1
EPPP Ethics & Professional Issues Exam
2025/2026
Comprehensive Questions and Verified
Answers
1. Dr. Hedges has been seeing Betty in therapy for three months to help her
deal with the sudden death of her mother. She's made progress toward
achieving her therapy goals, and they've started talking about terminating
therapy. During her current session, Betty tells Dr. Hedges that her best
friend is going through a divorce and she'd like to refer her to Dr. Hedges for
therapy. Dr. Hedges should:
a) tell Betty he cannot see her friend in therapy until Betty's therapy has ended.
b) tell Betty he cannot see her friend in therapy and offer to give her friend
referrals to other mental health professionals.
c) agree to see Betty's friend in therapy only if he has experience working with
clients who are going through a divorce.
d) agree to see Betty's friend in therapy only if he discusses the potential problems
with Betty and her friend that could arise because he's seeing them both in therapy.
ANSWER: tell Betty he cannot see her friend in therapy and offer to give her
friend referrals to other mental health professionals
Reason: unacceptable multiple relationship (Betty might disclose information
about her friend to Dr. Hedges that her friend doesn't want Dr. Hedges to know)
2. Dr. Lansky returned to school when she was 48 years old to obtain a Psy.D.
in clinical psychology. She already had a Ph.D. in business administration
and, now that she's a licensed psychologist, decides to list both doctoral
degrees in her business card and advertisements for her clinical practice. This
is:
,2
a) acceptable.
b) acceptable only if she indicates that her Ph.D. is in business administration.
c) unacceptable only if one or both degrees are not from an accredited educational
institution.
d) unacceptable.
ANSWER: unacceptable
Reason: psychologists can only claim degrees that "were earned from a regionally
accredited educational institution or ... were the basis for psychology licensure" as
credentials for their health services
3. Which of the following best describes ethical guidelines for requiring
students to disclose personal information in course- or program-related
activities about any psychological treatment they've received in the past?
a) Requiring students to do so is prohibited under any circumstances.
b) Requiring students to do so is acceptable as long as their confidentiality is
maintained.
c) Requiring students to do so is acceptable only when they're seeking therapy
from a therapist employed by the school.
d) Requiring students to do so is acceptable when doing so is clearly identified as a
requirement in program and admissions materials.
ANSWER: requiring students to do so is acceptable when doing so is clearly
identified as a requirement in program and admissions materials
Reason: students should not be required to disclose personal information in
course- or program-related activities related to psychological treatment except in
two circumstances: (a) this requirement has been clearly identified in program and
admissions materials or (b) the information is needed to "evaluate or obtain
assistance for students whose personal problems could reasonably be judged to be
,3
preventing them from performing their training- or professionally related activities
in a competent manner or posing a threat to the student or others."
4. To be consistent with ethical requirements, psychologists should reach an
agreement with new clients about fees and other financial issues:
a) during the initial contact.
b) during the first therapy session.
c) by the end of the first therapy session.
d) as early as is feasible.
ANSWER: as early as is feasible
Reason: there are exceptions to reaching an agreement on fees and other financial
issues - e.g., when the client is experiencing a crisis or additional information is
needed about what services are required before the fee can be set
5. Which of the following best describes implied consent?
a) It refers to a person's informed consent when it is not written or documented.
b) It applies only when a person is believed to be a danger to self or others.
c) It is inferred from the behaviors or circumstances of a person.
d) It applies only when a person lacks the capacity to give informed consent.
ANSWER: it is inferred from the behaviors or circumstances of a person
Examples: a patient's implied consent for treatment is assumed in emergency
situations when the patient is incapacitated and unable to provide informed
consent, and a student's implied consent to participate in a class is assumed when
the student registers for and attends the class
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6. Concerns about using Skype as a means of providing psychotherapy on the
Internet focus primarily on which of the following issues?
a) competence
b) confidentiality
c) record-keeping
d) beneficence ANSWER: confidentiality & HIPAA compliance
Reason: "when [people] click on 'I agree' in these apps, you're basically agreeing
to turn over all transmissions to the parent company ... [and] that their sessions
could be recorded and released"
7. A psychologist pays the local newspaper to insert a weekly "canned
column" as an advertisement for her professional services. Each column poses
a different question asked by a client about a mental health issue and includes
a response to the question. The column also provides information about the
psychologist's services and contact information. In terms of ethical guidelines,
this is:
a) ethical as long as the psychologist writes the columns herself.
b) ethical as long as the questions were posed by actual clients.
c) ethical as long as the columns are clearly identified as paid advertisements.
d) unethical under any circumstances.
ANSWER: ethical as long as the columns are clearly identified as paid
advertisements
Reason: a paid advertisement relating to psychologists' activities must be
identified or clearly recognizable as such so that people do not misinterpret the
columns or advertisements as being written by a psychologist hired by a newspaper
EPPP Ethics & Professional Issues Exam
2025/2026
Comprehensive Questions and Verified
Answers
1. Dr. Hedges has been seeing Betty in therapy for three months to help her
deal with the sudden death of her mother. She's made progress toward
achieving her therapy goals, and they've started talking about terminating
therapy. During her current session, Betty tells Dr. Hedges that her best
friend is going through a divorce and she'd like to refer her to Dr. Hedges for
therapy. Dr. Hedges should:
a) tell Betty he cannot see her friend in therapy until Betty's therapy has ended.
b) tell Betty he cannot see her friend in therapy and offer to give her friend
referrals to other mental health professionals.
c) agree to see Betty's friend in therapy only if he has experience working with
clients who are going through a divorce.
d) agree to see Betty's friend in therapy only if he discusses the potential problems
with Betty and her friend that could arise because he's seeing them both in therapy.
ANSWER: tell Betty he cannot see her friend in therapy and offer to give her
friend referrals to other mental health professionals
Reason: unacceptable multiple relationship (Betty might disclose information
about her friend to Dr. Hedges that her friend doesn't want Dr. Hedges to know)
2. Dr. Lansky returned to school when she was 48 years old to obtain a Psy.D.
in clinical psychology. She already had a Ph.D. in business administration
and, now that she's a licensed psychologist, decides to list both doctoral
degrees in her business card and advertisements for her clinical practice. This
is:
,2
a) acceptable.
b) acceptable only if she indicates that her Ph.D. is in business administration.
c) unacceptable only if one or both degrees are not from an accredited educational
institution.
d) unacceptable.
ANSWER: unacceptable
Reason: psychologists can only claim degrees that "were earned from a regionally
accredited educational institution or ... were the basis for psychology licensure" as
credentials for their health services
3. Which of the following best describes ethical guidelines for requiring
students to disclose personal information in course- or program-related
activities about any psychological treatment they've received in the past?
a) Requiring students to do so is prohibited under any circumstances.
b) Requiring students to do so is acceptable as long as their confidentiality is
maintained.
c) Requiring students to do so is acceptable only when they're seeking therapy
from a therapist employed by the school.
d) Requiring students to do so is acceptable when doing so is clearly identified as a
requirement in program and admissions materials.
ANSWER: requiring students to do so is acceptable when doing so is clearly
identified as a requirement in program and admissions materials
Reason: students should not be required to disclose personal information in
course- or program-related activities related to psychological treatment except in
two circumstances: (a) this requirement has been clearly identified in program and
admissions materials or (b) the information is needed to "evaluate or obtain
assistance for students whose personal problems could reasonably be judged to be
,3
preventing them from performing their training- or professionally related activities
in a competent manner or posing a threat to the student or others."
4. To be consistent with ethical requirements, psychologists should reach an
agreement with new clients about fees and other financial issues:
a) during the initial contact.
b) during the first therapy session.
c) by the end of the first therapy session.
d) as early as is feasible.
ANSWER: as early as is feasible
Reason: there are exceptions to reaching an agreement on fees and other financial
issues - e.g., when the client is experiencing a crisis or additional information is
needed about what services are required before the fee can be set
5. Which of the following best describes implied consent?
a) It refers to a person's informed consent when it is not written or documented.
b) It applies only when a person is believed to be a danger to self or others.
c) It is inferred from the behaviors or circumstances of a person.
d) It applies only when a person lacks the capacity to give informed consent.
ANSWER: it is inferred from the behaviors or circumstances of a person
Examples: a patient's implied consent for treatment is assumed in emergency
situations when the patient is incapacitated and unable to provide informed
consent, and a student's implied consent to participate in a class is assumed when
the student registers for and attends the class
, 4
6. Concerns about using Skype as a means of providing psychotherapy on the
Internet focus primarily on which of the following issues?
a) competence
b) confidentiality
c) record-keeping
d) beneficence ANSWER: confidentiality & HIPAA compliance
Reason: "when [people] click on 'I agree' in these apps, you're basically agreeing
to turn over all transmissions to the parent company ... [and] that their sessions
could be recorded and released"
7. A psychologist pays the local newspaper to insert a weekly "canned
column" as an advertisement for her professional services. Each column poses
a different question asked by a client about a mental health issue and includes
a response to the question. The column also provides information about the
psychologist's services and contact information. In terms of ethical guidelines,
this is:
a) ethical as long as the psychologist writes the columns herself.
b) ethical as long as the questions were posed by actual clients.
c) ethical as long as the columns are clearly identified as paid advertisements.
d) unethical under any circumstances.
ANSWER: ethical as long as the columns are clearly identified as paid
advertisements
Reason: a paid advertisement relating to psychologists' activities must be
identified or clearly recognizable as such so that people do not misinterpret the
columns or advertisements as being written by a psychologist hired by a newspaper
