Ethical Insights from Arizona Board Cases: Best Practices for Therapists

Ethics, like law, is more than a set of rules—it is a framework that shapes how we serve and safeguard our clients. In Arizona, professional practice is governed by three layers: statutes enacted by the legislature, rules created by the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners (AZBBHE), and the ethical codes of our professional associations. Together, these establish the standards by which therapists are held accountable. This course uses real disciplinary cases to illustrate how these standards come to life in practice. Reviewing board actions helps us recognize not only what went wrong, but also what systems and pressures contribute to ethical lapses. The goal is not punishment, but growth—learning how to strengthen our practice, reduce risk, and create safer environments for clients. The purpose of this session is to examine the most common ethical pitfalls therapists face in Arizona—such as documentation errors, practicing beyond scope of competence, conflicts of interest, billing issues, and breaches of confidentiality—and to translate them into actionable best practices. By learning from peers’ mistakes, participants can approach their own work with greater clarity, compassion, and confidence. Learning Objectives 1. Understand common ethical violations and their implications. 2. Examine real-world cases to identify key ethical issues and learn from them. 3. Integrate best practices to ensure compliance with legal and ethical standards.