What is the Code of Conduct?
The Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA) publishes a Code of Conduct that describes the standards the Board considers central to ethical, professional psychological practice. The Code operates alongside the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (the National Law), the Psychology Board's registration standards, the Privacy Act 1988, and other relevant legislation.
The Code is available in full on the Psychology Board of Australia website at psychologyboard.gov.au. It is not aspirational guidance — practitioners who depart from it without adequate justification may face regulatory action, including conditions on registration, suspension, or cancellation.
The Australian Psychological Society (APS) Code of Ethics is a separate document from the PsyBA Code of Conduct. Both may apply to APS members who are also AHPRA-registered, but the PsyBA Code is what AHPRA enforcement decisions are assessed against.
Practising within your competence
A central obligation in the Code is the requirement to practise only within the boundaries of your current competence and the scope of your registration. For provisional psychologists, this means providing services only for which you have received adequate training, have ongoing supervision, and where your competence has not been exceeded.
If a client presents with a need that falls outside your current competence, the Code requires you to either decline the work, seek supervision before proceeding, or refer the client to an appropriate practitioner. During your internship, your principal supervisor plays an active governance role in this — part of their function is to assess whether the work you are taking on is appropriate for your current development level.
Informed consent and disclosure of provisional status
The Code requires that clients provide voluntary, informed consent before psychological services are provided. For provisional psychologists, this specifically includes the obligation to disclose your provisional registration status to clients. Clients have a right to know they are working with a trainee practitioner under supervision, and this must be communicated clearly at the outset of any professional relationship.
Consent is an ongoing process, not a one-off document. Clients must understand the nature of the services, the limits of confidentiality, your supervisory relationship, fees, and their right to withdraw at any time.
Confidentiality and its legal limits
Psychologists have a strong duty of confidentiality — but the law provides for specific exceptions where disclosure is required regardless of client consent. Understanding these limits is fundamental, especially when encountering high-risk presentations for the first time during an internship.
- Mandatory notifications under the National Law: registered health practitioners must notify AHPRA if they form a reasonable belief that another registered practitioner has engaged in notifiable conduct
- Child protection: mandatory reporting laws in every state and territory require reporting a reasonable belief that a child has been abused or is at risk of abuse
- Serious risk to third parties: if a client discloses a serious and credible intention to harm an identifiable third party, a duty of care may require disclosure to police or the intended victim
- Legal requirements: court subpoenas, coronial processes, and certain legislative powers can compel production of clinical records
If you are ever uncertain whether a situation requires disclosure or a mandatory notification, discuss it with your supervisor the same day — do not delay. Consulting your supervisor is not itself a notification, it is good professional practice.
Professional boundaries
The Code places clear obligations on psychologists to maintain appropriate professional boundaries with clients, former clients, and third parties. Romantic or sexual relationships with current clients are absolutely prohibited under the National Law. The Code extends this to other forms of exploitation — financial arrangements, dual relationships, and situations where the professional relationship is used to further personal interests.
For provisional psychologists in their first placement, boundary challenges can arise in unexpected ways: clients who become overly attached, offers of gifts, or social encounters when you work in a community context. Proactively discussing these situations in supervision is always the right response.
Your mandatory notification obligations
As a provisionally registered psychologist you hold registration under the National Law — which means you carry full mandatory notification obligations. If you have a reasonable belief that another registered health practitioner (including doctors, nurses, or other psychologists) has engaged in notifiable conduct, you must report it to AHPRA.
Notifiable conduct includes: practising while intoxicated; sexual misconduct in connection with the practice of the profession; placing the public at risk of substantial harm due to unsatisfactory professional performance; and placing the public at risk due to an impairment. This obligation applies regardless of your seniority.
Maintaining your professional knowledge
The Code requires practitioners to maintain professional knowledge and practise consistently with current evidence. As a provisional psychologist, your 60-hour education and training requirement is the formal mechanism for this — but the spirit of the Code extends further. Genuine engagement with current research, clinical guidelines, and professional literature is an ongoing expectation.
The Psychology Board updates the Code of Conduct periodically. Always check the current version at psychologyboard.gov.au rather than relying on a saved copy or informal summaries.