The ethics of advertising, billing, and finances in psychotherapy

Psychotherapists must deal with practical business matters such as advertising, billing, collecting fees, and other practice management topics. We review the enforceable standards of the American Psychological Association's (2002) Ethics Code that deal with advertising, fees, billing, and related business matters in psychotherapy. Using a principle-based perspective, we link each of the standards to overarching ethical values and illustrate the concerns with case vignettes. We argue that understanding the moral foundations of ethical standards helps psychotherapists to implement with greater integrity the spirit and the letter of the standards with regard to advertising and business practices.