Just Ethics: Professional Ethics, Decision-making, & the New Science of Morality

6 Continuing Education Hours

PLEASE NOTE: THE YEAR 2022 IS LICENSE RENEWAL YEAR AND ALL PSYCHOLOGISTS NEED 6 HOURS OF ETHICS CONTINUING EDUCATION.

Course Overview:

This continuing education course is designed to emphasize important ethical decision-making skills in context with each psychologist’s personal values. We will review the basics of ethical decision-making, as well as more advanced concepts. In terms of personal values, we will be reviewing the “new science” of morality. Our values can accelerate and impede effective decision-making skills in the practice of psychology. In order to highlight a helpful frame, we will be utilizing the Ethical Acculturation Model, in which psychologists need to integrate personal beliefs with professional obligations to provide high quality psychological care.

The workshop will include both lecture material as well as ethical vignettes, drawn from real world experience. With the vignette analysis, we will analyze one or two dilemmas as a large group to demonstrate the process. Then, a majority of vignette analysis will occur in a smaller group format.

Course Objectives:

1. List three foundational ethical principles;
2. Explain the difference between ethics and morality;
3. Describe two moral emotions in psychotherapy;
4. Highlight how self-serving biases can derail ethical decision-making;
5. Outline the four components of the Ethical Acculturation Model;
6. List two cognitive distortions in ethical decision-making; and,
7. Apply personal morals and professional ethics to an ethical vignette.

Presenter: 

John David Gavazzi, PsyD, ABPP

Dr. John Gavazzi has been practicing as a psychologist since 1990. He is Board Certified in Clinical Psychology. He operates a private practice, provides expert testimony for legal teams in Pennsylvania and around the country, serves as an expert witness for the State Board of Psychology, and consults for the Bureau of Disability Determination. Dr. Gavazzi has been involved in ethics education for over 20 years. He presents workshops regularly on ethics, the practice of psychology, mental health law, and decision-making skills.

Dr. Gavazzi has been recognized as Ethics Educator of the Year by the Pennsylvania Psychological Association in 2013 and the American Psychological Association in 2014.

As founder of the Ethics and Psychology web site (www.ethicalpsychology.com), he curates information highlighting the intersection of ethics, morality, psychology, and health care. Ethics and Psychology has an international readership with over 2.8 million-page views. Dr. Gavazzi recorded 23 podcasts on ethics and the practice of psychology via this website.

Dr. Gavazzi served as a past President of the Pennsylvania Psychological Association. He also served for Chair of Ethics Committee for the Pennsylvania Psychological Association.

Fees

UPA Members

Non-members:

Students:

Zoom link will be sent two days prior to the event.