Articles of Ethical Guidelines for the
International Association of Prayer Counselors

1. PERSONAL COMMITMENT AS A CHRISTIAN

1.1 I agree with the basis of IAOPC as stated in the Statement of Purpose.
1.2 I commit my service, whether as professional or layperson, to God as a special calling.
1.3 I pledge to integrate all that I do in service with Christian values, principles and guidelines.
1.4 I commit myself to Christ as Lord as well as Savior. Thus, I will seek direction and wisdom from God, while accepting responsibility for my own actions and statements. I will seek this humbly, regularly, and frequently, especially when dealing with people’s souls and the intricacies of mental health disorders.
1.5 I view my body as the temple of the Holy Spirit and will treat it lovingly and respectfully. I will prayerfully seek balance in my priorities and activities.
1.6 I acknowledge my need for the Body of Christ and its ministries and will seek accountability and support from fellow believers and the organized church as I pursue this ministry to souls.

2. LOVING CONCERN FOR CLIENTS

2.1 I will accept clients without regard to race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, income, education, ethnic background, value system, etc., unless such a factor would interfere appreciably with my ability to be of service.
2.2 I value human life, the sanctity of personhood, personal freedom and responsibility, and the privilege of informed free choice by adults in matters of belief and action.
2.3 I will avoid exploiting or manipulating any client to satisfy my own needs.
2.4 I will make the counseling relationship a priority, preserving it above my own desires for friendship or business relationship.
2.5 I will abstain from unnecessary or prurient invasion of privacy.
2.6 I will take appropriate actions to help, even protect, those persons within my area of responsibility who are being endangered and are relatively dependent on other persons for their survival and well being.
2.7 I will scrupulously avoid sexual contact or sexual exploitation, both covert and overt, with any client.
2.8 Members who provide professional services should make advance financial arrangements that protect the best interests of, and are clearly understood by, their clients. A portion of their services should be contributed towards work for which they receive little or no financial return.

3. CONFIDENTIALITY

3.1 I will demonstrate utmost respect for the confidentiality of the client and other persons in a professional or pastoral relationship.
3.2 I will carefully protect the identity of clients and their situations. Thus, I will avoid divulging information about clients, whether privately or publicly, unless I have received freely given, informed consent of the adult client or legal holder of confidentiality privilege for minor clients, in the form of expressed, written permission and the release of such information would be appropriate to the situation.
3.3 All records of counseling, teaching and research will be handled in a way that protects the clients and the nature of their situations from disclosure.
3.4 The limits of confidentiality, such as those based on civil laws, regulations, and judicial precedent, will be explained to the client. Examples of limits or exceptions to confidentiality include such situations as:
(1) legal mandate, e.g., if child abuse is suspected or apparent;
(2) when divulging information would prevent a clear and immediate danger to a person or persons;
(3) legal proceedings in which the member does not have privilege.
(4) elder abuse which includes financial, physical or sexual inappropriateness
(5) abuse of dependent or disabled individuals

4. COMPETENCY IN SERVICES PROVIDED

4.1 I pledge to be well-trained and competent in providing services.
4.2 I will refrain from implying that I have qualifications, experiences, and capabilities which are, in fact, lacking.
4.3 I will comply with applicable state and local laws and regulations regarding competency in the psychological and pastoral professions.
4.4 I will avoid using any legal exemptions from professional competency afforded in certain states to churches and other nonprofit organizations as a means of providing services that are beyond my training and expertise.
4.5 I will diligently pursue additional education, experience, professional consultation, and spiritual growth in order to improve my effectiveness in serving persons in need.

5. MY HUMAN LIMITATIONS

5.1 I will do my best to be aware of my human limitations and biases. I admit that I do not have complete objectivity or spiritual maturity. Thus, I also will endeavor to establish and maintain a relationship of mutual accountability with another Christian colleague or mentor.
5.2 I will avoid fostering any misconception a client could have that I am omnipotent or that I have all the answers.
5.3 I will refer clients whom I am not capable of helping, whether by lack of available time or expertise or because of subjective, personal reasons. The referral will be done compassionately, clearly, and completely, insofar as feasible.
5.4 I will resist efforts of any clients or colleagues to place demands for services on me that exceed my qualifications and/or the time available to minister or that would impose unduly on my relationships with my own family, other persons, or God.
5.5 When necessary, I will seek out qualified individuals for consultation and help with a given client but will accept all responsibility for use or nonuse of any advice given. I choose to hold neither the IAOPC nor the one from whom I seek consultation as liable for any consequences of my use or misuse of any information given.
5.6 As an aid to avoiding excessive dependency, I will encourage my client’s constructive peer relationships, encourage utilization of multiple provider resources, refer to appropriate consultation and adjunct treatments, and encourage and provide for the learning of requisite interpersonal discernment and social skills.

6. ADVERTISING AND PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITIES

6.1 I will advertise or promote my services by Christian and professional standards, rather than only commercial standards.
6.2 Personal aggrandizement will be omitted from advertising and promotional activities.
6.3 Since IAOPC is not a licensing or accrediting agency, I will avoid using membership in IAOPC as an advertising promotional.

7. RESEARCH

7.1 Any research I conduct will be done openly and will not jeopardize the welfare of any persons who are research subjects. I will protect the confidentiality of such subjects. I will require their informed, written consent for participation in the research.

8. PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY

8.1 I will carefully consider the value of professional liability (“malpractice”) insurance, especially if a lawsuit, whether justified or not, would possibly drain financial resources of the organization with which I am associated.

9. MEMBERSHIP REVOCATION AND RESTORATION

9.1. Although IAOPC will not be required to enforce these Ethical Guidelines through any investigative or disciplinary measure, I understand that if my professional license or certification has been revoked by any other professional organization or state board, or if I violate these ethical guidelines, then I may be subject to loss of membership with IAOPC. Such a decision will be made by a majority vote of the IAOPC Ethics committee and approved by the IAOPC officers.
9.2. In the event of such a loss of membership, a process of reconciliation and restoration will be promptly instituted under the auspices of the IAOPC Board or its designee.

10. GENERAL PRUDENTIAL RULE

10.1 Recognizing that no ethical guidelines are complete, I make my day-to-day decisions based on the criteria and principles stated in the Preamble. I will do my best to serve and to live in a way that is congruent with the stated basic principles of these guidelines and with my faith as a Christian.

11. USE OF NON-PROFESSIONAL HELPERS

11.1 Non-professional helpers are an appropriate treatment aid. However, they should be appropriately supervised and counseled by qualified professionals, especially with regard to setting and maintaining appropriate boundaries and limits and the handling of crisis situations.

11.2  The client's cooperations and permission should be obtained when using outside sources, such as non-professional helpers.