Hidden Codes: Exploring Implicit Bias Within Ethical Codes for Substance Use Counseling

Counseling codes of ethics play a central role in shaping substance use disorder (SUD) counseling practice; however, these codes may also embed implicit biases that influence how counselors conceptualize clients, recovery, and professional legitimacy. Drawing on critical discourse analysis, this study examines how language and omissions within counseling ethical codes shape stigma toward counselors with lived experience, reinforce racialized narratives of substance use, and sustain structural divisions between addiction and mental health care. Findings reveal that these codes reinforce stigma against SUD counselors with lived experience, maintain the separation of SUD and mental health treatment, and perpetuate racialized narratives that disadvantage minoritized communities. The study calls for revising ethical guidelines to promote equity, cultural humility, and inclusive practices in SUD counseling, ensuring more just and effective care for diverse populations.