Ethical Practices of Licensed Professional Counselors: A Survey of State Licensing Boards

The authors report results of a survey, conducted in 1986 by the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES) Ethics/Professional Practices Interest Network, of licensing boards in the 10 states that had enacted professional counselor licensure laws by the end of 1984. Data are reported regarding the number of counselors licensed in each state, the nature and extent of ethical violations claimed, dispositions of the complaints by the boards, the applicants' performance on ethics sections of licensure examinations, and the levels of concern expressed by board representatives regarding the ethics preparation and ethical practices of licensees. Implications of findings for counselor educators and supervisors are discussed.