ABSTRACT
As we get to the legal and ethical ( Chapter 12 ) aspects of supervision, we are reminded about the depth of responsibility we carry as supervisors of therapists. Even as therapists, we often “forget” to pay attention to laws and ethics codes that govern our practice. A little while ago, I (Nelson) taught an ethics workshop to more than 200 mental health practitioners. I asked how many had read the licensing laws in the past year; a few raised their hands. I then asked how many had read other laws that affect our profession (e.g., reporting suspected abuse, duty to warn, minors in therapy) and two people raised their hands. I asked how many had read their professional association’s code of ethics in the last year; about 25 raised their hands. Finally, I asked how many knew that their professional association’s ethics code was the law of the state in which we resided. Some raised their hands, but many looked at me rather wide-eyed. I told them that I thought I am fortunate because I am forced to read the laws, regulations, and ethics code several times a year because I teach supervision and ethics courses and workshops.
