Ethics of Self-Care for Psychologists

The American Psychological Association’s (APA) Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct (hereafter, APA Ethics Code) is the primary ethical resource for psychologists. Throughout the Ethics Code, it is clear that psychologists are expected to provide competent care for clients, students, and supervisees. However, guidelines for how psychologists are expected to care for themselves and their colleagues are much less clear. This entry examines the issue of self-care for psychologists, first providing the historical context and then discussing the self-care imperative.

Historical Context

Psychology has been powerfully influenced by modern feminist theory. The current interest in self-care for psychologists can be traced back to the tenets of the ethics of care as described by Carol Gilligan in her radical 1982 book In a Different Voice. ...

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