Ethical dilemmas in the practice of the psychologist

The psychologist encounters himself many times in situation which needs a special attention and a good analysis before he can decide which action is most adequate for all the parties concerned. Once psychology became a profession ethic codes were developed. These codes have the purpose to guide and offer the psychologist the support he needs in his practice. Ethic codes are based on some principles, which number can vary from country to country, but they are general rules which are aspirational in nature. However, simply knowing the ethical codes is not enough and it does not exclude the possibility for the psychologist to enter himself in an ethical dilemma concerning his work. There are psychologists, whom are more likely to have a less ethical behavior in their practice, but there are some aspects in their work that present more conflicts and are truly dilemmatic. Researches show that more often the psychologists meet the following dilemmas: confidentiality, multiple relations, sexual relations, cooperation with other professionals. The ability to think critically and to analyze all the aspects of that situation and apply general ethical principles is vital. All practitioners should therefore know the ethical codes of their specialty, be aware of consequences for their actions that are not sanctioned by their organization, and seek consultation when they are in doubt.