maintained.

    B) Financial dealings shall be restricted to matters concerning professional fees.

    C) During treatment, restraint should be exercised with regard to social contacts with a patient. After treatment one should also keep in mind the possible continuation of transference feelings and use discretion in any social contacts. Social contact with a patient's relatives should be approached with great caution and should occur only with the knowledge and consent of the patient. Exceptions may be made in certain circumstances, such as when a patient is a danger to himself/herself or others, in the treatment of children, or when the agreed upon treatment plan includes appointments with family or others for therapeutic or counseling purposes.

    D) Confidentiality and the preservation of a patient's anonymity are of primary importance. Particular care must be taken in the publication of clinical material and the presentation of clinical material at clinical seminars. If a patient requests that his/her material should not be published or presented, this shall be respected. Discretion should also be exercised when professional consultation is utilized. Exceptions may have to be made when a lawsuit is threatened or when the law requires a breach of confidentiality, as in the case of child abuse, requirement to warn of danger to others, by court order, etc.

    E) An analytical psychologist should not enter into a sexual relationship with any patient nor take any sort of personal advantages that transgress the analytical boundaries (or frame). Terminating a therapeutic relationship in order to have a sexual relationship is also unethical.

    F) An analytical psychologist should not use physical violence against a patient. The use of physical constraint may be made when the patient is physically dangerous and may have to be restrained.

General Personal Responsibilities:

    G) An analytical psychologist shall not claim to possess qualifications which he or she does not possess.

    H) An analytical psychologist shall give proper credit and reference to the contributions and publications of other colleagues and shall not plagiarize the work of others.

    I) An analytical psychologist shall not continue to practice when seriously or persistently impaired (1) by the use of alcohol or other substances, or (2) by a physical or psychological illness or any severe stress that would impair one's ability to practice and exercise adequate skill and judgment.

    J) If an analytical psychologist is convicted of a criminal offence, or has been found to have engaged in unethical professional behavior by a professional body or licensing agency in the state or country in which he/she resides, it is his/her duty to inform the President of the IAAP of the action, together with the relevant facts.

II. Analyst/Supervisee or Control Analyst/Control Analysand Relationships

Responsibilities to Supervisees or Control Analysands:

The supervisor or control analyst shall respect the particular relationship that is established in training with a supervisee or control analysand. The supervisor or control analyst shall not take advantage of his/her greater authority to become sexually involved with, exploit, or take advantage in any way of someone he/she is to evaluate, grade, promote, or recommend for promotion. Similar caution must be exercised after the teaching/supervisory relationship is over because of ongoing unresolved transference and projection issues which may have arisen in the course of training.

III. Responsibility in Reporting to and Appearing Before the Ethics Committee

Responsibility of an Individual Member in Seeking Help and Reporting Unprofessional Conduct:

    A) It is the responsibility of an IAAP Individual Member to seek help and report his/her unprofessional conduct to the IAAP Ethics Committee. Self-reporting will not in and of itself relieve the member of responsibility for his/her misconduct nor will it avoid disciplinary action of the IAAP Ethics Committee.

    B) Whenever an IAAP analyst has evidence of a colleague's misconduct it is his/her responsibility to inform the IAAP Ethics Committee, except in cases where patient confidentiality must be maintained. When a member of the IAAP is made aware of the unethical behavior of a colleague or router, he/she should first talk with the colleague/ router and try to stop the behavior in question, and if necessary encourage consultation or further personal analysis/treatment. If the concerned member cannot do this directly and/or needs to maintain confidentiality, he/she may contact the Chairperson of the IAAP Ethics Committee.

Responsibility to Appear Before the IAAP Ethics Committee:

    C) When an Individual Member analyst or router is called on to respond to a complaint or a grievance in order to clarify a possible breach of ethics, refusal to meet with the IAAP Ethics Committee and cooperate in good faith could itself be the basis for a separate charge of unethical or unprofessional behavior. This non-compliance could be grounds for Committee action, including a recommendation of suspension or expulsion from any form of individual or group membership in the IAAP.

The first draft of the Ethics Code for the IAAP, with certain additions and revisions, has been mainly based on Ethics Codes, Guidelines and Procedures which have been adopted by the Society of Analytical Psychology -- London (February 1991), the C.G. Jung Institute of San Francisco (April 1991), and the New York Association for Analytical Psychology (revised November 1983 and November 1986).

Eli B. Weisstub, M.D., FRCPC
July 1992

Revised in April 2005 by Eli B. Weisstub, Liliana L. Wahba, Richard Willetts and the Ethics Committee of the IAAP.