code of ethics

My Code of Ethics[1]

General Principles

1. I provide spiritual direction & spiritual life coaching to clients/directees, recognizing that the Holy Spirit is the true spiritual director & coach. I am not a licensed psychologist, social worker, or mental health professional; I do not provide clinical psychotherapy, nor do I diagnose or treat mental illness.

2. My goal for myself and my clients is an ever-deepening connection with the Divine that results in ever-increasing wholeness.

3. I am relying on the Holy Spirit to guide me and empower me to conduct myself morally, responsibly, and ethically at all times.

4. I desire to be a follower of Jesus by doing what he said. Specifically, the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) is my ethical basis. 

5. I seek to love God, others, the natural world, and myself with divine, cruciform love.

6. Every human being has unsurpassable worth and innate dignity because each one is created by God to love and be loved, and each one bears the imago Dei.

7. All human beings, regardless of background or behavior, are redeemable by God.

8. We are all spiritual beings having a human experience. 

9. Health, wholeness, purpose, and meaning are directly connected to a person’s spirituality.

10. Inclusivity, public advocacy, concern for justice, commitment to peace, and integrity are essential to me.

 

Specific Principles

1. I will strive to serve all persons without discrimination regardless of religion, faith group, race[2], ethnicity, language, nationality of origin, political ideology, sexual orientation, gender, age, marital status, economic status, level of education, appearance, or disability. 

2. I will seek to respect the faith traditions and spiritual freedom of every person without seeking to impose my own theological views. When appropriate, and if invited, I will honestly and openly share my own core religiophilosophical worldview, which, broadly speaking, is in a mainstream Christian tradition. 

3. I will covenant to pray regularly for all of my clients/directees.

4. I will seek to maintain sacred space and time for our meetings.

5. I will seek to be accountable for maintaining the integrity of our relationship, never using my position with, or knowledge of, another person for any sort of personal gain. 

6. I will refrain from all forms of manipulation, coercion, and exploitation. 

7. I will not engage in sexual misconduct, including sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, and sexual harassment. 

8. I will maintain strict confidentiality with all clients/directees – the only exception being in the case of imminent harm to self or others, which, by law, must be reported to the appropriate authorities.

9. I will report all instances of abuse to the appropriate agency as required by law. 

10. I will seek discernment to refer directees to appropriate professionals (such as psychiatrists, psychologists, psychotherapists, physicians, attorneys, clergy, social workers, addiction treatment professionals, or other spiritual directors) when indicated.

11. I will seek to make clear the differences between spiritual direction, psychotherapy, and life coaching.

12. I will continue to take advantage of spiritual direction and spiritual direction supervision for myself.

13. I will seek to continue to grow spiritually, emotionally, relationally, and intellectually.

 14.  I will seek to establish and maintain interprofessional relationships to foster partnerships and interdisciplinary coöperation. 

 15.  I will not seek personal favors or discounts on the basis of my status as a spiritual director or life coach..

 16.  I will maintain a disciplined spiritual life by keeping regular times of prayer and devotion, endeavoring to maintain wholesome family relationships, sexual integrity, financial responsibility, regularly engaging in educational and recreational activities for personal development, and seeking to maintain good health habits. 

 17.  I will commit myself to be generous, to tell and love the truth, to create reconciliation, forgiveness, and friendship, to detach myself from fear and grasping, and to love unconditionally.   

 

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[1] As an ordained minister, I adhere to the Covenant and Code of Ethics for Ministerial Leaders of American Baptist Churches, USA: http://ministerscouncil.com/resources/covenant/covenant_english.pdf

As a board-certified chaplain, I adhere to the Code of Ethics of the Association of Professional Chaplains: https://www.professionalchaplains.org/Files/professional_standards/professional_ethics/apc_code_of_ethics.pdf

As a certified spiritual director and member of Spiritual Directors International, I adhere to the revised edition of Guidelines for Ethical Conduct: https://www.sdicompanions.org/docs/guidelines/Flip/guidelines_ethical_conduct.html

As a board-certified Life Coach, I adhere to the Code of Ethics of the International Coaching Federation: https://coachingfederation.org/ethics/code-of-ethics

As a member of ESDA, I adhere to their code of ethics: https://www.graftedlife.org/spiritual-direction/esda/code-of-ethics

This code of ethics implies acceptance of those above

[2] I recognize that, in reality, there is only one race – human. The concept of different races is a social construct.