Preamble and General Provisions
1.1. Regulatory framework
This Code has been drawn up in accordance with: • the Constitution of the Russian Federation; • Federal Law No. 152-FZ “On Personal Data”; • the Charter of the International Public Organization for Ethics Compliance; • the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; • the World Medical Association (WMA) Declaration of Helsinki; • the Universal Declaration of Ethical Principles for Psychologists; • the Meta-Code of Ethics of the European Federation of Psychologists’ Associations.
1.2. Definitions
• Psychologist — a person holding a higher education degree in psychology, including a practitioner psychologist, clinical (medical) psychologist, educational psychologist, psychoanalyst, neuropsychologist, psychotherapist (in the context of non-pharmacological intervention), conflict specialist/mediator (with basic psychological training), and psychodiagnostics specialist. • Client — an individual, a group of individuals, or an organization that has agreed to be the subject of psychological research or has sought psychological assistance.
1.3. Scope
This Code applies to all types and forms of a psychologist’s professional activity.
1.4. Purposes and function
• internal regulation of the professional community; • regulation of psychologists’ relations with society; • a basis for applying sanctions in the event of a breach of ethical principles.
1.5. Regulatory body
The advisory and regulatory body on matters of professional ethics is the Ethics Committee of the International Public Organization for Ethics Compliance.
Foundational Ethical Principles
2.1. Principle of respect
• respect for the dignity, rights, and freedoms of the person; • impartiality and non-discrimination on any grounds; • exclusion of actions that harm the health or social standing of the Client and of persons connected with the Client.
2.2. Principle of confidentiality and personal data protection
• professional secrecy: no disclosure of information without the Client’s written informed consent, or except as required by law (including in cases of a direct threat to life or health); • anonymization of data when clinical cases are used in publications, lectures, or supervision; • secure storage and protection of data (audio and video recordings, protocols, notes); • limitation of data collection to the scope of the professional request; • privacy of the session: no third parties present without the Client’s voluntary consent; • a defined retention period and guaranteed destruction or de-identification of data at the Client’s request or upon expiry of the established retention period.
2.3. Principle of informed consent and voluntariness
• obtaining conscious, voluntary consent before services begin; • informing the Client of the purposes, methods, duration, fees, and session cancellation rules; • the Client’s right to know the stages of the therapeutic process and alternative ways of addressing the problem; • work with minors and persons lacking legal capacity: consent of the legal representative and assent of the person in care; • audio and video recording only with written consent stating the purpose; refusal to be recorded may not be grounds for refusing assistance; • voluntary participation in scientific research and the right to withdraw at any time without detriment to therapy; • covert observation and experiments — only in exceptional cases, with mandatory debriefing after completion.
2.4. Principle of Client self-determination and personal autonomy
• the Client’s right to enter into, suspend, and terminate the professional relationship at any time without giving reasons; • a prohibition on using guilt or a sense of obligation to keep the Client in therapy; • the right to choose a practitioner, to seek a second opinion, and to consult other specialists; • the inadmissibility of coercion (physical, economic, or emotional); • an ethically sound termination of the relationship at the initiative of either party.
2.5. Principle of competence
• working only within the bounds of one’s qualifications and practical experience; • recognition of the limits of one’s own competence; • continuing professional development, personal therapy, and supervision; • use of new methods only under the guidance of a certified specialist and with the Client informed; • referral of the Client to an appropriate specialist when the request falls outside one’s competence; • responsibility for the actions of subordinate staff, trainees, and assistants.
2.6. Principle of responsibility
• personal responsibility for the scientific, social, and personal consequences of one’s work; • heightened caution when working with vulnerable groups; • priority of the Client’s safety (“do no harm”); • safe transfer of the Client to another specialist upon discontinuation of work.
2.7. Principle of honesty
• transparency of financial and organizational terms; • priority of professional ethics over commercial interests; • objectivity of public information and a prohibition on manipulative advertising and guarantees of a 100% result; • a prohibition on unfair competition; • responsibility for public statements and a clear separation of psychology from medicine, esoteric practices, and other fields; • informing the Client of possible risks and temporary discomfort.
2.8. Avoidance of conflicts of interest and dual relationships
• a prohibition on exploiting the Client’s trust for personal, financial, religious, or political ends; • the inadmissibility of personal, business, or social ties with current Clients; • a moratorium on close relationships with former Clients (a period of at least 2–5 years is recommended); • establishment and protection of professional boundaries (refusal of expensive gifts, involvement in personal life, joint business, and the like); • the right to decline work with persons toward whom one has a biased relationship (friends, relatives, colleagues); • termination of work if the Client systematically violates the frame of the relationship, together with provision of a list of other specialists.
Professional Practice and Scientific Integrity
3.1. Limits of professional competence
• working solely within the scope of one’s education, certified training, and practical experience; • psychological practices are to be carried out exclusively by a qualified (diploma-holding) psychologist; • a standard of communicative competence (skills in establishing contact, conducting an interview, and observation); • interaction with medicine: recommending that the Client consult a physician if there are signs of a somatic or severe mental disorder; a prohibition on discontinuing a Client’s medication and on giving advice in the field of pharmacology.
3.2. Limits on methods used and scientific integrity
• methods must be appropriate to the aims of the work and to the Client’s characteristics; • psychometric requirements for assessment (reliability, validity, representative norms, and cultural and linguistic adaptation); • objectivity of interpretation, independent of the psychologist’s personal views and of the Client’s social status; • a prohibition on falsifying data; • correction of scientific errors by means of a public clarification.
3.3. Professional development and conditions of practice
• a commitment to continuing education, study of current scientific publications, and participation in supervision and intervision; • awareness of the current provisions of this Code and of the legislation of the Russian Federation; • a prohibition on providing services when one’s capacity to practice is impaired (illness, severe fatigue, acute grief, medication, or use of psychoactive substances); • safe termination of the relationship when work must be discontinued (notice, concluding sessions, transfer of the Client to another specialist); • prevention of burnout: monitoring signs of professional deformation and emotional exhaustion, seeking personal therapy and supervision, and temporarily limiting practice in difficult cases.
Resolving Ethical Dilemmas and Professional Responsibility
4.1. Awareness of responsibility
The psychologist bears personal responsibility for decisions in ethically ambiguous situations, acting on the basis of this Code and of the priority of the Client’s well-being.
4.2. Mandatory consultation (supervision)
When in doubt or faced with a complex ethical dilemma, the psychologist must seek consultation from a supervisor, more experienced colleagues, or representatives of related professions.
4.3. Referral to the Ethics Committee
If the situation poses a serious threat to the Client’s well-being, violates the law or this Code, and collegial consultation has not yielded a clear answer, the psychologist must submit an official request to the Ethics Committee.
4.4. Informing those involved
The psychologist contributes to raising the ethical literacy of Clients, students, and representatives of related professions.
4.5. Documentation of decisions
In situations of high ethical risk, the psychologist must record the substance of the dilemma, the consultations obtained, and the rationale for the decision taken. The documentation is kept confidential and is disclosed only upon an official request from the Ethics Committee.
Responsibility to the Professional Community
5.1. Scientific openness
• research findings must be available for scientific critique and verification (data in anonymized form); • a complete, accurate, and unambiguous presentation that does not invite misinterpretation; • support for discussion and constructive criticism as a means of advancing psychology.
5.2. Professional solidarity
• mutual respect and a prohibition on biased criticism and public disparagement of colleagues’ work; • confidential, personal communication to a colleague regarding unprofessional conduct; • priority of the first professional engagement: ascertaining whether the Client is already in therapy with another specialist; • safety above loyalty: if there is a real threat to the Client’s well-being, the psychologist must initiate a review; • criticism of actions, not of the person; respect for the boundaries of colleagues’ competence; • continuity of care: provision of a summary or recommendations for transfer to the next specialist (with the Client’s consent).
Breach of the Code of Ethics and Disciplinary Liability
6.1. Definition of a breach
The following constitute a breach: • deliberate disregard or distortion of the provisions of this Code; • professional negligence or gross carelessness resulting in a failure to observe ethical principles; • refusal to cooperate with the Ethics Committee in the consideration of a complaint.
6.2. Complaint procedure
• a complaint is submitted to the Ethics Committee of the organization of which the psychologist is a member; • the complainant may be any natural or legal person (the Client, a legal representative, or a colleague) and must submit the complaint in writing; • complaints are considered in accordance with the principle of objectivity and the psychologist’s right of defense.
6.3. System of disciplinary sanctions
• a warning — for a minor first-time breach without serious consequences; • suspension of membership — temporary withdrawal of active professional status (usually for up to one year); reinstatement requires additional supervision or training; • removal from the register — complete termination of membership; the information is published in publicly accessible sources.
6.4. Informing the community
Information on serious sanctions (suspension, removal) is publicly available in professional registers.
6.5. Interaction with public authorities
If there are indications of a criminal offense, the organization may petition for the specialist to be held administratively or criminally liable.