Ethics for the Practice of Psychology in Canada, Third Edition

by Derek Truscott, Kenneth H. Crook

Since its initial release in 2004, Ethics for the Practice of Psychology in Canada has filled a vital need for a single source on professional ethics and law relevant to Canadian psychologists. This important new edition reflects the fourth edition of the Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists and highlights discussions in the areas of diversity and social justice. An essential resource, it focusses on the most pertinent ethical and legal issues for Canadian psychologists, including decision making, consent, confidentiality, helping without harming, professional boundaries, diversity, social responsibility, and conducting research. An appendix includes discussion questions and reflective journal exercises to facilitate awareness of personal motives and biases relevant to making ethical choices. The EPUB edition is accessible.

296 pages, Paperback

Published September 16, 2021

About the author

I earned my doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Windsor, and practiced in hospital, community, group home, rehabilitation, and private settings before entering academia. I am currently professor emeritus at the University of Alberta.

I am interested in answering the question of what it takes to be a good psychologist. By “good” I mean one who is effective, helpful, influential, and impactful – who is sought out by people suffering from personal problems and to whom other psychologists refer or seek out themselves. I also mean “good” in the sense of one who is ethical, principled, virtuous, and moral – who knows how to do and does the right thing and is sought out by others wanting to do likewise.

It often seems to me that the secret to becoming a good psychologist lays buried under mounds of facts and opinions. No wonder most of us pursue either research or practice and pay scant attention to the other. Producing more research findings or proposing more practice approaches isn’t going to remedy this situation, and might be making it worse. Having grown up on the Alberta prairies, my response has been to think of myself as a refinery rather than as a pump-jack, synthesizing knowledge from existing research to fuel professional practice.

Reviews

[Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been battling with academic and professional obligations for a couple of months, so I haven’t had too much of a chance to read the literature that I want to. However, I can’t help but read certain obligatory texts through the lens of a critic, so here is a mini paragraph. Without context, reading bureaucratic documentation and policies is like pulling teeth. The second you begin to see real people who depend on you for their real lives and real feelings, every single word here becomes crucial, somehow more alive. Not really a text you can skip over, and yet not a sufficient text. Much more is needed, so this is the tip of the iceberg. A great summary.