...of professional entities. The counseling profession alone has an assortment of ethical codes that apply to different groups within that profession. Although each of these codes of ethics have distinct differences, there are more similarities than their are contradictions. The codes serve to direct how counselors interact with their clients. Codes of Ethics are intended to guide the counselor in his or her ethical deliberations. It is important to recognize, of course, that every client and every situation is unique and that this uniqueness precludes a cook book approach to counseling.
Of the various organizations that are found in the field of counseling, three stand out as forerunners in regard to their professional organization and the formal ethical codes that they have developed. These three are the American Counseling Association (ACA), the American Association of Christian Counseling (AACC), and the American Association of Pastoral Counselors(AAPC). The codes provide guidance in a diversity of situations that the counselor might encounter. These codes...