This Code of Ethics is intended to serve as a professional guideline for Art Therapists, regardless of their practice setting or professional context, including their teaching and research activities. Its primary purpose is to protect the public and Art Therapists from the misuse of art therapy and from the use of methods and techniques falsely claiming to be Art Therapy.The institutions, organizations, and other professionals who have signed this Code are committed to promoting its awareness and compliance, thereby providing support and assistance to its members. Art Therapists who are members of these organizations pledge to adhere to the content of this Code. All Art Therapists, whether affiliated with an organization, institution, or practicing independently, who adhere to this Code undertake to comply with it.

I. GENERAL OBLIGATIONS

The Art Therapist:

1. must have completed in-depth theoretical and practical professional training, leading to the competencies of an art therapy practitioner.

2. must have a solid artistic practice, regardless of the field, which they exercise regularly.

3. must undergo a personal therapeutic process: the art therapist must have themselves undergone an in-depth therapeutic process. This personal approach is distinct from their training, although it is fundamentally involved in it.

4. has professional obligations, they must undergo regular supervision and/or practice analysis groups; supervised by one or more qualified professionals.

5. must act in the best interests of the patient, they have a duty to provide the best care within the limits of their competence. They must be aware of the competencies of health and social care professionals in order to delegate if necessary.

6. like any practitioner of care and support, is subject to professional secrecy under the conditions defined by law.

7. collaborates, if necessary, with other health and/or social care professionals to offer the patient care that is compatible and coordinated with other treatments or therapies followed by the patient. They must also ensure that their collaborators respect professional secrecy.

8. is subject to professional secrecy and Co-therapy: If therapeutic reasons require collaboration with a person providing care, the art therapist can only share their information with the patient's consent. This consent is implicitly given in a Co-therapy process.

• must not poach clients. They cannot and must not abuse the trust of a work team, an institution, or another art therapist.

• must, to the best of their ability, work in material conditions suitable for the practice of the artistic mediation they offer and must not accept working conditions that would undermine their professional independence and in particular that would prevent them from applying the ethical principles set out herein.

• undertakes not to use dangerous materials or materials harmful to the safety and health of all during sessions.

• is aware that they must never mention their religious, political, or ideological orientations, etc., in the course of their duties.

• undertakes not to guide their patient according to their own personal convictions. They respect their patient's values.

• must pay attention to their own personal hygiene and the hygiene of the premises at their disposal. And must dress appropriately.

• sets their own fees in conscience in relation to the types of public or care provided.

• Art therapy does not fall within the fields of: well-being, learning an art, live performance, or politics. Art therapy can, however, be part of the educational field as a preventive measure.

• cannot use their skills for one or more people in their immediate circle.

• must avoid any misrepresentation and deviation regarding their level of professional competence or the services they offer.

• is neither a clinical psychologist, nor an analyst, nor a physiotherapist, nor any other health professional whose title is not Art Therapist. Depending on their level of competence, they must call on a health specialist for the protection of their patient. Consequently, the art therapist cannot make a diagnosis.

II. OBLIGATIONS TOWARDS THE PATIENT: The modalities of the therapeutic framework and contract:

1. The art therapist must define a therapeutic framework and inform the patients concerned of all aspects of their activity. The art therapist must formalize the therapeutic framework by which the patient and the art therapist commit themselves, through the establishment of a moral or written therapeutic contract:

   • Fees, Hours & Duration

   • Therapeutic approach & Working conditions...

2. Before any commitment, the art therapist must ensure that the therapist-patient relationship is free from any conflict of interest. They cannot intervene in:

   • Friendship relationships

   • Family relationships

   • Commercial exchanges other than the remuneration of services

   • Political interest relationships

3. From the moment the art therapist is bound by an oral or written therapeutic contract with a patient, they undertake to provide the best care. The same applies in an institutional setting and they must comply with this Code.

4. Outside of a therapeutic contract, the art therapist is never obliged to engage in care outside of their consultation hours.

5. The patient is free to choose the therapist of their choice. They may also interrupt treatment whenever they wish.

6. The art therapist is never obliged to engage in a therapeutic care process. They have the right, like any patient, to refuse care if they are in private practice.

7. The art therapist has a duty to:

   • Facilitate a change of therapist, if the need arises.

   • To stop work when they consider it necessary as a professional.

   • To stop work when the patient no longer benefits from their care.

8. The art therapist cannot terminate a therapeutic contract with a patient without a valid reason. The following are considered valid reasons:

1. The art therapist cannot terminate a therapeutic contract with a patient without a valid reason. The following are considered valid reasons:

   • The patient no longer benefits from the art therapist's care.

   • The dominant artistic mediation proposed by the art therapist proves to be unsuitable for the patient's needs.

   • The art therapist finds themselves in a conflict of interest.

2. The art therapist must give the patient the explanations necessary to understand and appreciate the work accomplished, without however interpreting or analyzing the patients or their work.

3. The dance therapist must necessarily know the rules concerning touch as a safety instruction only:

   • Respect for distances

   • Always position oneself so as not to invade the patient's personal space.

   • Always ask the patient if it is possible to reposition them by touch (body mechanics).

   • Explain why it is important to properly assimilate a good postural position (risk of injury).

Note: I've tried to keep the translation as close to the original meaning as possible, while ensuring clarity and conciseness.

III. RESPECT FOR THE PERSON:

1. The art therapist respects the integrity and personal values of the patient, within the framework of their therapeutic support and the process of change. The fundamental mission of the art therapist is to have the person recognized and respected in their psychosomatic and psychic dimensions. The art therapist is aware that it is the psychic object that is being worked on and not the concrete object.

2. The art therapist refrains from any sexual relationship with the patient. During group art therapy sessions, the art therapist prohibits sexual acts between participants and any physical act harmful to persons or property.

3. The art therapist refrains from maintaining ties outside of the therapeutic relationship with the patient.

4. Within the framework of their professional practice, the art therapist establishes a rule of non-violence towards persons and property.

5. Within the framework of their professional practice, the art therapist avoids any action aimed at diminishing or violating the legal or civil rights of patients.

6. The art therapist respects the anonymity of the people who use their services.

7. When memorizing data or productions relating to the patient's file, on any type of medium, the art therapist must ensure the confidentiality of this data.

8. In the event of recording works or sessions, the patient (or their guardian) must give their prior written consent. Art therapy productions will never be disclosed or exploited, they will remain within the framework of sessions to carry out the care process, and will therefore have no other function.

9. In the event of using data concerning the patient during the art therapist's professional interventions or publications in any form of medium, the art therapist must ensure the anonymity of the person or refrain from disclosing information that could lead to their identification. They must obtain prior written authorization from the data originator or their guardian.

IV. RESPECT FOR THE PATIENT:

1. The patient's productions are their property, governed by intellectual property law. Productions are ephemeral and are intended solely for care.

2. The art therapist and the patient must agree on the place of storage of the productions, during therapy, in accordance with the care objectives.

3. In the event of public use of a patient's productions (at conferences, exhibitions, screenings, publications, teaching, and training, etc.), the patient (or their guardian) must give their written consent, after having been properly informed of the terms of their use and their anonymity.

4. Within the framework of art therapy, there can be no financial exploitation of patients' productions. In the context of dance therapy, there cannot be any performance given in the form of a live show at the end of the therapeutic contract.

V. PROFESSIONAL SECRECY:

"Professional secrecy lies in the obligation not to reveal to third parties any medical or private information concerning the person being treated. This obligation originates in the Hippocratic Oath. "Admitted to the intimacy of individuals, I shall keep secret such matters as are confided to me." Respect for professional secrecy is both a moral and legal obligation that helps maintain the relationship of trust established between the caregiver and the cared for. It is incumbent upon all health professionals under the conditions established by law. Article 226-13 of the Penal Code; "the disclosure of secret information by a person who is the depositary thereof, either by state, or by profession, or by reason of a function or a temporary mission, is punishable by one year's imprisonment and 1 a fine of 15,000 euros". Article 226-14 of the Penal Code describes situations in which professional secrets may be lifted. Article L.1110-4 of the Public Health Code, inserted by the law of 4 March 2002, elevates secrecy to the rank of a right of the person and affirms the legality of shared secrecy between health professionals."

VI. OBLIGATIONS OF THE ART THERAPIST TOWARDS THEIR PROFESSIONAL PARTNERS:

1. The art therapist must strive to communicate the results of their research to their colleagues and other interested professionals, aware that their dissemination can help improve the quality of care provided in art therapy.

2. In the context of research, experimentation by the art therapist is subject to the applicable ethical rules concerning research involving human subjects.

3. The collaboration of the art therapist with their professional partners is carried out in accordance with the confidentiality rules applied within the framework of shared secrecy.

VII. RULES FOR THERAPEUTIC WORKSHOPS:

Following the moral or written therapeutic contract between the art therapist and their patients:

• No interpretation or judgment will be tolerated on the part of the art therapist.

• The art therapist must inform patients that there is no judgment between participants. And that no act of violence, verbal or physical aggression is permitted, whether towards a person or towards the premises or certain equipment made available.

• The art therapist cannot in any case interpret, judge, keep, exploit and/or exhibit the objects created during art therapy sessions.

• The art therapist is aware of the need to keep no physical trace, neither by the patient nor by themselves, of the object produced during the session. In fact, they do not confuse an artistic workshop and an art therapy workshop, regardless of the type of art therapy practiced (preventive, dynamic, curative).

• Art therapists cannot replace a health specialist linked to specific care. They must specify this to patients.

• In case of delay or cancellation: if the art therapist, due to an impediment, cannot arrive on time at their workplace, they must reschedule the workshop. The same applies in case of cancellation.

• The patient must give one week's notice if they are unable to attend the scheduled appointment. Sessions are due in case of withdrawal that does not meet the conditions. Except in special cases. And if the patient is receiving institutional curative care.

• Personal hygiene and a decent outfit are mandatory. Nudity is prohibited for the art therapist and for patients.

• No diagnosis should be made; all diagnoses are reserved for health specialists who have the right to make such a diagnosis.

• Respect for ethics and the code of conduct.

• A mandatory but comfortable outfit is recommended for therapeutic workshops. Shoes are not accepted in dance therapy workshops, wear socks or go barefoot.

Absolument ! Voici la traduction en anglais des dernières sections :

VIII. APPLICATION OF THE CODE OF ETHICS:

1. The code of ethics for art therapists is available in PDF format.

2. The art therapist undertakes to comply with the code of ethics in the practice of their profession.

3. The art therapist ensures that the code of ethics is respected by the people with whom they may work.

4. The ethics committee has a role of informing about the code, as well as prevention, advice and examination of requests from practitioners and patients.

5. Possible sanctions in case of breach of the code of ethics:

   • Warning

   • Reprimand

   • Temporary or permanent exclusion of the art therapist by the Board of Directors with the obligation to hear the art therapist and their potential defenders.

IX. PUBLICATIONS AND RESEARCH:

Publications, public citations and methods used by the art therapist are considered protected, and no one has the right, in an informative or advertising text, to use the names and titles of an art therapist without their authorization and written consent. As a potential author, the art therapist is protected and remunerated according to the legislation in force, the same applies if they are the inventor of a specific method and it is registered with the official services.

X. RIGHTS DEFENDERS:

Health, Safety, Care Center Website: http://www.securitesoins.fr/ Access to medical records: [The texts: art. L 1111-7 of the Public Health Code] The law of 4 March 2002, and the decree of 29 April 2002 establishes the principle of direct patient access to all health information concerning them. The communication of the medical record should no longer go through a designated doctor. This right of access is provided for in article L.1111-7 of the Public Health Code which states in paragraph 1: "Any person has access to all information concerning their health, held by health professionals and establishments that are formalized and have contributed to the development and follow-up of the diagnosis and treatment or a prevention action, or have been the subject of written exchanges between health professionals."