Ethical Principles

The Formation of The Ethics Committee

The Ethics Committee consists of five (5) permanent, and three (3) substitute members chosen by the Headquarters General Assembly by anonymous voting, in accordance with the Ethical Process Regulation.

Duties Of The Ethics Committee

The Ethics Committee is responsible for the following duties:
a. Operating in accordance with the Ethical Processes Regulation and the definitions determined by the Ethics Regulation
b. To investigate the Board of Directors’ request for disciplinary proceedings based on documents, to invite the concerned member with a registered letter, to receive the defense of the ones who show up, and to make the decisions for those who do not show up by examining their documents.

The Aim:

a. To demonstrate human values, psychoanalytic principles and professional responsibilities to the members of the association, patients/clients, and the public.
b. Applicable in situations where the candidate and full member psychoanalytic psychotherapists and candidates in training  in IYPPD apply psychoanalytic psychotherapy, or for any other clinical practice (such as psychotherapy or counselling), or for work with candidates under supervision or in an institutional framework

a. Ethical Rules
1. Human Rights: A psychoanalytical psychotherapist must never violate or allow the violation of any of the fundamental human rights as described in the United Nations Human Rights Declaration, the International Psychoanalytical Association’s (IPA) and the EFPP’s principle of non-discrimination.
2. Financial Regulations: All fees and financial regulations must be disclosed to and accepted by the patient/client prior to the commencement of therapy or any kind of changes made in the fee. No other kinds of financial relationships can be present between the psychotherapist and the patient/client.
3. Professional and General Righteousness:

• Confidentiality is one of the foundations of psychotherapy practice. A psychotherapist is obliged to protect the confidentiality of their patients/clients’ information and documents
• A psychotherapist must not act in a way that would harm the reputation of the profession.
• A psychotherapist must not act in a thoughtless and malicious way that could not only hurt other psychotherapists, but also any other individual or the society’s reputation, and must not voluntarily interfere with their colleagues’ evaluations. This item is concerned with the members of the Association who violate borders, manipulate other members, insults and/or humiliates (either psychologically or physically)
• A psychotherapist must be honest with their patients/clients and colleagues, as required by professional confidentiality; they must not partake in any form of fraud, deception or compelling attitude.

4. Abuse of Power:

• A psychotherapist must pay attention to the power imbalance that may occur between the psychotherapist/client-patient and psychoanalyst/analysand, during or after psychoanalytic psychotherapy or psychoanalysis, or training meeting, and should not act in a way that would have an adverse effect on the independence of the patient or former patient.
• The psychoanalytic psychotherapy treatment of a patient/client is voluntary, and the patient/client has the right to end their treatment or seek another form of treatment or recommendation whenever they would like.
• Termination of psychotherapy or any other form of therapy should be based on mutual agreement, and consideration should be given to the client’s/patient’s need for treatment and their reasonable requests for information regarding possible alternative sources of treatment.
• A psychotherapist must not use any professional or institutional title to pressure clients/patients, supervised candidates or colleagues. They also cannot use any confidential information for this purpose.
• A psychotherapist cannot make any personal proposition or engage sexually with a patient/client that they are treating or any candidate under their supervision.
• A psychotherapist must not analyse or supervise any individual with whom they have academic, financial-commercial, or private (friendship, emotional) relationship.

5. Maintaining Standards, Decrease in Professional Skills, and Malady

• A psychotherapist must be dedicated to “Continuous Professional Improvement” and must maintain an appropriate relationship with their colleagues. This is to make sure that sufficient up-to-date information is maintained in regards to occupational practice standards, and occupational and scientific improvements.
• If a psychotherapist has faced a problem with their individual psychoanalytic psychotherapy or psychoanalysis (and in consequence, it has not been completed satisfactorily), or has been abused during treatment, new psychotherapy will be necessary in a way that will not place them under crime or mistake. However, if the individual falsely claims that their incomplete psychotherapy or psychoanalysis has been completed and if this claim is proven wrong in the process, the individual will be expelled from the IYPPD and EFPP, and thus, their membership will be ended.
• If a psychotherapist witnesses another psychotherapist breaking ethical rules, it is their duty to report it to the IYPPD’S Ethics Committee or the Board of Directors.
• If a psychotherapist ever doubts their own ability to practice, they must consult a more senior colleague; it is a psychotherapist’s duty to inform and support their colleague if they observe that their ability to meet occupational obligations has been impaired. A psychotherapist is obliged to notify IYPPD’s’ Ethics Committee or the Board of Directors in a situation where there is conspicuous concerns about a colleague’s psychotherapeutic abilities and the colleague is unwilling to address the issue.
• In case of death or incapacity to work, a psychotherapist, taking confidentiality into account, should have provided the necessary conditions regarding informing all patients in a way to ensure the continuation of their treatment.

b. Operation

1. IYPPD operates in accordance with the rules set by the EFPP Ethics Committee International Code of Ethics.
2. The Ethics Committee is responsible for identifying and carrying out the necessary process concerning observable or alleged unethical behaviours and practices of psychotherapists who are in training at, authorized by, or working at IYPPD. It investigates directly made or Chairman reported complaints regarding IYPPD members, the IYPPD Association, or candidates who are in training at IYPPD.
3. In addition to taking care of complaints about professional activity, the Ethics Committee also evaluates and fulfills the requests made directly or through the Board of Directors for interpretation or better implementation of ethical principles.
4. Complaints and requests must be conveyed to the IYPPD Ethics Committee or the IYPPD Board of Directors via e-mail or mail, accompanied with the title “attention ethical” and signatures of the individuals making the complaint or request.
5. The IYPPD Ethics Committee puts the said complaint and request on its agenda. If the applications have been made to the IYPPD Chair of the Board of Directors, the Chair forwards the written complaint to the head of the Ethics Committee, and the Ethics Committee puts the issue on its agenda.
6. The head of the Ethics Committee summons the Ethics Committee to investigate the complaints or requests. The Ethics Committee should meet at least twice a year, regardless of receiving complaints or requests. When complaints and requests are in question, there is no limit to the number of meetings they can hold. The Ethics Committee comes together as often as the head of the Ethics Committee deems necessary.
7. The Ethics Committee conducts interviews or correspondence with the individual(s) who have made the complaint and the member/candidate who is the target of the complaint. In case of a request, the Ethics Committee meets and corresponds with the individual(s) who have made the requests.
8. In case of a complaint, the Ethics Committee prepares a report after these meetings and evaluations, and:
The Ethics Committee may decide that the complaint is not within the scope of the Ethics Committee and is therefore invalid. It informs the concerned parties and the Board of Directors on this matter.
It might decide that the complaint does not prove any unethical behaviours, and thus, the member/candidate is acquitted. The concerned parties and the Board of Directors are informed on this matter.
It can be decided that the member should be warned. The concerned parties and the Board of Directors are informed on this matter.
The Ethics Committee may decide that a recommendation to be made to the Board of Directors regarding the termination of an association member’s membership. In this case, the Board of Directors should notify the authorised body of EFPP.
9. In case of a request, the requests sent to the Ethics Committee must be written and signed. The Ethics Committee conveys its opinions on the matter to the owners of the request and the Board of Directors. If deemed necessary, it makes an application to the Board of Directors for the matter to be discussed at the first General Assembly.
10. The Ethics Committee makes its decisions based on absolute majority.
11. The Ethics Committee must respond to complaints and requests within a reasonable time. Except for extraordinary circumstances, the entire process regarding the complaint must be completed within a year. Requests must also be responded to within a reasonable time which should not exceed a year.
12. All complaints alleging the violation of the Code of Ethics must be processed confidentially. Confidentiality must also be maintained by members of the Ethics Committee, and other committees and Board of Directors who had to be notified of the confidential information due to their duties; this duty of confidentiality extends beyond the termination of the duty. The head of the Ethics Committee is obliged to keep the decisions made by the Ethics Committee in a sealed envelope for ten years, even if their term has ended.
13. The Withdrawal of a complaint: If an official complaint has been made to the Ethics Committee, the complainant cannot withdraw it without the consent of the Ethics Committee. If the complainant withdraws from cooperating with the Ethics Committee, it is up to the Ethics Committee to continue to consider the complaint. If the individual whom the complaint is about refuses to cooperate or ceases to cooperate with the Ethics Committee, ends their membership or dies it is up to the Ethics Committee to continue to consider the complaint.
14. During all the processes, investigations and decisions undertaken by the Ethics Committee, psychotherapist/client-patient relationship is taken into consideration. In case a patient or supervisee of one of the board members is taken under investigation, that member leaves their position to one of the substitute members of the Ethics Committee until the complaint is finalized. Likewise, when a complaint is made about one of the members of the Ethics Committee, that member must leave their position to one of the substitute members of the Ethics Committee until the complaint is finalized.

Ethics Committee