The following ethical standards are relevant to the professional activities of all Axis-One counselors. These standards concern

(1) Axis-One counselors' ethical responsibilities to clients,
(2) Axis-One counselors' ethical responsibilities to colleagues,
(3) Axis-One counselors' ethical responsibilities in practice settings,
(4) Axis-One counselors' ethical responsibilities as professionals,
(5) Axis-One counselors' ethical responsibilities to the counseling profession, and
(6) Axis-One counselors' ethical responsibilities to the broader society.

Those standards stated for Axis-One counselors in this Code of Ethics apply equally to supervisors, screeners, employees, contractors, and agents of Axis-One.Com and Axis-One, Inc.

Some of the standards that follow are enforceable guidelines for professional conduct, and some are aspirational. The extent to which each standard is enforceable is a matter of professional judgment to be exercised by those responsible for reviewing alleged violations of ethical standards. Much of the information here has been adopted partly from the Code of Ethics of the NASW. counselors are also obligated to follow any stricter guidelines of ethics published by their professional organization or licensing body. If any client of Axis-One has questions, comments, or reports of violation of any of these standards, they may report them to june@axis-one.com.

1. Axis-One counselors' Ethical Responsibilities to Clients
1.01 Commitment to Clients
Axis-One counselors' primary responsibility is to promote the well-being of clients. In general, clients' interests are primary. However, Axis-One counselors' responsibility to the larger society or specific legal obligations may on limited occasions supersede the loyalty owed clients, and clients should be so advised. (Examples include when a counselor is required by law to report that a client has abused a child or has threatened to harm self or others.)
1.02 Self-Determination
Axis-One counselors respect and promote the right of clients to self-determination and assist clients in their efforts to identify and clarify their goals. Axis-One counselors may limit clients' right to self-determination when, in the Axis-One counselors' professional judgment, clients' actions or potential actions pose a serious, foreseeable, and imminent risk to themselves or others.
1.03 Informed Consent
(a) Axis-One counselors should provide services to clients only in the context of a professional relationship based, when appropriate, on valid informed consent. Axis-One counselors should use clear and understandable language to inform clients of the purpose of the services, risks related to the services, limits to services because of the requirements of a third-party payer, relevant costs, reasonable alternatives, clients' right to refuse or withdraw consent, and the time frame covered by the consent. Axis-One counselors should provide clients with an opportunity to ask questions.
(b) In instances when clients are not literate or have difficulty understanding the primary language used in the practice setting, Axis-One counselors should take steps to ensure clients' comprehension. This may include providing clients with a detailed verbal explanation or arranging for a qualified interpreter or translator whenever possible.
(c) In instances when clients lack the capacity to provide informed consent, Axis-One counselors should protect clients' interests by seeking permission from an appropriate third party, informing clients consistent with the clients' level of understanding. In such instances Axis-One counselors should seek to ensure that the third party acts in a manner consistent with clients' wishes and interests. Axis-One counselors should take reasonable steps to enhance such clients' ability to give informed consent.
(d) In instances when clients are receiving services involuntarily, Axis-One counselors should provide information about the nature and extent of services and about the extent of clients' right to refuse service.
(e) Axis-One counselors who provide services via electronic media (such as computer, telephone, radio, and television) should inform recipients of the limitations and risks associated with such services.
(f) Axis-One counselors should obtain clients' informed consent before audiotaping or videotaping clients or permitting observation of services to clients by a third party.
1.04 Competence
(a) Axis-One counselors should provide services and represent themselves as competent only within the boundaries of their education, training, license, certification, consultation received, supervised experience, or other relevant professional experience.
(b) Axis-One counselors should provide services in substantive areas or use intervention techniques or approaches that are new to them only after engaging in appropriate study, training, consultation, and supervision from people who are competent in those interventions or techniques.
(c) When generally recognized standards do not exist with respect to an emerging area of practice, Axis-One counselors should exercise careful judgment and take responsible steps (including appropriate education, research, training, consultation, and supervision) to ensure the competence of their work and to protect clients from harm.
1.05 Cultural Competence and Social Diversity
(a) Axis-One counselors should understand culture and its function in human behavior and society, recognizing the strengths that exist in all cultures.
(b) Axis-One counselors should have a knowledge base of their clients' cultures and be able to demonstrate competence in the provision of services that are sensitive to clients' cultures and to differences among people and cultural groups.
(c) Axis-One counselors should obtain education about and seek to understand the nature of social diversity and oppression with respect to race, ethnicity, national origin, color, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, political belief, religion, and mental or physical disability.
1.06 Conflicts of Interest
(a) Axis-One counselors should be alert to and avoid conflicts of interest that interfere with the exercise of professional discretion and impartial judgment. Axis-One counselors should inform clients when a real or potential conflict of interest arises and take reasonable steps to resolve the issue in a manner that makes the clients' interests primary and protects clients' interests to the greatest extent possible. In some cases, protecting clients' interests may require termination of the professional relationship with proper referral of the client.
(b) Axis-One counselors should not take unfair advantage of any professional relationship or exploit others to further their personal, religious, political, or business interests.
(c) Axis-One counselors should not engage in dual or multiple relationships with clients or former clients in which there is a risk of exploitation or potential harm to the client. In instances when dual or multiple relationships are unavoidable, Axis-One counselors should take steps to protect clients and are responsible for setting clear, appropriate, and culturally sensitive boundaries. (Dual or multiple relationships occur when Axis-One counselors relate to clients in more than one relationship, whether professional, social, or business. Dual or multiple relationships can occur simultaneously or consecutively.)
(d) When Axis-One counselors provide services to two or more people who have a relationship with each other (for example, couples, family members), Axis-One counselors should clarify with all parties which individuals will be considered clients and the nature of Axis-One counselors' professional obligations to the various individuals who are receiving services. Axis-One counselors who anticipate a conflict of interest among the individuals receiving services or who anticipate having to perform in potentially conflicting roles (for example, when a counselor is asked to testify in a child custody dispute or divorce proceedings involving clients) should clarify their role with the parties involved and take appropriate action to minimize any conflict of interest.
1.07 Privacy and Confidentiality
(a) Axis-One counselors should respect clients' right to privacy. Axis-One counselors should not solicit private information from clients unless it is essential to providing services or conducting counseling evaluation or research. Once private information is shared, standards of confidentiality apply.
(b) Axis-One counselors may disclose confidential information when appropriate with valid consent from a client or a person legally authorized to consent on behalf of a client.
(c) Axis-One counselors should protect the confidentiality of all information obtained in the course of professional service, except for compelling professional reasons. The general expectation that Axis-One counselors will keep information confidential does not apply when disclosure is necessary to prevent serious, foreseeable, and imminent harm to a client or other identifiable person. In all instances, Axis-One counselors should disclose the least amount of confidential information necessary to achieve the desired purpose; only information that is directly relevant to the purpose for which the disclosure is made should be revealed.
(d) Axis-One counselors should inform clients, to the extent possible, about the disclosure of confidential information and the potential consequences, when feasible before the disclosure is made. This applies whether Axis-One counselors disclose confidential information on the basis of a legal requirement or client consent.
(e) Axis-One counselors should discuss with clients and other interested parties the nature of confidentiality and limitations of clients' right to confidentiality. Axis-One counselors should review with clients circumstances where confidential information may be requested and where disclosure of confidential information may be legally required. This discussion should occur as soon as possible in the counselor-client relationship and as needed throughout the course of the relationship.
(f) When Axis-One counselors provide counseling services to families, couples, or groups, Axis-One counselors should seek agreement among the parties involved concerning each individual's right to confidentiality and obligation to preserve the confidentiality of information shared by others. Axis-One counselors should inform participants in family, couples, or group counseling that Axis-One counselors cannot guarantee that all participants will honor such agreements.
(g) Axis-One counselors should inform clients involved in family, couples, marital, or group counseling of the counselor's, employer's, and agency's policy concerning the counselor's disclosure of confidential information among the parties involved in the counseling.
(h) Axis-One counselors should not disclose confidential information to third-party payers unless clients have authorized such disclosure.
(i) Axis-One counselors should not discuss confidential information in any setting unless privacy can be ensured. Axis-One counselors should not discuss confidential information in public or semipublic areas such as hallways, waiting rooms, elevators, and restaurants.
(j) Axis-One counselors should protect the confidentiality of clients during legal proceedings to the extent permitted by law. When a court of law or other legally authorized body orders Axis-One counselors to disclose confidential or privileged information without a client's consent and such disclosure could cause harm to the client, Axis-One counselors should request that the court withdraw the order or limit the order as narrowly as possible or maintain the records under seal, unavailable for public inspection.
(k) Axis-One counselors should protect the confidentiality of clients when responding to requests from members of the media.
(l) Axis-One counselors should protect the confidentiality of clients' written and electronic records and other sensitive information. Axis-One counselors should take reasonable steps to ensure that clients' records are stored in a secure location and that clients' records are not available to others who are not authorized to have access.
(m) Axis-One counselors should take precautions to ensure and maintain the confidentiality of information transmitted to other parties through the use of computers, electronic mail, facsimile machines, telephones and telephone answering machines, and other electronic or computer technology. Disclosure of identifying information should be avoided whenever possible.
(n) Axis-One counselors should transfer or dispose of clients' records in a manner that protects clients' confidentiality and is consistent with statutes governing records and counseling licensure.
(o) Axis-One counselors should take reasonable precautions to protect client confidentiality in the event of the counselor's termination of practice, incapacitation, or death.
(p) Axis-One counselors should not disclose identifying information when discussing clients for teaching or training purposes unless the client has consented to disclosure of confidential information.
(q) Axis-One counselors should not disclose identifying information when discussing clients with consultants unless the client has consented to disclosure of confidential information or there is a compelling need for such disclosure.
(r) Axis-One counselors should protect the confidentiality of deceased clients consistent with the preceding standards.
1.08 Access to Records
(a) Axis-One counselors should provide clients with reasonable access to records concerning the clients. Axis-One counselors who are concerned that clients' access to their records could cause serious misunderstanding or harm to the client should provide assistance in interpreting the records and consultation with the client regarding the records. Axis-One counselors should limit clients' access to their records, or portions of their records, only in exceptional circumstances when there is compelling evidence that such access would cause serious harm to the client. Both clients' requests and the rationale for withholding some or all of the record should be documented in clients' files.
(b) When providing clients with access to their records, Axis-One counselors should take steps to protect the confidentiality of other individuals identified or discussed in such records.
1.09 Sexual Relationships
(a) Axis-One counselors should under no circumstances engage in sexual activities or sexual contact with current clients, whether such contact is consensual or forced.
(b) Axis-One counselors should not engage in sexual activities or sexual contact with clients' relatives or other individuals with whom clients maintain a close personal relationship when there is a risk of exploitation or potential harm to the client. Sexual activity or sexual contact with clients' relatives or other individuals with whom clients maintain a personal relationship has the potential to be harmful to the client and may make it difficult for the counselor and client to maintain appropriate professional boundaries. Axis-One counselors--not their clients, their clients' relatives, or other individuals with whom the client maintains a personal relationship--assume the full burden for setting clear, appropriate, and culturally sensitive boundaries.
(c) Axis-One counselors should not engage in sexual activities or sexual contact with former clients because of the potential for harm to the client. If Axis-One counselors engage in conduct contrary to this prohibition or claim that an exception to this prohibition is warranted because of extraordinary circumstances, it is Axis-One counselors--not their clients--who assume the full burden of demonstrating that the former client has not been exploited, coerced, or manipulated, intentionally or unintentionally.
(d) Axis-One counselors should not provide clinical services to individuals with whom they have had a prior sexual relationship. Providing clinical services to a former sexual partner has the potential to be harmful to the individual and is likely to make it difficult for the counselor and individual to maintain appropriate professional boundaries.
1.10 Physical Contact
Axis-One counselors should not engage in physical contact with clients when there is a possibility of psychological harm to the client as a result of the contact (such as cradling or caressing clients). Axis-One counselors who engage in appropriate physical contact with clients are responsible for setting clear, appropriate, and culturally sensitive boundaries that govern such physical contact.
1.11 Sexual Harassment
Axis-One counselors should not sexually harass clients. Sexual harassment includes sexual advances, sexual solicitation, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature.
1.12 Derogatory Language
Axis-One counselors should not use derogatory language in their written or verbal communications to or about clients. Axis-One counselors should use accurate and respectful language in all communications to and about clients.
1.13 Payment for Services
(a) When setting fees, Axis-One shall ensure that the fees are fair, reasonable, and commensurate with the services performed.
(b) Axis-One shall avoid accepting goods or services from clients as payment for professional services. Bartering arrangements, particularly involving services, create the potential for conflicts of interest, exploitation, and inappropriate boundaries in Axis-One’s relationships with clients. Axis-One should explore and may participate in bartering only in very limited circumstances when it can be demonstrated that such arrangements are an accepted practice among professionals in the local community, considered to be essential for the provision of services, negotiated without coercion, and entered into at the client's initiative and with the client's informed consent. Axis-One counselors who accept goods or services from clients as payment for professional services assume the full burden of demonstrating that this arrangement will not be detrimental to the client or the professional relationship. (c) Axis-One counselors should not solicit a private fee or other remuneration for providing services to clients who are entitled to such available services through the regular relationship with Axis-One.
1.14 Clients Who Lack Decision-Making Capacity
When Axis-One counselors act on behalf of clients who lack the capacity to make informed decisions, Axis-One counselors should take reasonable steps to safeguard the interests and rights of those clients.
1.15 Interruption of Services
Axis-One counselors should make reasonable efforts to ensure continuity of services in the event that services are interrupted by factors such as unavailability, relocation, illness, disability, or death.
1.16 Termination of Services
(a) Axis-One counselors should terminate services to clients and professional relationships with them when such services and relationships are no longer required or no longer serve the clients' needs or interests.
(b) Axis-One counselors should take reasonable steps to avoid abandoning clients who are still in need of services. Axis-One counselors should withdraw services precipitously only under unusual circumstances, giving careful consideration to all factors in the situation and taking care to minimize possible adverse effects. Axis-One counselors should assist in making appropriate arrangements for continuation of services when necessary.
(c) Axis-One may terminate services to clients who are not paying an overdue balance if the financial contractual arrangements have been made clear to the client, and if the clinical and other consequences of the current nonpayment have been addressed and discussed with the client.
(d) Axis-One counselors should not terminate services to pursue a social, financial, or sexual relationship with a client.
(e) Axis-One counselors who anticipate the termination or interruption of services to clients should notify clients promptly and seek the transfer, referral, or continuation of services in relation to the clients' needs and preferences.
(f) Axis-One counselors who are leaving an employment setting should inform clients of appropriate options for the continuation of services and of the benefits and risks of the options.
2. Axis-One counselors' Ethical Responsibilities to Colleagues
2.01 Respect
(a) Axis-One counselors should treat colleagues with respect and should represent accurately and fairly the qualifications, views, and obligations of colleagues.
(b) Axis-One counselors should avoid unwarranted negative criticism of colleagues in communications with clients or with other professionals. Unwarranted negative criticism may include demeaning comments that refer to colleagues' level of competence or to individuals' attributes such as race, ethnicity, national origin, color, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, political belief, religion, and mental or physical disability.
(c) Axis-One counselors should cooperate with counseling colleagues and with colleagues of other professions when such cooperation serves the well-being of clients.
2.02 Confidentiality
Axis-One counselors should respect confidential information shared by colleagues in the course of their professional relationships and transactions. Axis-One counselors should ensure that such colleagues understand Axis-One counselors' obligation to respect confidentiality and any exceptions related to it.
2.03 Interdisciplinary Collaboration
(a) Axis-One counselors who are members of an interdisciplinary team should participate in and contribute to decisions that affect the well-being of clients by drawing on the perspectives, values, and experiences of the counseling profession. Professional and ethical obligations of the interdisciplinary team as a whole and of its individual members should be clearly established.
(b) Axis-One counselors for whom a team decision raises ethical concerns should attempt to resolve the disagreement through appropriate channels. If the disagreement cannot be resolved, Axis-One counselors should pursue other avenues to address their concerns consistent with client well-being.
2.04 Disputes Involving Colleagues
(a) Axis-One counselors should not take advantage of a dispute between a colleague and an employer to obtain a position or otherwise advance the Axis-One counselors' own interests.
(b) Axis-One counselors should not exploit clients in disputes with colleagues or engage clients in any inappropriate discussion of conflicts between Axis-One counselors and their colleagues.
2.05 Consultation
(a) Axis-One counselors should seek the advice and counsel of colleagues whenever such consultation is in the best interests of clients.
(b) Axis-One counselors should keep themselves informed about colleagues' areas of expertise and competencies. Axis-One counselors should seek consultation only from colleagues who have demonstrated knowledge, expertise, and competence related to the subject of the consultation.
(c) When consulting with colleagues about clients, Axis-One counselors should disclose the least amount of information necessary to achieve the purposes of the consultation.
2.06 Referral for Services
(a) Axis-One counselors should refer clients to other professionals when the other professionals' specialized knowledge or expertise is needed to serve clients fully or when Axis-One counselors believe that they are not being effective or making reasonable progress with clients and that additional service is required.
(b) Axis-One counselors who refer clients to other professionals should take appropriate steps to facilitate an orderly transfer of responsibility. Axis-One counselors who refer clients to other professionals should disclose, with clients' consent, all pertinent information to the new service providers.
(c) Axis-One counselors are prohibited from giving or receiving payment for a referral when no professional service is provided by the referring counselor.
2.07 Sexual Relationships
(a) Axis-One counselors who function as supervisors or educators should not engage in sexual activities or contact with supervisees, students, trainees, or other colleagues over whom they exercise professional authority.
(b) Axis-One counselors should avoid engaging in sexual relationships with colleagues when there is potential for a conflict of interest. Axis-One counselors who become involved in, or anticipate becoming involved in, a sexual relationship with a colleague have a duty to transfer professional responsibilities, when necessary, to avoid a conflict of interest.
2.08 Sexual Harassment
Axis-One counselors should not sexually harass supervisees, students, trainees, or colleagues. Sexual harassment includes sexual advances, sexual solicitation, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature.
2.09 Impairment of Colleagues
(a) Axis-One counselors who have direct knowledge of a counseling colleague's impairment that is due to personal problems, psychosocial distress, substance abuse, or mental health difficulties and that interferes with practice effectiveness should consult with that colleague when feasible and assist the colleague in taking remedial action.
(b) Axis-One counselors who believe that a counseling colleague's impairment interferes with practice effectiveness and that the colleague has not taken adequate steps to address the impairment should take action through appropriate channels established by Axis-One, agencies, professional associations, licensing and regulatory bodies, and other professional organizations.
2.10 Incompetence of Colleagues
(a) Axis-One counselors who have direct knowledge of a counseling colleague's incompetence should consult with that colleague when feasible and assist the colleague in taking remedial action.
(b) Axis-One counselors who believe that a counseling colleague is incompetent and has not taken adequate steps to address the incompetence should take action through appropriate channels established by employers, agencies, professional associations, licensing and regulatory bodies, and other professional organizations.
2.11 Unethical Conduct of Colleagues
(a) Axis-One counselors should take adequate measures to discourage, prevent, expose, and correct the unethical conduct of colleagues.
(b) Axis-One counselors should be knowledgeable about established policies and procedures for handling concerns about colleagues' unethical behavior. Axis-One counselors should be familiar with statutory, regulatory or local professional procedures for handling ethics complaints. These include policies and procedures created by professional associations, licensing and regulatory bodies, employers, agencies, and other professional organizations.
(c) Axis-One counselors who believe that a colleague has acted unethically should seek resolution by discussing their concerns with the colleague when feasible and when such discussion is likely to be productive.
(d) When necessary, Axis-One counselors who believe that a colleague has acted unethically should take action through appropriate formal channels (such as contacting a licensing board or regulatory body, an professional committee on inquiry, or other professional ethics committees).
(e) Axis-One counselors should defend and assist colleagues who are unjustly charged with unethical conduct.
3. Axis-One counselors' Ethical Responsibilities in Practice Settings
3.01 Supervision and Consultation
(a) Axis-One counselors who provide supervision or consultation should have the necessary knowledge and skill to supervise or consult appropriately and should do so only within their areas of knowledge and competence.
(b) Axis-One counselors who provide supervision or consultation are responsible for setting clear, appropriate, and culturally sensitive boundaries.
(c) Axis-One counselors should not engage in any dual or multiple relationships with supervisees in which there is a risk of exploitation of or potential harm to the supervisee.
(d) Axis-One counselors who provide supervision should evaluate supervisees' performance in a manner that is fair and respectful.
3.02 Education and Training
(a) Axis-One counselors who function as educators, field instructors for students, or trainers should provide instruction only within their areas of knowledge and competence and should provide instruction based on the most current information and knowledge available in the profession.
(b) Axis-One counselors who function as educators or field instructors for students should evaluate students' performance in a manner that is fair and respectful.
(c) Axis-One counselors who function as educators or field instructors for students should take reasonable steps to ensure that clients are routinely informed when services are being provided by students.
(d) Axis-One counselors who function as educators or field instructors for students should not engage in any dual or multiple relationships with students in which there is a risk of exploitation or potential harm to the student. Counseling educators and field instructors are responsible for setting clear, appropriate, and culturally sensitive boundaries.
3.03 Performance Evaluation
Axis-One counselors who have responsibility for evaluating the performance of others should fulfill such responsibility in a fair and considerate manner and on the basis of clearly stated criteria.
3.04 Client Records
(a) Axis-One counselors should take reasonable steps to ensure that documentation in records is accurate and reflects the services provided.
(b) Axis-One counselors should include sufficient and timely documentation in records to facilitate the delivery of services and to ensure continuity of services provided to clients in the future.
(c) Axis-One counselors' documentation should protect clients' privacy to the extent that is possible and appropriate and should include only information that is directly relevant to the delivery of services.
(d) Axis-One counselors should store records following the termination of services to ensure reasonable future access. Records should be maintained for the number of years required by statutes or relevant contracts.
3.05 Billing
Axis-One should establish and maintain billing practices that accurately reflect the nature and extent of services provided and that identify who provided the service in the practice setting.
3.06 Client Transfer
(a) When an individual who is receiving services from another agency or colleague contacts Axis-One for services, Axis-One shall carefully consider the client's needs before agreeing to provide services. To minimize possible confusion and conflict, Axis-One counselors should discuss with potential clients the nature of the clients' current relationship with other service providers and the implications, including possible benefits or risks, of entering into a relationship with a new service provider, particularly considering the nature of the counseling media such as online counseling or telephone counseling.
(b) If a new client has been served by another agency or colleague, Axis-One counselors should discuss with the client whether consultation with the previous service provider is in the client's best interest.
3.07 Administration
(a) Counseling administrators should advocate within and outside their agencies for adequate resources to meet clients' needs.
(b) Axis-One counselors should advocate for resource allocation procedures that are open and fair. When not all clients' needs can be met, an allocation procedure should be developed that is nondiscriminatory and based on appropriate and consistently applied principles.
(c) Axis-One counselors who are administrators should take reasonable steps to ensure that adequate agency or organizational resources are available to provide appropriate staff supervision.
(d) Counseling administrators should take reasonable steps to ensure that the working environment for which they are responsible is consistent with and encourages compliance with this Code of Ethics. Counseling administrators should take reasonable steps to eliminate any conditions in their organizations that violate, interfere with, or discourage compliance with the Code.
3.08 Continuing Education and Staff Development
Counseling administrators and supervisors should take reasonable steps to provide or arrange for continuing education and staff development for all staff for whom they are responsible. Continuing education and staff development should address current knowledge and emerging developments related to counseling practice and ethics.
3.09 Commitments to Employers
(a) Axis-One counselors generally should adhere to commitments made to employers and employing organizations.
(b) Axis-One counselors should work to improve employing agencies' policies and procedures and the efficiency and effectiveness of their services.
(c) Axis-One should take reasonable steps to ensure that its counselors are aware of Axis-One counselors' ethical obligations as set forth in this Code of Ethics and of the implications of those obligations for counseling practice.
(d) Axis-One counselors should not allow Axis-One’s policies, procedures, regulations, or administrative orders to interfere with their ethical practice of counseling. Axis-One counselors should take reasonable steps to ensure that Axis-One’s practices are consistent with this Code of Ethics. (e) Axis-One counselors should act to prevent and eliminate discrimination in the employing organization's work assignments and in its employment policies and practices.
(f) Axis-One counselors should accept employment or arrange student field placements only in organizations that exercise fair personnel practices.
(g) Axis-One counselors should be diligent stewards of the resources of their employing organizations, wisely conserving funds where appropriate and never misappropriating funds or using them for unintended purposes.
3.10 Labor-Management Disputes
(a) Axis-One counselors may engage in organized action, including the formation of and participation in labor unions, to improve services to clients and working conditions.
(b) The actions of Axis-One counselors who are involved in labor-management disputes, job actions, or labor strikes should be guided by the profession's values, ethical principles, and ethical standards. Reasonable differences of opinion exist among Axis-One counselors concerning their primary obligation as professionals during an actual or threatened labor strike or job action. Axis-One counselors should carefully examine relevant issues and their possible impact on clients before deciding on a course of action.
4. Axis-One counselors' Ethical Responsibilities as Professionals
4.01 Competence
(a) Axis-One counselors should accept responsibility or employment only on the basis of existing competence or the intention to acquire the necessary competence.
(b) Axis-One counselors should strive to become and remain proficient in professional practice and the performance of professional functions. Axis-One counselors should critically examine and keep current with emerging knowledge relevant to counseling. Axis-One counselors should routinely review the professional literature and participate in continuing education relevant to counseling practice and counseling ethics.
(c) Axis-One counselors should base practice on recognized knowledge, including empirically based knowledge, relevant to counseling and counseling ethics.
4.02 Discrimination
Axis-One counselors should not practice, condone, facilitate, or collaborate with any form of discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, color, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, political belief, religion, or mental or physical disability.
4.03 Private Conduct
Axis-One counselors should not permit their private conduct to interfere with their ability to fulfill their professional responsibilities.
4.04 Dishonesty, Fraud, and Deception
Axis-One counselors should not participate in, condone, or be associated with dishonesty, fraud, or deception.
4.05 Impairment
(a) Axis-One counselors should not allow their own personal problems, psychosocial distress, legal problems, substance abuse, or mental health difficulties to interfere with their professional judgment and performance or to jeopardize the best interests of people for whom they have a professional responsibility.
(b) Axis-One counselors whose personal problems, psychosocial distress, legal problems, substance abuse, or mental health difficulties interfere with their professional judgment and performance should immediately seek consultation and take appropriate remedial action by seeking professional help, making adjustments in workload, terminating practice, or taking any other steps necessary to protect clients and others.
4.06 Misrepresentation
(a) Axis-One counselors should make clear distinctions between statements made and actions engaged in as a private individual and as a representative of the counseling profession, a professional counseling organization, or the counselor's employing agency.
(b) Axis-One counselors who speak on behalf of professional counseling organizations should accurately represent the official and authorized positions of the organizations.
(c) Axis-One counselors should ensure that their representations to clients, agencies, and the public of professional qualifications, credentials, education, competence, affiliations, services provided, or results to be achieved are accurate. Axis-One counselors should claim only those relevant professional credentials they actually possess and take steps to correct any inaccuracies or misrepresentations of their credentials by others.
4.07 Solicitations
(a) Axis-One counselors should not engage in uninvited solicitation of potential clients who, because of their circumstances, are vulnerable to undue influence, manipulation, or coercion.
(b) Axis-One counselors should not engage in solicitation of testimonial endorsements (including solicitation of consent to use a client's prior statement as a testimonial endorsement) from current clients or from other people who, because of their particular circumstances, are vulnerable to undue influence.
4.08 acknowledging Credit
(a) Axis-One counselors should take responsibility and credit, including authorship credit, only for work they have actually performed and to which they have contributed.
(b) Axis-One counselors should honestly acknowledge the work of and the contributions made by others.
5. Axis-One counselors' Ethical Responsibilities to the Counseling Profession
5.01 Integrity of the Profession
(a) Axis-One counselors should work toward the maintenance and promotion of high standards of practice.
(b) Axis-One counselors should uphold and advance the values, ethics, knowledge, and mission of the profession. Axis-One counselors should protect, enhance, and improve the integrity of the profession through appropriate study and research, active discussion, and responsible criticism of the profession.
(c) Axis-One counselors should contribute time and professional expertise to activities that promote respect for the value, integrity, and competence of the counseling profession. These activities may include teaching, research, consultation, service, legislative testimony, presentations in the community, and participation in their professional organizations.
(d) Axis-One counselors should contribute to the knowledge base of counseling and share with colleagues their knowledge related to practice, research, and ethics. Axis-One counselors should seek to contribute to the profession's literature and to share their knowledge at professional meetings and conferences.
(e) Axis-One counselors should act to prevent the unauthorized and unqualified practice of counseling.
5.02 Evaluation and Research
(a) Axis-One counselors should monitor and evaluate policies, the implementation of programs, and practice interventions.
(b) Axis-One counselors should promote and facilitate evaluation and research to contribute to the development of knowledge.
(c) Axis-One counselors should critically examine and keep current with emerging knowledge relevant to counseling and fully use evaluation and research evidence in their professional practice.
(d) Axis-One counselors engaged in evaluation or research should carefully consider possible consequences and should follow guidelines developed for the protection of evaluation and research participants. Appropriate institutional review boards should be consulted.
(e) Axis-One counselors engaged in evaluation or research should obtain voluntary and written informed consent from participants, when appropriate, without any implied or actual deprivation or penalty for refusal to participate; without undue inducement to participate; and with due regard for participants' well-being, privacy, and dignity. Informed consent should include information about the nature, extent, and duration of the participation requested and disclosure of the risks and benefits of participation in the research.
(f) When evaluation or research participants are incapable of giving informed consent, Axis-One counselors should provide an appropriate explanation to the participants, obtain the participants' assent to the extent they are able, and obtain written consent from an appropriate proxy.
(g) Axis-One counselors should never design or conduct evaluation or research that does not use consent procedures, such as certain forms of naturalistic observation and archival research, unless rigorous and responsible review of the research has found it to be justified because of its prospective scientific, educational, or applied value and unless equally effective alternative procedures that do not involve waiver of consent are not feasible.
(h) Axis-One counselors should inform participants of their right to withdraw from evaluation and research at any time without penalty.
(i) Axis-One counselors should take appropriate steps to ensure that participants in evaluation and research have access to appropriate supportive services.
(j) Axis-One counselors engaged in evaluation or research should protect participants from unwarranted physical or mental distress, harm, danger, or deprivation.
(k) Axis-One counselors engaged in the evaluation of services should discuss collected information only for professional purposes and only with people professionally concerned with this information.
(l) Axis-One counselors engaged in evaluation or research should ensure the anonymity or confidentiality of participants and of the data obtained from them. Axis-One counselors should inform participants of any limits of confidentiality, the measures that will be taken to ensure confidentiality, and when any records containing research data will be destroyed.
(m) Axis-One counselors who report evaluation and research results should protect participants' confidentiality by omitting identifying information unless proper consent has been obtained authorizing disclosure.
(n) Axis-One counselors should report evaluation and research findings accurately. They should not fabricate or falsify results and should take steps to correct any errors later found in published data using standard publication methods.
(o) Axis-One counselors engaged in evaluation or research should be alert to and avoid conflicts of interest and dual relationships with participants, should inform participants when a real or potential conflict of interest arises, and should take steps to resolve the issue in a manner that makes participants' interests primary.
(p) Axis-One counselors should educate themselves, their students, and their colleagues about responsible research practices.
6. Axis-One counselors' Ethical Responsibilities to the Broader Society
6.01 Social Welfare
Axis-One counselors should promote the general welfare of society, from local to global levels, and the development of people, their communities, and their environments. Axis-One counselors should advocate for living conditions conducive to the fulfillment of basic human needs and should promote social, economic, political, and cultural values and institutions that are compatible with the realization of social justice.
6.02 Public Participation
Axis-One counselors should facilitate informed participation by the public in shaping social policies and institutions.
6.03 Public Emergencies
Axis-One counselors should provide appropriate professional services in public emergencies to the greatest extent possible.
6.04 Social and Political Action
(a) Axis-One counselors should engage in social and political action that seeks to ensure that all people have equal access to the resources, employment, services, and opportunities they require to meet their basic human needs and to develop fully. Axis-One counselors should be aware of the impact of the political arena on practice and should advocate for changes in policy and legislation to improve social conditions in order to meet basic human needs and promote social justice.
(b) Axis-One counselors should act to expand choice and opportunity for all people, with special regard for vulnerable, disadvantaged, oppressed, and exploited people and groups.
(c) Axis-One counselors should promote conditions that encourage respect for cultural and social diversity globally. Axis-One counselors should promote policies and practices that demonstrate respect for difference, support the expansion of cultural knowledge and resources, advocate for programs and institutions that demonstrate cultural competence, and promote policies that safeguard the rights of and confirm equity and social justice for all people.
(d) Axis-One counselors should act to prevent and eliminate domination of, exploitation of, and discrimination against any person, group, or class on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, color, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, political belief, religion, or mental or physical disability.