L14

I CAN CURE YOU IN FOUR SESSIONS…  LEGAL & ETHICAL ISSUES IN ADVERTISING

Presenters: Pam Harmell

Abstract Category: 

Instruction Level: Intermediate

Presentation: Not Provided

Abstract:

“If it doesn’t sell – it isn’t advertising” (David Ogilvy).  However, advertising for mental health professionals involves specific legal and ethical obligations with regard to accuracy, deception, reliability, partial disclosures, misleading statements, and misrepresentation of facts.  Public access to psychotherapists advertising their services has increased rapidly due to Internet access and website availability.  Indeed, more professionals than ever are budgeting and marketing their services through various media sources. 

This segment of the conference will use brief film clips depicting inappropriate therapist marketing and advertising techniques and psychotherapist behaviors followed by an in-depth powerpoint discussion of up-to-date legal and ethical methods of advertising and marketing. Expert opinion in the field along with ethical principles and legal cases, when relevant, will be presented.