Ethical problems in psychotherapy

Psychotherapy is a medical procedure which has to comply with legal and ethical rules like all other forms of patient care. This includes (1) the duty to avoid harm to the patient, (2) to rank the needs of patients higher than those of the therapist, (3) to have a cooperative relationship with the patient, (4) but at the same time to maintain an obligatory therapeutic distance, (5) to respect the self-determination of the patient, (6) to carry out an informed consent in an appropriate manner, (7) to present an attentive and caring attitude towards the patient, and (8) if necessary, to select treatment targets which may deviate from what the patient expects, if this is in the higher interests of the patient, (9) to guarantee confidentiality, (10) to safeguard the dignity of the patient, (11) to prevent any misuse of psychotherapy in the interest of third parties, (12) to comply with professional standards in the therapy, and (13) to preserve collegiality in the interaction with co-therapists. Therapists must be aware that there are special ethical problems in psychotherapy regarding all these points, because of their particular relationship and interaction with the patient.