Ethical Decision-Making Reflection Paper
Jo-Ann Morgia
Grand Canyon University: PCN-100
10/19/2014

In the world of alcohol and drug counseling there are important issues for the addiction counselor to understand which is ethics and boundaries. The counselors code of ethics is very imperative and understanding the possible situations that may come into play during a professional relationship. Some boundary example situations can be dual relationships, boundary crossings, and bartering. Even though these situations are common there is still a question to what is ethical. Some situations are very clear to understand but then there are some other situations that are not as clear to understand. I will explain how applying an evidence based decision making model will assist in preventing boundary crossing from progressing into boundary violations, reflect my understanding of a counselors code of ethics, and explain why following this model is so important to the success of the client’s treatment. Bartering is not unethical or prohibited for counselors but things may not quit work out the way it was planned. Bartering is services or goods given instead of a payment. An example of bartering is if the counselor is treating a client and the client is a hairstylist that is having money troubles then the hairstylist may make an offer to cut and style the counselors hair. At first this may seem like a good deal especially when the counselor is long overdue for a hairstyle. Let’s figure that the hairstyle is going to cost $350 and the counselors charge for one session is $250 a session. So the hairstylist goes to sessions once a week and so this will get the hairstylist one session paid for with a $100 that will go towards her next session. So now there is an unpaid balance of $150 which the hairstylist is going to need to makeup towards her next session even with the $100 credit. Now what about the upcoming weeks that the hairstylist still has to pay for? It would not be good for the hairstylist if she has to stop going to her sessions after making progress with the counselor because of her lack of payment. This does not seem like the right thing to do but it does not go against the counselors ethical standards. Counseling is not cheap and so it is up to the client and counselor to come up with a fair solution. Ethics and boundaries are hard to tell the difference and are often opinion formed. Crossing boundaries and violating boundaries are different. The crossing boundary is a shaded area as to violating is white and black. Crossing boundaries can have a defense but all outcomes must be considered. For example, an alcohol and drug addiction counselor aided in the help of an addict who was pregnant in becoming clean and sober and getting her life together so she could deliver a healthy baby. After the baby is born the baby’s mother wants the counselor to come and visit her and the baby. This would be up to the counselor to decide to go visit the mother and baby or not to go visit the mother and baby. The counselor needs to look at the angles and legal situations that could arise if boundaries were crossed. Dual relationships also have shady areas. There are also hard to avoid situations when it comes to dual relationships. A dual relationship is when there is another type of relationship along with a professional one. There are certain types of dual relationships that are unethical for example a sexual relationship with a client is very unethical and very unacceptable. Sometimes a counselor and a client will get trapped into other relationships. For example if a client and a counselor are in a session and are talking and find out that they have the same friends through their social circle. In the beginning this could be no big deal but they could at some point be out somewhere at the same place. If this place is where people are drinking alcohol and the client is taking sessions for alcohol this puts the client and the counselor in awkward positions. It is hard to figure out a dual relationship but when it comes to ethical standards it is up to the counselor to consider all things and make the choice that is best for a professional relationship.

References
Margarita, Baca, ANP, MSN, Professional Boundaries and Dual Relationships in Clinical Practice www.medscape.com www.liverehab.com Zur, O. (2013). Dual Relationships, Multiple Relationships & Boundaries In Psychotherapy, Counseling & Mental Health Retrieved 9/27/2007 from http://www.zurinstitute.com/dualrelationships.html.