Code of Ethics

By choosing to participate in the Hellenic Balint Society, each member commits to behave and act professionally in accordance with its applicable Code of Ethics and to accept any decision taken by the Society pursuant to this Code. The members are expected to act with honesty and integrity throughout their professional work and have the responsibility to be familiar with and comply with this Code of Ethics.

The Hellenic Balint Society endorses the Guidelines on Professional Ethics and professional standards in accordance with the Law 3418 (Government Gazette A287/28-11-2005 – Code of Medical Ethics), in line with the European Association for Psychotherapy [Ethical Guidelines of the European Association for Psychotherapy (EAP), 1995], and the four principles (1.Respect for a Person’s Rights and Dignity, 2.Competence, 3.Responsibility and 4.Integrity) of the Meta Code of Ethics of the European Federation of Psychologists Associations (EFPA).

1. The members shall always act in a way that they reasonably believe to be in their patients’ best interests. At all times their patients’ well-being shall be of paramount importance and every care shall be taken to ensure that the patient is not exploited in any way.
2. The members shall be familiar with the Access to Health Records Act 1991, the Data Protection Act, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) applicable from 25 May 2018, and their impact on their work.
3. The members shall take all reasonable steps to protect the confidentiality of information acquired as a result of their professional practice and protect the privacy of individuals and organizations whose information is kept.
4. The members shall be open to cooperation with their colleagues and other members of the Society.
5. The members exhibit only true qualifications. They do not provide, advertise, or promise services nor do they use methods on which they have no training or experience.
6. The members shall behave and exercise their professional activities in a way that does not harm their patients or trainees’ interests.
7. If a member is convicted of a criminal offense in any court in Greece, or elsewhere, or any proceedings, civil, criminal or by a professional body, are commenced against him, he/she must inform the Chair of the Board. Similarly, members have the duty to inform the Chair of the Board about such information pertaining to a fellow member.
8. The members are required to maintain a sufficient level of professional competence by meeting the relevant requirements and by participating in any necessary education and training.
9. The members must restrict their professional activities within the limits of their own competences and apply for professional advice or supervision regarding any case reaching this limit. The members must rely on their medical opinion as to whether they should ask for advice about a patient or client.
10. The members although they come from different professional backgrounds must work within the limits of their own specialty and cooperate in an interdisciplinary manner with others or, if it is deemed necessary, turn to a colleague of other specialty either from within the Society or elsewhere.
11. The members must refuse to provide psychotherapeutic care if they know that the patient is already being treated by another psychotherapist, unless all parties have agreed to cooperate for scientifically sound reasons.
12. The members terminate the treatment when, at their best clinical judgment, the patient no longer needs it or when he does not wish to continue being treated. However, if the patient wishes to discontinue the therapy, although he/she needs it, the member is obliged to inform him/her that he/she may need to continue in a different therapeutic context.
13. The members shall take all reasonable steps to ensure that those working under their direct supervision adhere to this code and do not attempt to practice beyond their competence.
14. The members must limit their work or refrain from practice when their physical or psychological health is seriously impaired or if in doubt about their ability to perform competently and they must seek appropriate advice, to care about their personal development and to ask for help and supervision for personal matters which may negatively impact their professional activity.
15. The members shall, during all their professional work, value integrity integrity, impartiality and respect of patients, to seek to establish the highest ethical and clinical standards in their work and not to exceed the appropriate and professional limits with patients at all times, so that the patients are not exploited in any way.
16. The members do not engage, promise or imply any loving relationship with their patients or close relatives. This also applies for a reasonable time after the termination of the treatment.
17. The members neither receive nor pay commissions to third parties for referrals or diagnostic tests.
18. Ιn the case of the assignment of a scientific investigation to a member, the Society is entitled to publish the research results with the member’s name, or names of the contributors in full respect of their contribution and their intellectual property.
19. The research done by the Society’s members is based on international research principles such as credibility, ethics, informed consensus, etc.
20. The members acknowledge the contribution of their colleagues, and if they use their ideas and work, they make sure that they refer to them appropriately in the bibliography.
21. If publishing or presenting clinical or supervisory material either orally, written or film/video form, the members must make every effort to ensure the anonymity of patients and where clinically appropriate seek the patient’s permission.
22. The members who take part in any media or other public event must exercise caution, particularly with regard to confidentiality.
23. Registrants who have reservations, objections or conflicts with other registrants about matters of professional ethics, scientific methodology or intellectual property must avoid any public criticism or defamation and seek the support of society in resolving their issue.

Note: In matters relating to advertisement for members, publications and media appearances, management of psychological tests (for example, if delivered to the patient), as in other matter not expressly referred to in the articles of this Code, FOLLOW THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE CORRESPONDING PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES/ASSOCIATIONS.

This Code of Ethics is included as an annex to the Articles of Association of Hellenic Balint Society.