Ethical Responsibility

Therapy researchers carry a heavy burden of ethical responsibility, through the need to manage such risks as consequences of failing to ensure client or therapist anonymity, exposure to risk therapy practice in the guise of research, or unhelpful intrusion of research procedures into the process of therapy. The ethical skills and knowledge required by researchers include:

  • competence in designing and implementing procedures for informed consent, avoidance of harm and confidentiality;
  • ability to communicate ethical procedures to clients in ways that allow them to feel confident that their interests are being safeguarded
  • sensitivity to the needs of participants who are highly vulnerable
  • capacity to negotiate with ethics committees and Review Boards, and other stakeholders
  • ability to handle ethical dilemmas and issues that arise in the moment
  • appreciation of the broader social justice dimension of ethical responsibility.

Guidelines and Consent

All professional bodies that represent counsellors and psychotherapists have published guidelines around research ethics. It is essential to be familiar with these documents, and if necessary contact the relevant office-holders to clarify any areas of ambiguity regarding one’s own study. 

All therapists receive extensive inputs around ethical issues in the course of basic training. This knowledge provides a crucial basis for ethical practice in research. 

Participants in any research study need to be provided with an information sheet and informed consent agreement form. Different sponsoring organisations have different requirements around such forms.

However, researchers may need to be aware of gaps and unacknowledged assumptions in their knowledge of ethical issues, carried forward from their therapy training. It may be valuable to reflect on whether any of the gaps identified by Blease et al. (2020) could be relevant to you:

Blease, C. R., Arnott, T., Kelley, J. M., Proctor, G., Kube, T., Gaab, J., & Locher, C. (2020). Attitudes about informed consent: an exploratory qualitative analysis of UK psychotherapy trainees. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 11, 183.

Further Readings

The articles listed below provide opportunities for reflection on specific ethical issues that may arise. When reading them, be mindful of any implications for your own research.    

Guillemin, M. & Gillam, L. (2004). Ethics, reflexivity and “ethically important moments” in research. Qualitative Inquiry, 10, 261–280. 

Highly influential analysis of the ways in which qualitative researchers need to be responsive to unanticipated ethical dilemmas that arise during the research process

Natvik, E., & Moltu, C. (2016). Just experiences? Ethical contributions of phenomenologically-oriented research. Scandinavian Psychologist, 3. 

Argues that qualitative research requires a personal engagement and involvement with research participants that carries significant ethical responsibilities

Butler, A. E., Copnell, B., & Hall, H. (2019). Researching people who are bereaved: managing risks to participants and researchers. Nursing Ethics, 26(1), 224–234.

Looks at the complexity of ethical issues associated with research on or with people who are emotionally vulnerable – focuses on bereavement but is applicable to many other research situations

Tauri, J. M. (2018). Research ethics, informed consent and the disempowerment of First Nation peoples. Research Ethics, 14(3), 1–14.

Discusses the injustices associated with the continued failure of Western models of ethics and morality to take account of the worldview of indigenous peoples

Ethical issues in autoethnographic research 

The distinctive ethical issues associated with researching one’s own personal experience are discussed in the following papers:

Tolich, M. (2010). A critique of current practice: ten foundational guidelines for autoethnographers. Qualitative Health Research, 20, 1599–1610.

Lapadat, J. C. (2017). Ethics in autoethnography and collaborative autoethnography. Qualitative Inquiry, 23(8), 589–603.

Edwards, J. (2021). Ethical Autoethnography: Is it possible? International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 20, 1609406921995306.