...Running Head: ETHICAL CONCIDERATIONS FOR GROUP LEADERSHIP Ethical Considerations for Group leadership in Counseling David Cook Liberty University HSER 511-04 Dr. Pinkston July 4, 2014 Abstract Ethics has been in the forefront in the counseling field, especially in the recent cases of PTSD and military and family counseling. This type of family and group counseling presents new ethical considerations for professionals. Group leaders have to be aware of new updates in the code of ethics and legal responsibilities while showing empathy and leadership in the group. The viewpoints in this paper will consider those codes from the perspective of a professional Christian leader. Viewpoints will include techniques for group participation, professional training for the leader, confidentiality considerations, ethnic and cultural awareness and ethical financial practices. There will be a focus on the personal relationships within the group setting and how the leader can effectively control the ethical relationships. This paper will present a personal testimony on Christian qualities that direct leadership and ethical considerations in treatment in family healing. Ethical Considerations for Group leadership in Counseling Professional counseling and group therapy has received more recognition in the past few years and the subject of ethical practices, as a result, has become more important and relevant. Codes for ethical practices have...
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...Group Therapy In today’s society, when seeking professional help, there many different types of therapy to choose from. Of the many types of therapy, two of those include group therapy and individual counseling. Group therapy consists of a group of people who meet with a therapist or counselor for the purpose of sharing their problems and providing support for each other. Individual counseling consists of a person (client) meeting with a counselor or therapist one-on-one to discuss whatever problems they may be having. Although both methods of counseling are valuable, for the purpose of this portion of research, group therapy will be examined and the ethical challenges faced when using this form of counseling. Group therapy is often times described as one of the most effective and beneficial kinds of treatment. It is believed that because all members in the group share similar issues, contributions from the other members are valuable to the individual. This form of counseling brings together individuals with similar issues and it allows people to see that they are not alone. There are other people who may be experiencing or going through the same issues. According to Jacobs, Masson, Harvill, & Schimmel (2012), “Any helping professional who is looking for an economical and effective means of helping individuals who share similar problems and concerns should use groups” (p. 2). Knowing that other people have some of the same issues can also be comforting to someone who might not...
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...in Group and Individual Sessions Liberty University Abstract In today’s culture more individuals are beginning to look for leadership and/or help with individual problems or concerns from therapists. This paper will compare therapy with a group vs. therapy in an individual session. Looking at the possible barriers and or challenges being therapists may possibly experience throughout the sessions they are facilitating. The paper will discuss the efficiency as well as the inefficiency of both group and individual therapy. It is very imperative for therapists to apply moral ethics in their practice. Study from several academic periodicals, trainings and textbook understandings are noted features for this paper. Groups The implementations of ethics in counseling is not to micromanage and/or try to inform someone of how to do their job, it is provided in order to help counselors and other professionals maintain standards within the profession one is in and it is the standard of behavior or action in relation to others. “A code of ethics for most professional organizations or associations is designed to articulate the standards of practice for a group of people.” (Kocet, 2006). Although ethics have many definitions, they are all intertwined to state the same meaning. According to Jacobs (2012), “Most ethical problems and situations deal with therapy and growth groups, although...
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...Ethics in Group Counseling vs. Individual Therapy: Who’s up for Group? Annette Taft HSCO December 6, 2015 Abstract This research paper will explore the professional code of ethics that a counselor should designate to the group or individual in order to conduct an affective session. Ethics are specific guidelines that help a professional operate with educational, cultural and scientific value applied to a particular setting. In this paper will also explore the ethical issues that can influence group therapy, individual counseling, and the reasons why one setting may be beneficial then the other. Key words: Ethics, Professional, In this busy robust world counseling has become the norm. People have become to use counseling as a way of settling disputes, talking out their own issues, or just support for a friend. Nevertheless, it transitions into the lives of society today, helping people to live functioning lives in this topsy-turvy world. Making a decision of whether to choose group counseling or individual therapy has become often a hard decision. Group counseling and individual counseling are both functional ways of therapy although the ethical practices may be different. This research paper will explore the professional code of ethics that a counselor should designate to the group or individual in order to conduct an affective session. Ethics are specific guidelines that help a professional operate with educational, cultural and scientific value applied to a...
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...Group therapy has gained popularity in a gradual but steady way in the contemporary society. The main feature of group therapy is group counseling, which involves people forming support groups for self-help and support about a common problem. A therapist engages a group in planned counseling sessions by using a custom made programmed for them. The group’s proper existence, progress and ethics are of great importance for it is a reflection of the groups conduct in their relation. Basically, ethics give a definition of the agreed upon do’s and don’ts in the group activity .It therefore stands that, group’s discipline is a great determiner for group success or failure. Of worth importance is group trust among the members of group members of the therapy for maintenance of credibility in their activities. Without maintaining trust within a group, it is not possible to achieve cohesion (Baum, 2005). Trust is essential in group therapy because it will enhance openness and the members will be able to share freely. Indeed, this is an essential ethical issue that should be considered in group therapy. Respect and professionalism are key elements that a therapist should possess in handling group members while maintaining a firm leadership of the group. Therapists are the chief custodians of the group; hence, they need to cultivate a culture of ensuring that every member is treated with respect and honor. This is feasible in ensuring that the rights and liberties of every person are observed...
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...Ethics Paper: Individual or Group Therapy HSER 511 Liberty University Abstracts The paper researches the ethical issues faced in group counseling. It also shows a comparison of individual and group counseling. The paper discusses issue of confidentiality, and how it affects group counseling. Confidentiality is considered cornerstone to counseling (Kocet 2006). It is very important for the counselor to reinsure that the client understands confidentiality policies. When dealing with adolescents, confidentiality rules and regulations are the same as adults. Counselors are bound by the same rules and regulations to keep the client’s (the minor) records privileged, but in cases of immediate danger or harm to others the counselor can disclose information to the minor’s parent. I think that I was direct leader, and I utilize several of the qualifications and skills that I learned in the class. Ethics Paper: Individual or Group Therapy When seeking help, it is very difficult to decide what type of therapy to choose. Because we have different situations and problems, the decision to choose individual or group therapy could be a very hard one. Many clients choose to benefit from both individual and group therapy. Groups can be a valuable resource to clients and helping them work out their...
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...Running head: GROUP COUNSELING IN SCHOOL-AGE YOUTH Ethical Concerns in Group Counseling School-Age Youth Liberty University Abstract Youth spend most of their time at school, and receive most social services on campus. This includes counseling. Counseling in schools, historically, consisted of career or college entry counseling. With the growing mental health needs of the populous, schools have been expanding the roles of schools counselors to include facilitating mental health/support counseling and moving towards a counseling psychology framework. Because of the number of students that have to get serviced, using group counseling sessions is a useful and practical option for counselors. Group counseling can be a helpful technique for people with similar habits or people who have possibly experienced a traumatic event. With the good that comes with group counseling, like camaraderie among students, there are always causes for concern, like confidentiality issues. This review examines the ethical dilemmas and differences between individualized counseling and group counseling in schools. Research has shown that using counseling groups and group therapies can make a difference in the outcomes of a lot of cases, but experts in the field have also had concerns about what could happen in a group setting, and how that could negatively affect a client, or the group of clients. Those concerns become even greater when dealing with groups of youth at school. Studies...
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...Ethical Issues in Groups Abstract This paper will discuss the ethical issues that may arise during group counseling. Examples will be provided and points will be stated to avoid such ethical issues from arising. If ethical issues of come forth the paper discusses how a leader should handle such issues whether it is with the leader itself, a group member, or the group as one. Key ethical issues discussed will be confidentiality, leader values, relationships, encouragement, and commitment. Ethical Issues in Groups Introduction Ethical issues will occur in any type of counseling. When groups are established and consist of individuals with similar issues the leader must ensure that ethical boundaries are not crossed. This includes: confidentiality with leaders and group members, encouragement, relationships, leader’s values, and commitment to the group. The use of proper ethical standards will establish the proper structure for a group to be successful on an individual level as well as a group level. When ethical standards are upheld, the group will be viewed by its members as a safe, secure, and private environment in which they can share, trust members and the leader, and develop a bond with the entire group. This bond is the basis for such success. Confidentiality It is a necessity for all groups to maintain a form of confidentiality. This is to ensure that the leaders and the members of the groups feel as though information they have shared will remain in the group. Group...
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...examines the basic ethical issues and current trends affecting the counselor working in a contemporary school or agency. Topics include: the nature and scope of counseling, the definition of ethics and its meaning for professional counselors, and the relationship between counseling and professional ethical practice as defined by the American Counseling Association. The variety of agency and school settings are examined to illustrate the specific ethical guidelines that apply to schools and agencies. Professional norms, such as non-malfeasance, patient autonomy, and confidentiality are explained. (3 credits) TEXT: Ethics in Counseling and Psychotherapy: Standards, research and emerging issues (4th edition) Elizabeth Reynolds Welfel (2013) Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole Cengage ISBN13: 978-0-8400-2858-7 American Counselor Association Code of Ethics http://www.counseling.org/docs/ethics/2014-aca-code-of-ethics.pdf?sfvrsn=4 Code of Ethics of the American Mental Health Counseling Association. Available on-line at www.amhca.org/ethics.html American School Counselor Association Ethical Standards for School Counselors, Available on-line at www.schoolcounselor.org/library/ethics.pdf Program Outcomes (PO) – Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling Program Outcome (PO) Code | Program Outcomes (POs) | Program Goal (PG) Alignment | * PO1 | * Students will identify and describe the application of the American Mental Health Counseling Association standards...
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...ethics in group counseling. This author will define what group ethics is according to the psychological organizations such as the American Counseling Association (ACA), and the Association of Specialist in Group Work (ASGW). This author will also address what the American Association of Christian Counselor (AACC) has to say about the ethical standards for Christian Counseling. To effectively practice ethically group therapy a counselor needs to internalize the morals, values, and behavioral makeup of each individual within the group. This paper will also look at the comparison between group and individual psychotherapy and why a counselor will choose between the two. The group processes in both individual and group psychotherapy are a positive catalyst for personal growth within the individual psyche. Whereas group therapy tends to address interactional and interpersonal, individual therapy usually looks at the intra-psychic. Group therapy has been proven to have effective treatment benefits in the treatment with various psychological and personal problems. The final section will address the ethical challenges this author may face and her biblical perspective in counseling, her personal leadership qualities and her personal approach to group counseling. Counseling in our society has gone through multiple changes in the recent years. More individuals are looking into receiving support and guidance in the way of group counseling. Due to the increase in counseling theories...
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... Abstract In today’s society there are many health care professionals who have to conduct group sessions. It is imperative that for the safety of every client and therapist that a thorough training in ethical standards are established. In laying the foundation for ethical standards it is essential to establish boundaries for what exactly constitutes group work. Many people within group therapies will have different ideas and opinions based upon their own interpretation, morals, beliefs, cultural influences, and personal experiences. Within a group session there is a high standard of ethical behavior to protect the members of the group, the facilitators and anyone else involved in the group dynamics. This essay will provide information about how group sessions are conducted, common ethical issues within group therapy and how these issues compare to those from individual counseling. Ethics in Groups Introduction According to Kemp (2010) therapeutic communities consist of having qualities of belonging, governance, communication, interdependence and participation and are known as groups or group counseling. Within group sessions there is a common issue that each individual are coping with. The group is encouraged by the leader to express themselves and give feedback. Each person in the group, including the leader, are to provide new ways of behaving and to tackle issues that an individual presents in a session and provide one another with an opportunity for learning...
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...This is what I am expected to do. Assignment 2: Ethics Review In this assignment, you will explore professional counseling ethical codes. You will examine multiple codes of ethics to assist in practicing CMHC in an ethical manner. You will also familiarize yourself with the sections of the codes that govern your responsibilities as a counseling student. Tasks: * Compare and contrast the ACA's, the AMHCA's, and the NBCC's codes of ethics. * Describe your responsibilities as a student as per the ACA's and the AMHCA's codes of ethics. Your final product will be a 3- to 5-page Microsoft Word document written in APA format, utilizing at least three scholarly sources. Your paper should be written in a clear, concise, and organized manner; demonstrate ethical scholarship in accurate representation and attribution of sources; and display accurate spelling, grammar, and punctuation. This is the grading rubric Assignment Components | Proficient | Max Points | | | | Compare and contrast the American Counseling Association (ACA), American Mental Health Counseling Association (AMHCA), and National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) codes of ethics. | Thoughtful and insightful understanding of the parallels and variations between the ACA, AMHCA, and NBCC codes of ethics is reflected. Accurate analysis and synthesis of the ethical codes reflects an appropriate connection between the three codes. | ...
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...Ethics in Counseling Abigail T. Kitts Liberty University Abstract Introduction Ethics in therapy is currently a hot topic in the counseling realm. Especially ethics as they relate to group therapy. Group therapy is a common form of therapy utilized by many counselors. This type of therapy encompasses an entirely different set of ethics than that of individual counseling. There are numerous reasons for why a counselor may elect to use group therapy rather than individual therapy. The American Counseling Association (ACA) has developed a code of ethics for the counseling professional in order to provided a universal guideline for all counselor to abide by. Within the code of ethics provided by the ACA are codes that cover areas of the counseling relationship, confidentiality and privacy, professional responsibility, relationships with other professionals, evaluation, assessment, and interpretation, supervision, training, and teaching, research and publication, distance counseling, technology, and social media. All of these areas are further divided into subcategories in order to include all aspects ethics in the counseling relationship. Each of these sections provided by the ACA are important to a counselor practicing in a group setting, however, not all of these areas are applicable to the group counselor. Ethical Issues Unique to Group Therapy Group counseling offers many relationships, in order to assist an individual in growth and problem-solving...
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...Ethical Issues in Multicultural Counseling Abstract In the past, counselors have lacked the knowledge and skills to interpret ethical guidelines in multicultural counseling. The ethical guidelines dictate how a counselor should have the necessary tools when conducting a counseling session. There is a shortfall of training and education when dealing with race, ethnicity, and cultural backgrounds in today’s society. Ethics is a hot topic for counselors, partially because there are so many different situations that can be affected by ethical behavior. These situations can range from betraying the clients trust to injustice. There tends to be a lot of ambiguity for how to handle a situation ethically since there are a lot of variables involved in ethical issues. This involves disagreements in having one response that would be the most ethical response to that situation. There are many areas of ethical issues: privacy and confidentiality, informed consent, time and role boundaries, unplanned endings, finances, competence, and therapist initiated termination. Code of Ethics The code of ethics in social work, psychology, and counseling will continue to go through changes over time. Mental health professionals are expected to practice with the standards, and ethical code established by their professions. According to Pack-Brown, Thomas, and Seymour (2008) the American Counseling Association has established ethical responsibility for counselors to have enhancing human...
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...students have acute counseling needs, including cases of severe depression and suicidal ideation, pregnancy, substance abuse, school violence, and child abuse (Page, Pietrzak, & Sutton, 2001). To respond adequately to these needs, counselors must have both strong clinical skills and a keen awareness of the legal and ethical ramifications of any actions they may take or fail to take. These mandates are particularly challenging when school counselors are isolated in their settings or are so burdened with clerical and administrative tasks that they are unable to adequately address the counseling needs of the students they serve. School counselors in these situations may feel stressed and overworked and may be experiencing professional burnout. As a consequence, they can become unsure of their abilities and effectiveness and may experience erosion in their skills and competence (Crutchfield & Borders, 1997). This process runs counter to their ethical responsibility to maintain and increase their competence (American Counseling Association [ACA] 1995, Section C.2.) When school counselors fail to practice competently, this can become a legal problem as well as an ethical issue, because a malpractice lawsuit could result. Supervision can be an effective means of assisting school counselors to maintain and enhance their competence. Supervision can provide opportunities for continuing clinical-skill development, ongoing consultation regarding legal and ethical issues, and a professional...
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