This article describes how we facilitated a family therapy training day that privileged experiential learning when teaching ethics. Our approach used a range of action methods as learning activities selected from different disciplines. The theoretical basis on which these ideas were taught was drawn from types and categories of rights, balancing rights and parents' and children's rights. The teaching of these ethical frameworks, facilitated through action methods, enabled trainees to apply rights‐related reasoning to link theory to practice. Systemic social constructionist connections with action methods are explored and the term action ethics is used to describe the process of teaching ethical thinking and reasoning in a clinical context. Practitioner Points Clinical ethics in family therapy is best taught using action method techniques to facilitate trainees learning. The application of action method techniques in training creates opportunities for reflexive ethical therapy. Action method techniques applied in family therapy training develops trainees' skills in rights related ethical reasoning and thinking.