Glossary

Psychologists have a great responsibility to use their knowledge in the direction of human well-being. To get good professional performance an adequate education and training t is mandatory. A Psychologist should be trained by other psychologists and learn the ethical principles and values of the profession. Professional ethics is essential in establishing the major reference points for professional practice. Psychologists strive for a high competence in their education about ethics and ethical reasoning.  

In this Glossary the reader will find some terms used in EFPA Board of Ethics documents and position papers. The EFPA Board of Ethics does not intend to make a statement or a doctrine here about various terms in ethics. These definitions are intending to support the understanding of EFPA Board of Ethics documents and are written to be accessible to a broad audience. With concise definitions, this Glossary will help people to better understand ethics subjects and to make professional decisions with a greater sense of confidence and understanding. It is a contribution to professional development.  

In this Glossary, the EFPA Board of Ethics will not address the definition of ‘client’. 

The Board of Ethics understands that this concept is very complex, considering the several contexts of psychologists’ work. The Board of Ethics has decided to discuss the subject and to develop a position paper on the subject.