Ethical standards in counseling: comparing the ACA and AACC codes

Codes of Ethics Comparison

Both the American Counseling Association (ACA) and the American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC) maintain codes of ethics that describe the standards to which counselors are expected to adhere throughout their dealings with clients. In some respects, they provide similar rules; in other respects, they provide very different approaches. For example, the AACC covers sexual and romantically intimate relations between counselors and clients in much greater detail than the ACA. Both codes cover discrimination issues but the AACC reflects a definite theological basis for its code in that area whereas the ACA is limited only to the issues recognized by secular law. Finally, both the AACC and ACA codes address client records; however, while the AACC focuses mainly on ownership, confidentiality, and appropriate handling f records, the ACA addresses their process of documentation, reflecting the more formal and structured nature of professional counseling services in general.

Sexual Relationships between Counselors and Clients

The American Counseling Association Code of Ethics and the American Association of Christian Counselors Code of Ethics both address the issue of sexual relationships and contact between counselors and clients. By comparison, the ACA Code of Ethics is much less detailed and comprehensive in its scope. It prohibits only sexual contact and romantically intimate relationships with clients and their family members during the period of professional association and within five years of the last professional contact. The ACA Code of Ethics allows such contact and relationships beyond that period provided only that the counselor "demonstrate forethought" in written form of the potential for detrimental consequences to the former client.

The American Association of Christian Counselors is much more detailed and particular in this area. First, it strictly prohibits any form of sexual contact or intimate relations between counselors and clients. Unlike the ACA Code, the AACC Code of Ethics prohibits such relationships indefinitely rather than just during the period of the professional relationship or the period immediately following it.

Likewise, whereas the ACA only refers to sexual relations and romantically intimate relationships, the AACC Code goes into much greater detail. For example, it addresses sexually intimate conversation, seductive behavior, and inappropriate intimate disclosure of any kind. Moreover, the AACC even goes so far as to anticipate the possibility that counselors might entertain a sexual interest in clients immediately on meeting them. In that regard, it expressly prohibits counselors from terminating the professional relationship in order to pursue a sexual interest thereafter. The AACC even addresses the anonymous use of Internet communications between counselors and clients. This tremendous detail suggests that it is the result of recognition of potential issues that have previously arisen in specific incidences.

Client Records

The respective ethical codes of the ACA and the AACC are much closer to one another in their content and effect than the other two reviewed aspects of the codes. Whereas other aspects of the AACC Code are derived from theological perspectives (such as in the case of discrimination issues), the sections addressing the handling and ownership of client records seems to defer to secular law and to professional standards of definitions of counseling ethics and confidentiality issues.

The main area of difference between the respective codes of ethics is that the AACC Code of Ethics focuses on the handling, ownership, and disclosure of records. By contrast, the ACA Code of Ethics also covers the proper documentation of client records. More particularly, the ACA standards pertain to the sufficiency of the records in their function as efficiently documenting the progress of clients during their treatment. This difference would appear to be a function of the more standardized and empirical, evidence-based practice of professional counseling in one case, and of the less formal processes and procedures of counseling services delivered in the context of religious worship.