Introduction

    

     Standards on competence can be simply described as being able to provide services by having received the proper and related education, experience and training (Fisher, 2013) This is important to ethics because, most importantly, as a psychologist, the general principle is to “do no harm”. This is where principle A, beneficence and nonmaleficence (to do good and no harm)is enforced.  Competence is being able to perform your job with all of the resources, training, and experience needed to perform competently.  It is important for someone giving a counseling session, doing research, teaching, or providing any type of therapy to have the proper information and education they need to be sure they know what they are doing, and how to handle different situations.

     Just think of it in a medical aspect for a moment.  Someone who is an EMT, could not have a fill in person who works in their office as a receptionist; they would be incompetent. That person wouldn’t know how to go about the life saving procedures, for example, in the event of a heart attack; therefore they are causing harm. No one should be doing a job they are not capable and properly trained to do.

     In the psychology field, someone who conducts research must have additional training before they can provide therapy to patients.  An example of bad ethics would be if someone conducting research provides a service for counseling without the additional education and training. Also, psychologists should not suggest a change of medication unless they have special training as a prescribing psychologist. This would be an example of bad ethics because changing someone’s medication without proper knowledge could have very harmful consequences. A patient on anti-psychotics or anti-depressants who go off of their medications could end up harming themselves or someone else.