The Identity of a Mental Health Professional

Abstract

Psychology as a profession belongs to an area of activity in which the human being is the center of interest and influence. A mental health professional is a practitioner offering services to improve an individual's mental health and performing an occupation that can be described as a profession of public trust. It gives the practitioner many rights while imposing many obligations that must be adhered to in everyday psychological practice. Such practice must be informed and regulated by ethical requirements that guide and influence professional health care for clients. A mental health professional maintains ethical sensitivity and makes decisions with proper discernment based on the guiding ethical values of the profession. These circumstances emphasize the importance of observing the principles of professional ethics in mental health activity, whether as a psychologist, counselor, clinician, or therapist, and justify the imposition of high ethical requirements on them.