Ethics in Action: Personal Reflections of Canadian Psychologists

Experts share their experiences navigating the ethical and cultural intricacies that influence the everyday practice of psychology in Canada.

Psychologists face ethical and cultural intricacies in their work on a daily basis. Psychology graduate training and continuing education programs often focus mainly on common ethical issues and mainstream psychological services and settings. Although this provides a wealth of valuable information, it is necessary to look beyond the usual and mainstream.

Ethics in Action brings together thirty-four psychologists and eight collaborating professionals from allied disciplines, including nursing, social work, psychology, first responders, and veterinary medicine, to share wisdom gained from facing ethical questions in real-world practice. These knowledgeable contributors share their experiences working with new Canadians, religious minorities, Indigenous communities, and more. They address issues of self-care, teamwork, collaboration, and interprofessional practice. They share the challenges that can arise when working within long-term care facilities, rural settings, equine-therapy settings, academia, and with people in unique circumstances.

Structured around the four ethical principles that form the Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists, this book goes far beyond the basics, building awareness of the many complex and varied ethical issues practitioners may face. Each chapter includes reflection questions, challenging readers to better understand themselves and to prepare them to respond to complicated situations from an ethical perspective.

With contributions by: Jaqi Allan, Jon K. Amundson, Carol Arthurs, Nicole Aubé, Nora Babin, Anne Barnfield, Stan Bird, M. A. Suzie Bisson, Shannon D. Boyce, Jeff Chang, Brian Chartier, Ivana Djuraskovic, Michelle Arlene Drefs, E. Aiofe Freeman-Cruz, Joaquín Gaete-Silva, Janel Gauthier, Sybil Geldart, Shelley L . Goodwin, Paulette Hunter, Rebecca Lalonde, Jessica Lambert, Toupey Luft, Lisa MacNaughton-Doucet, Linda M. McMullen, Judi L. Malone, Annik Mossière, Heather C. Power, Mahdi Qasqas, Marc Ross, Randi L. Sager, Inés Sametband, Meadow Schroeder, Dalal Shaheen, Carole Sinclair, Nan Stevens, Donald W. Stewart, Fern Stockdale, Kim Thomas, Nicole Vath, Karen White, Barry Wiser, and Michael Lee Zwiers.

About the Editors

M. A. Suzie Bisson is a Canadian military veteran and registered counselling psychologist who practices in a solo private clinic in Alberta. She devotes her time to providing mental health services to people of all ages who struggle with the impact of trauma.

Carole Sinclair is an independent scholar and a retired clinical child psychologist with over forty years’ experience in the field.

Ivana Djuraskovic is a registered counselling psychologist who practices in both public and private sectors and teaches graduate level courses at two universities. She has presented at national and international conferences, and has published book chapters and scientific journal articles.

Introduction
1. The Faith and Courage of Immigrant Families: Some Lessons Learned Along the Way
2. Start with Hospitality: Towards Enhancing the Counselling Experience with Muslims
3. Ethically Addressing the Employment Needs of Adults Living with Developmental Disabilities
4. Psychological Services for Transgender Youth: A Push towards Better Language and Understanding of Gender Issues
5. Caring Responsibly in Long-Term Care: Ethical Considerations for Psychologists
6. The Call to Engage in Inner Work as Therapists
7. The Role of Deliberate and Reflective Practice in Fostering Responsible Caring in Supervision
8. Couple and Family Therapy: Steps to Responsible Caring for Practitioners, Supervisors and Educators
9. Intrusions: Third-Party Requests for Psychotherapy Information
10. Stormy “Whethers”: Ethical Challenges of a Clinician in Academia
11. Indigenous Wellness and Healing: My Role as a Helper
12. Synergy and Challenges of Ethical Rural Interprofessional Collaborative Practice
13. Being a Part of the Solution, Not Part of the Problem: High-Conflict Divorce, Family “Justice,” and Responsibility to Society
14. Teamwork Required: Supporting First-Responding Organizations to Become Emotionally and Psychologically Safe Workspaces
15. Taking Hold of the Reins: Responding to the Ethical Need for Professionalism in Equine-Facilitated Psychotherapies
16. Ethical Decision Making: An Idea Whose Time Had Come
17. tâpwêwin: Speaking to Truth about Assessment and Indigenous Children
18. Charting New Territory: Reflections on Accompanying a Client who has Chosen Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD)
19. From Parenting Training to Collaborating with Parents
20. Ethical Challenges for Psychologists Conducing Humanitarian Work
21. International Psychological Ethics: The Story of the Universal Declaration of Ethical Principles for Psychologists
Appendices