Ethics of practice among Christian psychologists: a pilot study

Christian psychologists have questioned whether the code of ethics proposed by secular psychology is sufficient for the practitioner who is a Christian. However, little descriptive data exist on the ethical beliefs and behaviors of Christian psychologists. Survey data were obtained from 69 Christian clinicians indicating the frequency with which they engaged in 83 behaviors and the degree to which they believed the behaviors were ethical. Responses were tabulated for each option and on each behavior. Of the 83 items, four occurred in the practices of over 90% of the respondents, while six never occurred, the latter being mostly sexually related items. Agreement on ethics was found with 13 of the items, while nine behaviors, several of which involved financial issues, proved to be difficult ethical judgments. The data indicate that Christian psychologists are effectively understanding and implementing the ethical guidelines of the American Psychological Association although guidance may be needed regarding finances and homosexuality.