...Abstract Ethics and ethical behavior is indispensable in the therapist-client relationship. The professional organizations for psychotherapy professionals have recognized the need to formalize baseline behaviors in codes of ethics that give the minimum standard of practice for therapists. An examination of the aspects of confidentiality, competence, dual roles, sexual intimacies and termination will demonstrate the need for and directed guidelines for ethical behavior. The Bible offers inspiration for the provider of soul care and shows that counseling is an activity that Jesus would endorse as an extension of His hands. Ethics at the Heart of Counseling Introduction The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of ethics in psychotherapy and in the therapeutic relationship. A brief history in the area of ethics will be observed followed by noting the importance of ethics within to psychotherapy. Five aspects of psychotherapy relating to ethics will be discussed with a review of the major codes of ethics. The identity and function of the counselor will be related to maintaining an ethical practice. A biblical view on the need of ethics will shown and the perspective of the writer will be stated. History and Development of Ethics in Psychotherapy A code of ethics is a set of principles of conduct within an organization that guide decision-making and behavior of their membership. All major mental health organizations have adopted a code of ethics or standards for their respective...
Words: 3880 - Pages: 16
...legality. Maintaining confidentiality is a significant issue in clinical psychology, and one by which the psychologist is bound by law as well as the ethical codes. These laws require the psychologist to refrain from referring to a patient's treatment or results of assessment outside of the appropriate context (Hogan, 2007). Furthermore, regarding confidentiality in record keeping, psychologists must maintain records efficiently, securely, and effectively so results are not prone to dissemination by other inappropriate parties. The psychologist does; however, have the responsibility to waive confidentiality when he or she suspects harm to self (Hogan, 2007). Another legal issue is obtaining written informed consent before counseling, consulting, or providing any type of treatment. If the patient is incapable of giving such consent, a parent, legal guardian, or other individual functioning in an official capacity must do so. Patients can revoke informed consent at any time during treatment, in most cases. Furthermore, issues involved in obtaining such consent must be provided to the client is understandable terms. Participating in a sexual relationship with a client is one example of behavior, not considered illegal (in most states) although definitely unethical. According to Plante (2011), dual relationships are common ethical violations. Even if it were legal, it is neither fair to a client/patient nor is it conducive to maintaining healthy, appropriate, and uncompromising...
Words: 1368 - Pages: 6
...Ethical Decision Making PSYCH 545 May 7, 2012 Abstract This paper analyzes the therapist’s ethical dilemma of accepting or not a gift from a client from a non-Western culture. The essay describes the selected ethical dilemma, the cultural factors involved, and the first 14 steps that therapist takes to resolve this dilemma, and to arrive to an ethical decision. The 14 steps taken to obtain the ethical decision identify key aspects of this situation, analyzes the benefits and weaknesses of the options that therapist has. These ethical steps are helping the psychologist to identify the best approach for the ethical dilemma. The decision making process described in this paper applies to the patient’s best interest, influencing the client and therapist. Also the paper explains the importance of the ethical decision in professional psychology. Ethical Decision Making Ethical decision making process refers to the ability to take a decision after an evaluation of a complex and ambiguous ethical situation, and to the capacity to implement that ethical decision effectively. The ethical decision in this paper refers to the ethical dilemma of accepting of not the gift from the patient. In this case the client comes from a non-Western culture, so the ethical dilemma involves cultural considerations. The gift giving aspect must take into account the cultural context. The patient is a Navajo Native American male, and he has offered a dream catcher as a gift to his therapist...
Words: 1915 - Pages: 8
...a client. The autonomy principle can be defined as the counselor allowing the clients the freedom to choose the path taken in the therapeutic process based in their own belief system. According to Corey et al. (2003), the counselor helps develop the growth process by encouraging the client’s interest and welfare. Although the client has the right to engage or disengage in therapy as they choose, the counselor’s role is to explore those choices with the client, pointing out areas that might be harmful to them. Nonmaleficence as a moral principle refers the counselor not causing harm to the client in any way. Harm to a client can be intentional or unintentional such as abusing the therapeutic relationship for personal gain or not exploring a conversation about suicide with a client due to one’s discomfort with the topic. Practicing outside of one’s area of specialty is another way harm can be imposed on a client. It is the responsibility of the counselor to make themselves aware of how their interventions can have both seen and unforeseen consequences to the client. Consequently, beneficence states that the counselor assists the client in their personal growth through proactive measures. This should be done without the client losing their sense of autonomy or voice. The fourth principle of Kitchener’s guide to ethical decision making is justice. Corey et al.(2003), defines justice as the means for providing fair and equal treatment to all people...
Words: 614 - Pages: 3
...After reading both the American Counseling Association (ACA) (2014) Code of Ethics and the American Mental Health Counseling Association (AMHCA) (2011), I felt that it was important to touch upon certain sections that I feel could become potential issues for us as counselors. Essay 1. There are many skills needed in order to work with a patient presenting with a co-occurring disorder. According to the American Mental Health Counseling Association (AMHCA) (2011), there are eight skills that we as counselors must center our focus on. They are all very important, yet I chose to focus on us as counselors can demonstrate our skills wisely by utilizing the knowledge we have gained during training. One of the hardest part of counseling clients is trying to discover what exactly is needed to help that client maintain a healthy relationship with others and a balance within themselves. Clients with co-occurring disorders are the most difficult kind of client. We must understand the treatment and clinical management of common co-occurring disorders such as anxiety, depression, PTSD and trauma-related disorders, dissociative disorders, personality disorders, eating disorders, psychotic disorders, disruptive behaviors, and mood disorders in combination with substance abuse disorders. We must provide appropriate counseling strategies by demonstrating the ability to modify counseling systems, theories, interventions when necessary and specific techniques that will work with the client...
Words: 1919 - Pages: 8
...Ethical Issues in Group Counseling COUN 612: Mental Health Ethics, Law and Practice April 28, 2011 Introduction Group counseling offers multiple relationships to assist an individual in growth and problem solving. Groups are an excellent treatment choice for numerous intrapersonal and interpersonal issues, and in helping people to change. Groups provide a sense of community to its members allowing them to see that they are not alone. In group therapy sessions, members are encouraged to discuss the issues that brought them to therapy openly and honestly. It is the responsibility of the counselor to work to create an atmosphere of trust and acceptance that encourages members to support one another. This atmosphere is developed and maintained from the initial intake of a client to the close of group. Many ethical dilemmas and questions arise for group therapists, a few of which will be addressed here: group work with diverse populations; rights of clients, informed consent and confidentiality; and involuntary clients. Description of Topic More recently group therapy has been widely used in the mental health field. There is a natural power in a therapeutic group that helps to bring about personal change for group members (Corey, Corey & Corey, 2010). Groups are designed to remediate specific problems or even prevent problems. It is the responsibility of the group leader, or counselor, to consciously acknowledge human diversity in society and the group setting. If...
Words: 2132 - Pages: 9
...The Complexity of Ethical Decision Making Former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart remarked, "Ethics is knowing the difference between what you have a right to do and what is right to do." In parsing out a virtuous ethical identity, psychologists strive to embrace several American Psychological Association [APA]-worthy overarching principles, to apply the enumerated guidelines within the Code of Ethics, and to cultivate personal and professional integrity in their quest to serve others. Furthermore, making an ethical commitment to placing the well-being of clients above one’s own personal feelings is paramount in providing effective therapeutic services that clients seek. However, the gentle human interplay of dependency, power, and will; the uniqueness and unpredictability of autonomous human beings; and the complexity of personality, behavior, and the inimitable experiences of each individual clearly drive and complicate the process of ethical decision-making. In espousing the “very highest ethical ideals of the profession (Hill, 2008),” eventually every psychologist must find a way to merge her purely objective, linear, and rational ethical catechism with her own intuitive responses to best reflect and balance her style, therapeutic orientation, and professional belief system with the needs of each distinct client. Conversely, a purely sensate approach to ethical decision-making, it seems, relies too heavily on subjectivity, whimsy, and emotions...
Words: 2319 - Pages: 10
...Ethical Responsibility in Pharmacy Practice Robert A. Buerki, Ph.D. Professor Division of Pharmacy Practice and Administration The Ohio State University Louis D. Vottero, M.S. Professor of Pharmacy Emeritus Ohio Northern University American Institute of the History of Pharmacy Madison, Wisconsin 2002 Acknowledgments: Pages 208-10: "Principles of Medical Ethics" and "Fundamental Elements of the Patient-Physician Relationship," reprinted with permission from the Code of Medical Ethics, American Medical Association, © 1994 and © 2000. AMA logo reprinted with the permission of the American Medical Association. © 2002 American Medical Association. Usage of the AMA logo does not imply an endorsement of the non-AMA material found in this book. Page 211: "Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements," reprinted with permission from the American Nurses Association, © 2001 American Nurses Publishing, American Nurses Foundation/American Nurses Association, Washington, D.C. Pages 212-15: "A Patient's Bill of Rights," reprinted with permission of the American Hospital Association, © 1992. Pages 216-17: "Pharmacy Patient's Bill of Rights," reprinted with permission of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. On the cover: The "triad of medical care" has been the basis for the ethical relationship between the pharmacist, the physician, and the patient for centuries. In the background, an early depiction of the triad from Book 7 of the encyclopedia...
Words: 13329 - Pages: 54
...Ethical Dilemma: Disclosure of confidential information and a duty to protect The job of a nurse is multifaceted. They are leaders, they are teachers, and they provide therapeutic nurse-client relationships. According to a recent poll conducted by Gallup (Newpart, 2012, para. 1), it should come as no surprise that the nursing profession is viewed as the most trusted profession where honesty and ethical standards are concerned. Nursing, like many other professional industries, have standards of practice in which to guide their decisions by providing frameworks for resolving issues. However, according to Walton (2013), with the growing complexity of ethical dilemmas now facing our health care system, nurses are often left asking: “what should we do, [rather than,] what can we do” (as cited in Black, 2014). What is certain is that ethical and...
Words: 1816 - Pages: 8
...responsibility of a practitioner to ensure that the safety and the wellbeing of the client is paramount. To achieve this, a practitioner needs to be aware of any NOS requirements in relation to their area of practice. The NOS standards for NOS for Healing and NOS for Hypnotherapy gives a strategic plan that describes the minimum skills, knowledge and understanding and performance criteria that must be met before someone can be deemed competent. For the clients safety the practitioner must be confident in his /her ability to proceed with complex techniques and deal with any difficulties that may arise. The need for a ‘positive therapeutic relationship’ which...
Words: 643 - Pages: 3
...training and maintaining competency for counselors. The primary responsibility of supervisions is to help professional socialization by instilling an understanding of the relevant ethical principles and standards to be a significant component in providing therapeutic rapports. The primary reasons for clinical supervisions are to ensure quality care and provide professional development in a systematic and planned manner. In todays’ society, clinical supervisions require a foundation in the understanding of the ethical and legal aspects of the supervisory relationship. There are many ethical and legal issues that can affect the supervisory relationship. All supervisors consistently approach all aspects of clinical supervision from an ethical and legal viewpoint. With more time and attention devoted to these important topics, awareness of the ethical and legal aspects can be demonstrated as they are put into practice. The role of a supervisor is to prevent harm from occurring to clients. Supervisors are in charged of reviewing and monitoring the quality of services and the key focus should be to insure that clients’ needs are being met. A primary focus of supervision is to be vigilant and aware of issues that could result in clients receiving inadequate service or being harmed by the therapeutic process. A supervisor must do everything within their power to insure that issues or behaviors of other counselors are not harming clients. New professionals need to develop an understanding...
Words: 426 - Pages: 2
...Ethics Paper 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...
Words: 3284 - Pages: 14
...the individual" (1, p. 10). Philosophy of Counseling. From ethics and values to philosophy is only a short step. A philosophy is an integration of values, usually resulting in statements of postulates and assumptions, or principles. It is only natural, and to be expected, that philosophies of counseling and psychotherapy should reflect the philosophies How Values Affect Counseling of the societies in which these activities and Psychotherapy operate. The prevailing philosophy of our Besides the fact that many of the client's society is a democratic one. This is more problems involve values and value conflicts, than a political term, although Meehl and there are other ways in which values af- McClosky (15) would make it primarily fect the therapeutic relationship. such. Democratic principles and values Values and Counseling...
Words: 5273 - Pages: 22
...A Conflict for Counselors Crystal Anderson University of Phoenix BSHS/332 Professional, Ethical, and Legal issues in Human Services Audra Stinson October 8, 2012 A counselor’s perspective Social workers study psychological and sociological aspects of counseling. It is believed by some professionals, work performed by practitioners considered technically guided from their educational experience. There is communication abroad that suggests most or nearly every social worker develops ethical practices from their training or state licensing boards. During therapeutic involvement counselors explore various methods of intervention tactics learned. However, it is other viewpoints critical for the development of each therapist style. This paper examines the development of this counselor’s personal values, ground rules, and ethics in a professional setting. The main focus describes viewpoints of the counselor’s perspectives, the effects, and sources, which contributed to these notions. This paper further explains the counselor decisions in ethical practices. Moreover, primarily counselors are responsible for the entire treatment process for their clients. This relationship often entails a variety of settings, such as private...
Words: 2183 - Pages: 9
...Christian Counselors (AACC). It will take a look at the differences and similarities shared between the two organizations, respectfully. It will examine confidentiality, dual roles and sexual intimacies. Establishing trust between the client and therapist is crucial in developing a relationship within the therapeutic structure. In the role of counselor, it is imperative that confidential information shared by the client isn’t divulged outside of the confines of therapy unless the client has given the therapist permission to do so. The only exception in which a therapist can break the client-therapist confidentiality is within the context of the law. It is important for a therapist to discuss confidentiality and its limitations within the initial consult of therapy. When counseling a family or more than one person during a session, confidentiality should be implicitly defined so that the clients understand the role of the therapist and the therapist’s responsibility to the clients or all parties involved with respect to keeping the information disclosed private. The role of counselor is one of complete secrecy in the sense that client confidentiality must be held at the highest standard. It is common for...
Words: 1272 - Pages: 6
