Code of Ethical Conduct | Standards of Clinical Practice | Guidelines
Code of Ethical Conduct
Code of Ethical Conduct | Effective November 1, 2023
Current Standards of Clinical Practice
Standard 1: Client-Centered Care and Consent
Standard 2: Competence and Quality Improvement | Revised January 2025
Standard 3: Professional Integrity and Communication
Standard 4: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism | Revised January 2025
Standard 5: Indigenous Cultural Safety, Cultural Humility, and Anti-Racism
Standard 6: Clinical and Counselling Assessment and Reporting | Revised January 2025
Standard 7: Virtual Practice and Digital Technologies | Revised January 2025
Standard 8: Relationships, Boundaries, and Conflict of Interest
Standard 9: Sexual Misconduct
Standard 10: Privacy and Confidentiality
Standard 11: Marketing, Advertising, and Fees for Service | Revised January 2025
Standard 12: Documentation and Record Keeping
Standard 13: Ethical Conduct | Revised January 2025
Standard 14: Clinical Supervision | Effective September 2025
Supplementary Standards of Clinical Practice
Guidelines
AI and Clinical Practice – Ethical Considerations and Implications for Mental Health Professionals | March 19, 2025
Remote Counselling and Privacy Law | March 16, 2020
Guidelines for Ethics in Supervision & Teaching | November 1999
PIPA: A Counsellor’s Guide for Developing Client Personal Information Protection Policies and Procedures | October 2004
Legal Commentary – Consent to Clinical Counselling Services – What counsellors need to know about the law of consent before they provide counselling therapy services to their clients.
July 2013
Archived
Retired May 30, 2025
Standard for Family Law: A Practice Standard for Registered Clinical Counsellors on the Preparation of Family Law Reports | January 2022 – May 2025
Retired January 2, 2025
Standard 2: Competence and Quality Improvement | Effective November 2023 – January 2, 2025
Standard 4: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism | Effective November 2023 – January 2, 2025
Standard 6: Clinical and Counselling Assessment and Reporting | Effective November 2023 – January 2, 2025
Standard 7: Virtual Practice and Digital Technologies | Effective November 2023 – January 2, 2025
Standard 11: Marketing, Advertising, and Fees for Service | Effective November 2023 – January 2, 2025
Standard 13: Ethical Conduct | Effective November 2023 – January 2, 2025
Retired October 31, 2023
Code of Ethical Conduct | June 2014
Guideline for Ethical Decision Making | October 2008
Standards for Clinical Counselling Reports | June 2011
Standard for Informed Consent to Clinical Counselling and the Collection, Use and Disclosure of Personal Information | October 2010
Standard for Payment for Clinical Counselling Services | October 2010
Standard for Promoting and Advertising Services | March 2014
Standard for the Content of Clinical Records | October 2010
Scope of Practice
Psychotherapy is the act of assessment, engagement and treatment of cognitive, behavioural, emotional and relational distress and disorder, delivered through structured communication within a psychotherapeutic relationship of care.
In the course of practicing psychotherapy, a person may:
a. assess a client’s behavioural, cognitive, emotional and relational functioning
b. determine a course of care delivered by psychotherapeutic approaches and means
c. engage and treat a client’s distress and disorder of behaviour, cognition, emotion, relationship or other psychologic domain that impairs the subject’s adaptive functioning, wellness and quality of life.
BCACC Bylaws
Approved by Special Resolution at the Annual General Meeting on May 26, 2025, and filed on May 28, 2025.
2025 BCACC Integrated Bylaws | May 26, 2025
BCACC Constitution
It is recommended that all counsellors have a copy of Balancing Conflicting Interests: A Counsellor’s Guide to the Legal Process by Maureen McEvoy and Gayla Reid. This may be obtained from the Justice Institute of B.C., Social Service & Community Safety Division, 715 McBride Boulevard, New Westminster, B.C. V3L 5T4, Telephone: (604) 528-5608, Fax: (604) 528-5640, Website: www.jibc.ca
