Regarding the importance of diagnosis, Luigi Boscolo and Paolo Bertrando mention in their book “Systemic Therapy with Individuals” (chapter Assessment, Diagnosis, And Therapy: A Recursive Process):
“We feel that while communicating a specific diagnosis either to other professionals or to our clients, we should be very sensitive and at the same time use non-verbal channels to communicate hope and faith in the future. Otherwise we risk evoking visions of a future dominated by the idea of pathology and illness, based on what is negative; the patient then tends to be seen as an invalid and is relieved of responsibility for his future. Illness is emphasized to the detriment of the client’s potential resources. The client is led to see and reify what is not working in him. All of this can turn into a self-fulfilling prophecy (Watzlawick, 1984). The consequence of this may be a lengthening of the course of therapy as well as a worsening of the situation, with the risk of reaching an impasse or an interminable therapy.”
(Systemic Therapy with Individuals, Luigi Boscolo – Paolo Bertrando, Karnac Books, 1996)
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CODE OF ETHICS OF THE ASSOCIATION OF GREEK PSYCHOLOGISTS
The present code of ethics is intended to uphold the validity of the profession of Psychologist in Greece and contribute to the realisation of its mission.
The code is aimed at psychologists, whether they do clinical practice, conduct research, teach or write texts on the topic of psychology.
In Greece, there is an additional reason that dictates the establishment of a code of ethics and faithful compliance with the basic principles of professional conduct that it sets: the lack of professional tradition due to how novel the profession is.
