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Suicide or a Well-Reasoned End of Life Decision

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Case Study 2: Suicide or Well-Reasoned End-of –Life Decision?

In the case of Jason, the 38 year old gay man with AIDS who is considering a rational suicide, there are several ethical and legal issues that the counselor has to consider in order to effectively continue to treat the client. Jason has disclosed to his counselor that he was considering to stop taking his medications which will ultimately end his life. Upon receiving this information from the client , the counselor has to now consider if he or she has any personal, moral issues, or spiritual belief system about the end -of -life decisions that might conflict with what the client has decided. The counselor should consult with a supervisor or some one who has some experience in the area of end-of – life. If there are any conflicts, the counselor can chose to not work with the client and provide him with an adequate referral to make sure he get the help he needs. (Standard A.9.b). A counselor should never impose his or her beliefs, morals or spirituality on their client. This will impede the client’s ability to achieve autonomy and self –determination. According to the ACA Code of Ethics, the counselor has to protect the client’s right to self-determination, ensure that the client has a quality end of life that satisfies their emotional, physical , social and spiritual needs and to ensure that the client is competent to make the competent decisions via assessments. (StandardA.9.a). In this particular case, Jason’s quality of life has not been great due to his reactions of all the medications he has to take for his terminal illness, his depression and anxiety. The counselor, with his consent, could probably consult with his physician to see if there was a way to modify the amount medications that he is currently taking in order

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