ABSTRACT
State governments regulate the practice of professions when such regulation is considered to be in the public interest. This chapter focuses specifically on the operation of state boards of psychology and counseling as well as the ethics committees of national professional organizations. The methods that such entities use to investigate and resolve ethical complaints are discussed, along with the most common types of ethical complaints brought against mental health professionals. In addition, professionals will learn how to respond to an ethics inquiry. Because ethics complaints are quite different from malpractice suits, the distinction between these two potential consequences of unethical behavior is clarified.
