RTT Ethical Practices & Professional Boundaries 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An RTT practitioner is working online with a client located in a different country. What ethical consideration is most critical?
- Ensuring the session technology has video capability
- Understanding the legal and ethical regulations that apply in both the practitioner's and client's jurisdictions (Correct answer)
- Charging the same fee as in-person sessions
- Conducting sessions only during business hours in the client's time zone
Correct answer: Understanding the legal and ethical regulations that apply in both the practitioner's and client's jurisdictions
Cross-jurisdictional practice requires awareness of licensing, legal, and ethical rules in both locations to ensure compliant and ethical service delivery.
Question 2: What is the purpose of a professional code of ethics in RTT practice?
- To provide a marketing framework for RTT practitioners
- To establish minimum standards of conduct that protect clients and uphold the integrity of the profession (Correct answer)
- To rank practitioners by level of experience
- To outline techniques that must be used in every RTT session
Correct answer: To establish minimum standards of conduct that protect clients and uphold the integrity of the profession
A code of ethics sets the behavioral floor for all practitioners, protecting clients from harm and ensuring public trust in the profession.
Question 3: A client shares information in session that leads the practitioner to suspect child abuse. What is the practitioner's ethical and legal obligation?
- Keep the information confidential as it was shared in a therapeutic session
- Discuss the suspicion with the client before taking any action
- Report the suspected abuse to the appropriate child protective authorities as required by mandatory reporting laws (Correct answer)
- Consult with a colleague before deciding whether to report
Correct answer: Report the suspected abuse to the appropriate child protective authorities as required by mandatory reporting laws
Mandatory reporting laws require practitioners to report reasonable suspicion of child abuse, superseding the usual duty of confidentiality.
Question 4: How does 'beneficence' differ from 'non-maleficence' in the context of RTT ethics?
- Beneficence means acting in the profession's best interest; non-maleficence means acting in the client's best interest
- Beneficence means actively promoting the client's wellbeing; non-maleficence means avoiding causing harm (Correct answer)
- Beneficence applies to group settings; non-maleficence applies to individual sessions
- They are synonymous terms for the same ethical principle
Correct answer: Beneficence means actively promoting the client's wellbeing; non-maleficence means avoiding causing harm
Beneficence is the positive duty to actively help, while non-maleficence is the duty to refrain from causing harm — both are required in ethical practice.
Question 5: Which situation would represent an ethically appropriate use of client testimonials in an RTT practitioner's marketing?
- Posting any positive feedback a client sends via email without asking permission
- Sharing testimonials only after obtaining explicit written client consent and ensuring the client's identity is protected (Correct answer)
- Using testimonials from friends who tried a session for free
- Fabricating composite testimonials based on typical client experiences
Correct answer: Sharing testimonials only after obtaining explicit written client consent and ensuring the client's identity is protected
Testimonials are only ethically permissible when clients have given explicit, informed written consent and when privacy is protected to avoid identification.
Question 6: What does ethical fee-setting in RTT practice require?
- Setting fees higher than competing local therapists to signal quality
- Establishing fees that are transparent, discussed before services begin, and not changed unexpectedly (Correct answer)
- Charging fees based on the client's perceived financial status
- Offering free sessions to any client who requests them
Correct answer: Establishing fees that are transparent, discussed before services begin, and not changed unexpectedly
Ethical fee practices require upfront disclosure and consistency, preventing financial exploitation and ensuring the client can make an informed decision to engage.
Question 7: When is it ethically permissible for an RTT practitioner to break confidentiality without the client's consent?
- When a family member requests it for the client's benefit
- When the practitioner believes disclosure would help the client's recovery
- When there is imminent risk of harm to the client or an identifiable third party, or when legally mandated (Correct answer)
- When the client has not paid for their sessions
Correct answer: When there is imminent risk of harm to the client or an identifiable third party, or when legally mandated
Confidentiality may be broken only in specific circumstances: imminent danger to the client or others, mandatory reporting obligations, or lawful court orders.
RTT Ethical Practices & Professional Boundaries 5
An RTT practitioner is working online with a client located in a different country.
What ethical consideration is most critical?