Is it possible to define the “welfare” of the psychologist’s client?

  • Małgorzaya Toeplitz-Winiewska Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw
Keywords: client; autonomy; subjectivity; respect for dignity; confidentiality

Abstract

In this polemic response to Katarzyna Sikora, attention is drawn to the need to refine the term denoting the person or people that the psychologist works with, for it is inaccurate and misleading to subsume them all under the concept of “recipients.” In the section on “client welfare,” the view is presented that the proper subject of debate among psychologists should be those values involved in their profession that really make it possible to achieve “client welfare.” The impossibility of defining this concept as well as its evaluative character may imply the necessity to abandon using it in psychologists’ ethics codes.

References

American Psychological Association (2010). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct. Washington, DC: Author.
British Psychological Society (2006). Code of ethics and conduct. Leicester, UK: Author.
European Federation of Psychologists’ Associations (2005). Meta-Code of Ethics. Retrieved Nov 1, 2013, from www.efpa.eu/ethics/ethical-codes
Gillon, R. (1997). Etyka lekarska, problemy filozoficzne. Warsaw: PZWL.
Polish Psychological Association (1992). The code of professional ethics for the psychologist. Warsaw: PTP.
Published
2019-04-04
Section
Discussion