“Professional psychologists study mental processes and human behavior by observing, interpreting, and recording how people and other animals relate to one another and the environment.” The psychologists express theories that have possible explanations and concentrate on an individual behavior that influence a person’s action where understanding and explaining thoughts, emotions, feelings and or behavior is in attention. However there is a legal aspect of professional psychology that is the most important part in professional practice. “Legal aspects of professional psychology cover abroad spectrum of any application of psychological ethics, and ways of understanding legal issues and questions. Additionally to the practical practices, legal aspects of psychology also include empirical or academic research on topics concerning the relationships of government laws and regulations to human behavior and mental processes”(Roger Rivera, “Legal Aspects Of Professional Psychology”).
Legal issues related to informed consent and refusal
Most important factor of legal issue in professional phycology is the informed consent of the client, where the doctor gets consent of the client for performing tests and medical treatments including records of the patients. It is the psychologist’s duty to offer and explain services, and if the patients have no ability for opinion, take consent from the person who has the legal power to do on behalf of the patient. The discussion that takes place in between the doctor and the patient has an ethical and legal basis, and it is the patient’s self-determination to make decisions regarding therapy or treatment at most times. “Decision making is the ability of the patients to understand the in formations you are providing to them, coupled to the ability to process that information and make a
