APTi Ethical Standards: Additional Guidelines for Type Practitioners

10. Be clear that individuals are the final authority on their own type pattern.

For introductory sessions, provide clients/participants with an interactive overview or interpretation process in which they can evaluate the accuracy of instrument results, have an opportunity to read narrative descriptions of type patterns other than the one their results indicate, and verify what seems to be their Best-Fit Type. Acknowledge that it can take some time to come to a final conclusion about this, and that they may want simply to come to a “best guess for today.” Provide/suggest resources – books, articles, websites, programs from APTi and other reputable organizations – so people can explore psychological type on their own and deepen their understanding.

When clients tell you they already know their type pattern, inquire about the process that led them to that conclusion. Remind people that they are the final authority, and explore how confident they are that they have found their Best-Fit Type. You may find it useful to begin your session with a brief review of the elements of psychological type, and to invite people to notice what fits for them and what doesn’t.

When conducting exercises in type-alike groupings, allow people who are unsure to use the exercise for clarification. One technique is to have them be “observers” rather than participants in a discussion and, if possible, to sit in on different groups. During the exercise debrief you can call on observers to share what they noticed.

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