The Ethical Practice of Consulting Psychology

Psychologists who work in business and other organizational settings encounter unique ethical issues that are not found in traditional clinical practice. This volume provides an overview of these issues for consulting psychologists, graduate students, and practitioners in other fields who want to transition to organizational consulting. Using the APA Ethics Code as its foundation, the book teaches readers how to make ethical decisions when conducting assessments and applying interventions with individual employees, work groups, and entire organizations, small and large.

Authors Rodney Lowman and Stewart Cooper explore common themes in ethical practice, including informed consent, confidentiality, multiple relationships, conflicts of interest, and competence. They demonstrate how these issues manifest differently in the work environment through vivid case examples that bring to life the concrete work of consulting psychologists. These informative vignettes teach readers how to negotiate complex challenges, such as when organizational demands and corrupt business practices come into conflict with psychologists’ ethical responsibilities. Special attention is also given to emerging areas of practice, including telepsychology, multinational and multicultural consulting, and coaching.