Professional Ethics in Counselling Practice

This comprehensive course examines professional ethics as they apply across counselling contexts including individual therapy, group work, addiction and mental health counselling, family and couples therapy, work with children and youth, and clinical supervision. Grounded in Canadian ethical standards (CCPA, CACCF, provincial regulatory bodies), learners will explore foundational ethical principles, informed consent, confidentiality and its limits, dual relationships and boundary management, competence and scope of practice, documentation ethics, and navigating ethical dilemmas. Special attention is given to cultural humility, power dynamics, duty to report, and ethical decision-making frameworks. Case studies drawn from diverse clinical settings help learners apply ethical reasoning to real-world challenges they will encounter in professional practice.