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Discuss and explore the implications of the BACP Code of Ethics

The code aims to provide a framework for addressing ethical issues and promoting best practice; this is achieved via a controlling mechanism, more specifically, provision of a complaints procedure.

Code breaches can ultimately result in expulsion from the BACP, however, it is worth noting 'association specific' codes do not have wide implications for all counselling practitioners; counselling and psychotherapy professions remain unregulated in the UK. The issue of there being a mandatory requirement to register with a professional counselling body is presently ongoing.

Producing a set of ethical codes for the professions of counselling and psychotherapy is problematic; the problems are not specific to BACP, but in general, the actual issue of 'ethics' is problematic. The Ethical Framework is formed from the 'said' beliefs of this era; as such, it is a reflection of contemporary ethical standards, but there is no guarantee that this is accurate, right or good. There have been numerous past attempts to prove that, ethics are objective and universal, despite this, there remains no evidence. In support of this, Robinson et at. states, ''Logic or reason cannot be used to prove the truth of moral beliefs'', interestingly, ''Ethics are moral statements and any argument becomes invalid unless it is based upon factual statements.''(Robinson et al. 1996)

For any number of reasons, counsellors may genuinely believe that they have acted ethically, ''if they believe that they have acted ethically, that it is right to do as they are doing'', there can be no argument that a counsellor has acted unethically, ''if the are prepared to defend and justify what they do.''(Singer at al. 1993) Singer adds:

''We may find the justification inadequate, and may hold that the actions are wrong, but the attempt at justification, whether successful or not, is sufficient to bring the persons conduct within the domain of ethical as opposed to the non-ethical.(Singer at al. 1993)''

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