The metaethics of psychotherapy codes of ethics and conduct

Codes of ethics and conduct are important documents in health care practice, and must be evaluated alongside an understanding of the role of the organisations which write and publish them. In the UK, established professions like medicine and nursing are subject to statutory regulation and codes which delineate ethical best practice from minimum conduct. However the regulation of psychotherapists in the UK has been the subject of changes in government policy during the last decade, resulting in a fragmented regulatory environment where a number of organisations function both as regular and professional body. There are about 40 codes of ethic and/or conduct in the UK relating to the various professions of psychotherapy. The chapter details the regulatory framework in the UK, and the places of codes within it. The codes’ regulatory role in establishing minimum practice is difficult to assess because so few cases of malpractice are brought, and their role in guiding practice is questioned by using disclosure of confidential information as an example. Psychotherapists are invited to assess whether the codes and associated guidance they operate under are sufficiently detailed to guide practice.