Deontology of psychological practice

2.00 credits

15.0 h

> Schedule

Teacher(s)

Willemsen Jochem;

Language

French

Main themes

Information regarding the various recommendations governing professional practice
The concepts of ethics, morality, and deontology: links and differences, historical aspects of deontology in psychology, deontology as a structural feature of the profession
Legal protection of the title of psychologist and the missions of the Commission of Psychologists; legal status of clinical psychology and psychotherapy
Deontological codes for psychologists: European ethical charter, Belgian code, and Royal Decree of April 2, 2014, establishing the rules of professional conduct for psychologists (history, content, in particular, the concepts of respect, responsibility, competence, and integrity)
Legal capacity and exercise of rights by minor and adult clients
Professional secrecy: principles, exceptions, shared professional secrecy, special cases, testimony in court, criminal and civil sanctions
Failure to assist a person in danger
The rights and obligations of the clinical psychologist and the patient: free and informed consent, diagnostic and therapeutic freedom, right to information, patient records (Law of August 22, 2002 on patient rights and Law of April 22, 2019 on the quality of healthcare practice)
Case studies and special cases (working under mandate, working with children and families, parental authority, responsible adult)

Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :

With regard to the frame of reference of the learning outcomes, the course aims, as a priority, to get the student:

To plan an intervention aiming to improve a given situation (individual, group or organisation), taking into account the principles of the deontological code and the laws governing the psychologists' work; (B2)
To communicate a precise, correct and relevant information using a medium adapted to the content and to the target audience (C) and, in particular, to present a written synthesis, adapting it to different audiences and to the intent pursued; (C1)
To listen to others in professional fields; (D1)
To interact and collaborate in a network in a suitable way in professional fields; (D2)
To reflect, as a psychological sciences and education professional, while referring to the principles of ethics and of the deontological code (E3)

The course aims, secondarily, to get the students to:

master the knowledge that explains and induces understanding of an individual, a group or an organisation, in particular the laws, decrees, ordinances and codes governing the practice of the profession (A1).

The contribution of this TU to the development and mastery of the skills and knowledge of the programme(s) is available at the end of this sheet, in the section 'Programmes/training courses offering this teaching unit (TU)'.

Other information

The above-mentioned courses provide an important foundation for the understanding and integration of the course content.
- LPSP1010 : Introduction et fondements du droit (or deemed to be equivalent)

Bibliography

Ricoeur, P. (1990). Soi-même comme un autre. Éditions du Seuil.

Teaching materials

PowerPoint du cours magistral (accessible sur la plate-forme Moodle)
Autres documents identifiés comme matière du cours par le titulaire du cours, par exemple des brochures éditées par la Commission des psychologues (accessibles sur la plate-forme Moodle)
Hausman, J.-M., Willemsen, J., Blavier, A. (dir.), Psychologie, droit & déontologie. Recueil de textes normatifs et jurisprudentiels, Anthémis, 2025, 376 p.

Faculty or entity

> EPSY

Programmes / formations proposant cette unité d'enseignement (UE)

Title of the programme

Sigle

Credits

Prerequisites

Learning outcomes

Bachelor in Psychology and Education: General

PSP1BA