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The Code of conduct (the Code) is regulatory in nature. It is organised around the expectations of professional conduct and behaviours which apply to every practice setting for individual psychologists. It complements the changes to the Professional competencies for psychologists and aligns with the Shared Code of conduct used by other health professions.
This FAQ provides more information on specific aspects of the Code. Key things to know when applying the Code to your practice:
Some of the key changes include that the Code:
The Code is not a replacement for the law. Psychologists must still comply with all legal obligations relevant to them, including those related to privacy, child protection, and workplace safety. If there's a conflict between the Code and the law, the law prevails.
At the start of the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme (the National Scheme) in 2010, the Psychology Board (the Board) adopted the Australian Psychological Society (APS) Code of Ethics to minimise disruption during the transition from state-based to national regulation. The APS Code was well-established in Australian psychological practice and introducing a new code would have added complexity during a period of significant regulatory change. At the time, the Board indicated it would develop its own code of conduct in the future.
The Board has a legislative responsibility to develop and maintain standards through robust governance and broad stakeholder consultation. It is appropriate that the Board retains ownership of the code it enforces.
The Code reflects recent regulatory developments and meets obligations under the National Law. It aligns psychology with other regulated health professions under the National Scheme, many of which already operate under the Shared Code of conduct.
This ensures psychologists are supported by consistent, contemporary, and nationally aligned standards.
Before the introduction of the PsyBA Code of Conduct, the Board had adopted the APS Code of Ethics, which was supported by more detailed guidance in the APS Ethical Guidelines.
Professional associations play a key role in educating their members and providing resources to help them maintain high standards of ethical conduct and practice.
APS Ethical guidelines, and other relevant materials produced by professional associations, will continue to be valuable resources in guiding psychologists in their practice and ensuring high-quality psychological services are provided to the community.
The APS and other professional associations have published updated practice guidelines in relation to the Code of conduct.
There are several sections of the Code that are relevant to informed and written consent, including 3.3, 4.2 and 4.8. These are set out in more detail below.
In considering the requirements for informed and written consent, it is important that the Code is read holistically in the context of the Preamble, Definition section and other relevant clauses. It is best applied when considering individual psychologist’s circumstances.
Some clauses may be more relevant to a specific issue than others. For example, section 10.1 relates to teaching and supervision, and section 10.3.e is relevant to provisional psychologists and registrars sharing information during supervision.
Professional associations play a key role in supporting their members to maintain high standards of ethical conduct and practice. Your professional association may provide a professional advisory service and publish guidelines on ethical practice.
Seeking supervision or peer consultation is also encouraged, as it can provide clarity and help ensure decisions uphold professional integrity and prioritise client welfare. When applying the Code, you should also ensure compliance with the Australian Privacy Principles and all relevant legislative obligations regarding information and data.
Section 3.3 of the Code relates to privacy and confidentiality. It includes a requirement for psychologists to seek informed consent in relation to information handling. This includes making sure clients understand the limits of confidentiality, how their information will be recorded, stored and used, and the nature and purpose of any disclosure.
Under 3.3.h of the Code, psychologists are required to obtain written and informed consent from clients before disclosing, transmitting, sharing, reproducing or posting any person’s information or images, even if the person is not directly named or identified. This would include requiring written and informed consent to share information in supervision or peer consultation.
Section 4.2 relates specifically to informed consent, which is defined as a person’s voluntary decision about accessing services that is made with knowledge and understanding of the benefits and risks involved.
Requirements include that psychologists must provide information in a way that clients can understand, confirm their understanding, allow time for questions, revisit consent when circumstances change, and document consent appropriately, including obtaining written consent for physical contact (4.2.l).
Section 4.8 of the Code also refers to written consent, specifically in relation to any assessment or intervention involving physical contact. It is important that there is adequate documentation and justification for such contact.
It is important to document consent appropriately, including obtaining written consent for assessments and procedures that involve physical contact with clients (4.2 l.), and to share client information, even if deidentified (3.3 h.).
Verbal consent may be sufficient where written consent is impractical such as in emergency situations. However, it remains important that any consent is informed (4.2), and that any verbal consent is appropriately documented, including justification for why written consent was impractical at the time.
When applying the Code, ensure compliance with the Australian Privacy Principles and all relevant legislative obligations regarding information and data.
Section 4.2 of the Code outlines that informed consent must be obtained before providing services, and that this consent should be revisited when there are significant changes to the service or the service-related relationship. Written consent is explicitly required for procedures involving physical contact (4.2 l.) and for discussing clients in supervision (3.3 h.).
Psychologists should consider whether introduction of the Code amounts to a ‘significant change’ such that they need to re-obtain consent that is aligned with the new Code from 1 December 2025. Section 4.2.g of the Code sets an expectation that obtaining informed consent includes informing clients of the period for which consent will be relied on in the absence of significant changes. Psychologists will need to consider whether consent previously obtained from existing clients includes clarity around the timeframe of consent, in line with 4.2.g of the Code, or whether they should re-obtain consent from existing clients to ensure that it is aligned with the new Code from 1 December 2025.
Psychologists should ensure that clients remain informed and aware of how their information is used and should revisit consent periodically to confirm understanding and agreement. Documenting these discussions is considered good practice and supports compliance with the Code.
Under section 3.3 h. of the Code, psychologists are required to obtain written and informed consent from clients before disclosing, transmitting, sharing, reproducing or posting any person’s information or images, even if the person is not directly named or identified.
Obtaining a client’s consent before sharing their personal information in supervision, respects the client’s autonomy, dignity, and right to privacy.
Clients should expect that they have control over how their stories are held and shared, even in de-identified form. Respecting this choice supports cultural safety, autonomy, and trust in the therapeutic relationship.
If a client makes the decision not to provide consent to their information being shared in supervision, it may be that a more comprehensive discussion around consent and the purpose of supervision is required with the client.
If the client continues to refuse consent to the sharing of information in supervision, then, in the same way that they would if the client did not provide consent to other aspects of service provision, the psychologist will need to consider whether it is appropriate to provide the service if you do not have consent to share information in supervision.
The psychologist should apply ethical decision-making frameworks to guide their actions thoughtfully and responsibly. website.
No code of conduct can ever encompass every situation or replace the insight and professional judgement of experienced psychologists. Underpinning the Code is the expectation that practitioners will use their professional judgement to achieve the best possible outcomes in practice.
In considering how the Code might apply to your specific practice, it is important that the Code is read holistically in the context of the Preamble, Definition section and other relevant clauses. The following sections may be relevant in considering how to manage consent when working with children, families, or clients with additional needs:
Professional associations play a key role in supporting their members maintain high standards of ethical conduct and practice. Your professional association may provide a professional advisory service and publish guidelines on ethical practice.
Seeking supervision or peer consultation is also encouraged, as it can provide clarity and help ensure decisions uphold professional integrity and prioritise client welfare.
Psychologists work in a range of different settings, including clinical practice, management, research and teaching, and across diverse contexts in public and private sectors.
Since practice is different, it is up to the practitioner (along with their supervisors, workplaces and training providers) to apply the Board’s standards, codes and guidelines to their specific situations.
While each of the Code’s principles are followed by practical guidance on safe and effective practice, it is not possible to include every potential scenario. Underpinning the Code is the expectation that practitioners will use their professional judgement to achieve the best possible outcomes in practice.
When psychologists face ethical dilemmas, they should apply ethical decision-making frameworks to guide their actions thoughtfully and responsibly. As well as considering the Code, this might include referring to professional guidelines, and legal standards to evaluate options. Seeking supervision or peer consultation is also encouraged, as it can provide clarity and help ensure decisions uphold professional integrity and prioritise client welfare.
Cultural safety and responsiveness are universal expectations across all psychology practice. Every psychologist contributes to a health system that is safe, responsive and free from racism, regardless of the demographic makeup of their current caseload. You are still required to meet the cultural safety and responsiveness expectations outlined in both the Code and the Professional competencies for psychologists.
Culturally safe practice is the ongoing critical reflexivity of health practitioner knowledge, skills, attitudes, actions, practising behaviours and power differentials in delivering safe, accessible and responsive healthcare free of racism and discrimination. It includes, but is not limited to, the history, spirituality and relationship to land, and other cultural and social determinants of health and wellbeing in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Cultural safety is determined by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals, families and communities.
Cultural safety is embedded in the Professional competencies expected of psychologists. Competency 8 makes it clear that cultural safety is a universal requirement for psychologists, regardless of their own cultural background or the likelihood of working directly with Indigenous clients. All psychologists practising in Australia need to actively work towards providing positive health outcomes for Indigenous people.
Section 1.4, Conduct during an emergency, is based on the Shared code of conduct, where health practitioners, regardless of profession, should consider their distinct skillsets and how they would apply them appropriately in an emergency.
The term "emergency" is used in its usual, everyday meaning: that is, a serious, unexpected, and often dangerous situation requiring immediate action. Some examples include:
Psychologists working in closely connected communities, such as rural locations or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, often navigate overlapping relationships. We acknowledge that psychologists working in these settings are likely to be faced with ethical dilemmas around managing multiple relationships. When psychologists are faced with ethical dilemmas, they should employ ethical decision-making skills to determine what to do. If in doubt, you can seek guidance from a more experienced practitioner.
Section 4.9 of the Code sets out the expectations in relation to managing multiple relationships. Psychologists must discontinue, or avoid, multiple relationships unless they hold a reasonable belief that they are ethically, legally or organisationally obliged to continue or enter into such relationships.
If you do decide to continue or enter into a multiple relationship, you should refer to section 4.9 of the Code which sets out what effective practice would include in such circumstances.
Dual roles, for example supervising a provisional psychologist while also holding a role as their direct manager, is likely to fall under the definition of multiple relationships. Section 4.9 of the Code sets out the expectations in relation to managing multiple relationships.
Psychologists must discontinue, or avoid, multiple relationships unless they hold a reasonable belief that they are ethically, legally or organisationally obliged to continue or enter into such relationships.
Section 10.1 also relates to providing supervision to other practitioners. Effective practice includes that you avoid any potential for conflict of interest in teaching or supervision relationships that might impair your objectivity or interfere with the supervised person’s learning outcomes or experience. For example, do not supervise someone with whom you have a pre-existing service or non-service relationship.
We understand that change can feel challenging and it’s natural to want clarity and confidence in meeting new requirements. The ethical decision-making frameworks and skills you’ve relied on previously remain highly relevant and will continue to guide you in applying the new Code. If you’d like to refresh or strengthen those skills, consider enrolling in an ethical decision-making training program to support your transition to applying the new Code to your practice.
It may be helpful for you or your organisation to review and update your practice (e.g., regarding the management of multiple relationships), procedures (e.g., intake procedures), protocols and forms (e.g., consent forms) so that they align with the Code.
To help you transition to the updated competencies, we have developed fact sheets that explain the competencies that have undergone the most change. We encourage you to self-assess against the professional competencies using the self-assessment template. This will help you to develop your continuing professional development learning plan and ensure you meet the competencies relevant to your scope of practice.
You may also want to align your CPD plan with the new competencies, review resources available on our website or from professional associations, and discuss the upcoming changes with your employer, colleagues or peers.
To be consistent with the Board’s role as a national regulator and in line with the functions as defined by the National Law, the Board does not offer a professional advisory service to discuss specific practice situations.
The Board takes a principle-based and standards-based approach to providing advice to psychologists on professional matters. The Board doesn’t provide specific advice beyond what is described in the Code, and we are unable to provide examples of updated forms.
Your professional association may publish template forms, such as in relation to client consent.
A pre-recorded webinar (18min) where Board Chair Rachel Phillips provides information about transitioning to the Code of conduct and Professional competencies can be found on the Board website.
The Board has also conducted several webinars to assist practitioners to familiarise themselves with the Code, and the case studies used in the webinars are also available online. The Board intends to publish some key considerations in relation to those case studies to support practitioners familiarise with the Code.
The Board has also provided the following documents to aid understanding of the expectations for competency requirements for general registration and to assist in the transition to the competencies by 1 December 2025:
To be consistent with the Board’s role as a national regulator and in line with the functions as defined by the National Law, the Board does not offer a professional advisory service to discuss specific practice situations. Instead, the Board takes a principle-based and standards-based approach to providing advice to psychologists on professional matters. The Board doesn’t provide specific advice beyond what is described in the Code.
AI technology is rapidly becoming integrated into many areas of healthcare, including psychology practice.
Given the increasing use and reliance on digital technology to deliver services remotely, store and share information, conduct research, and communicate with clients, colleagues and others, the Board has updated the Professional competencies for psychologists to provide additional clarity and guidance about our requirements.
You can find a fact sheet in relation to this competency here.
As new tools emerge, so do unique practical and ethical issues associated with their use in service provision. Ahpra and the National Boards have developed principles for practitioners to consider when using or looking to integrate AI into their practice.
These principles translate existing obligations in practitioner codes of conduct and remind practitioners to consider these responsibilities when assessing the appropriate use of AI.
Specific professional obligations to consider include accountability, an appropriate understanding of the tool, transparency of its use, informed consent and ethical and legal issues.
Read Meeting your professional obligations when using AI in healthcare and supporting case studies on the Ahpra website to learn more about what safe and effective use of AI should look like.
