Professional Associations

Individuals who list themselves in The GM Resource and Referral Directory are asked to declare which Professional Associations they belong to. This is an important criterion in determining an appropriate referral, or in choosing which professional you would like to consult.

The value of belonging to a professional association is three-fold:

1. it assures that the practitioner is held accountable to a professional Code of Ethics;
2. it indicates that the practitioner is probably in clinical supervision with an experienced professional in the same field; and
3. it suggests that the practitioner has access to regular upskilling and the exchange of ideas with others in the same field.

Membership in a professional organisation assures that a practitioner has agreed to uphold a professional Code of Ethics. While there are minor differences between the codes of ethics of the several professional organisations included in the GM Directory, they all share the same purpose: to protect both practitioners and clients/counsellees from malpractice, misconduct, sexual harassment or sexual abuse, and a whole variety of things that can go wrong in a relationship between two people which is based on vulnerability. Codes of ethics are designed to assure that registered members maintain the highest standard of professional conduct, and to indicate to clients/counsellees the address to which they can turn in the rare case of misunderstanding or question.

Members of most professional associations in the field of health care are required to be in regular supervision with a clinical supervisor, consultant or mentor. Supervision means ?to over-see,? so it is the role of the clinical supervisor to check that the practitioner is treating clients/counsellees in a safe and appropriate manner, to monitor their work, and to seek new ways in which service to clients can be improved. Normally, a practitioner should be able to provide information on his or her supervision to clients or counsellees who seek reassurance.

Most professional associations meet in monthly branch meetings and have an annual national conference. These gatherings provide a chance for the health practitioner to gain further training, to exchange ideas, and to network with others in the same field.

Membership in a professional association, as listed here, is intended to indicate that the practitioner has passed some sort of screening to test the quality of service that he or she delivers. There are, of course, professionals in New Zealand who do not belong to a professional association, and some of these offer excellent care. It is a truism that at the end of the day, nothing can guarantee that a practitioner and a client are a perfect fit, for many variables affect that relationship, including ?chemistry?. But checking to see whether a practitioner belongs to a professional association is intended to provide an extra safety net for everyone involved in services.

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