One need only look at the history of mankind generally and the history of psychology specifically to reach an agreement and ultimate conclusion that humanity needs rules, procedures, and guidelines in order to properly conduct themselves within the confines of a civilized society. However, “religious moral codes (such as the Ten Commandments) and Secular moral codes are usually vague, laying out general principles that may be difficult to apply to specific cases” (Vaughn, 2013, p. 9). And even for the principles and rules that are not vague (e.g., do not murder, do not have sexual relations with your client) we still witness them broken time and time again. The Texas Administrative Codes of ethics that oversee the Licensed Professional Counselors …show more content…
They “establish norms and expectations for practitioners in order to collectively minimize the risk of harm to clients and the general public” (Francis & Dugger, 2014, p. 131). Moreover, the codes serve as a model or as a blueprint for behavioral and professional expectations while serving as an LPC or LMFT and who represent something much larger than themselves. “Professional associations [that oversee counselors]…have a vested interest in the behavior of their members” (Pipes, Holstein, & Aguirre, 2005, p. 325). Another advantage of these codes is they are easy to read and understand. One last positive attribute is because the codes specify how licensees should act both on- and off-duty the license holder has a measure from which to judge his or her interpersonal relationships. This is beneficial for society as a whole because by following the code of ethics you will be modeling a wholesome, healthy behavior for all to …show more content…
While the codes are meant to ‘establish norms and expectations’ the manner in which they are written has an intimidating legalistic tone. They have a “You better do this or else” feeling. Furthermore, some of the principles are vague. For instance, the client’s well-being comes first, right? If lying was the best thing to do at a particular moment would that be acceptable? Moreover, sometimes a counselor will have to interpret part of the code and make the best informed decision that he can. But what if the results are less than perfect and a client has a complaint. Now, that same part of code that the counselor interpreted and acted on may go before a review committee for them to interpret and make the best informed decision they can. Lastly, codes of ethics are meant to provide equality for all concerning norms and behavioral expectations, but how can it be enforced when “there is often no immediate oversight or system of checks and balances to support ethical practice” (Brennan, 2013, p. 245) with mental health counselors in private
The National Organization for Human Services (NOHS) Ethical Standards is intended to serve as a guide to the everyday professional conduct of the helper. The standards are extremely broad and subject to interpretation, by the helper. Therefore, the standards are not static; they are revised as new concerns occur during the client-helper relationship.
Profession Code of Ethics Comparison As a social work student, we are provided with the foundational education necessary to succeed in our profession. The National Association of Social Work (NASW) Code of Ethics is the most significant publication because it “is intended to serve as a guide to the everyday professional conduct of social workers” (NASW Code of Ethics, 2017). For this assignment, we are charged with exploring other professional codes of ethics to gain a better understanding of how they may be similar or differ from one another. Therefore, I choose to explore the American Counseling Association (ACA) Code of Ethics with the intention of conducting a comparison analysis of both documents.
Beside personal therapy, boundary setting is one of the essential elements to develop effective client-counsellor relationship. It provides a consistent framework in the counselling process which shapes the appropriate interaction and relationship structure. There are five basic principles outlined in the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA) Interim Code of Ethics 2015 that guides the therapeutic boundaries. They include: beneficence (to promotes the best interest of the client), non-maleficence (“doing no harm”), autonomy (to encourage independent thinking and decision-making in the client), justice (to provide equal and fair service), and fidelity (to be honest and commit to client’s progress). However, the structure
The Code of Ethics for Psychologists 3.05 is a little more vague. In l-11 it states “Such relationships include, but are not limited to, members of the Provider’s immediate or extended family, business associates of the professional, or individuals who have a close personal relationship with the professional or the professional’s family” (NAADAC: The Association for Addiction Professionals NCC AP: The National Certification Commission for Addiction Professionals CODE OF ETHICS: Approved 10.09.2016). In the 3.05 it states “If a psychologist finds that, due to unforeseen factors, a potentially harmful multiple relationship has arisen, the psychologist takes reasonable steps to resolve it with due regard for the best interests of the affected person and maximal compliance with the Ethics Code” (Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct.
The problems cannot only hurt the counselor but the client in the long run. With the dilemma above we see a counselor who believes their client is not being responsible for not completing the homework that they assigned to them. When the counselor has decided to deal with the situation they decide to say something to the client at work which breaks so many ethical guidelines from confidentiality to privacy which is the most important part of having clients. With writing this paper it has made me think of ways to handle situations so that they remain ethical and professional. Based on the information provided in the ACA Code of Ethics Wilma does not have respect for her client nor does she respect the privacy for the confidentiality of her client.
When reading the IAMFC Code of Ethics and AAMFT Code of Ethics I found that they compare significantly, much more than they contrast. Many of the principals coincide. For example, the topic of multiple relationships is one of the many principles that parallel in many codes of ethics. The IAMFC Code of Ethics encourages family counselors to “avoid whenever possible multiple relationships, such as business, social, or sexual contacts with any current clients or family members” (Section A). Similarly, the AAMFT Code of Ethics also requires that therapists “make every effort to avoid conditions and multiple relationships with clients that could impair professional judgment or increase the risk of exploitation.
The Eight Step Ethical Decision-Making Model is about the collective effort between client and counselor and not about the counselor finding a solution for the client or making a decision for him (Corey, Corey & Haynes,1998). This model
Counselors must be aware of their ethical and legal obligations when providing counseling services, such as those related to crisis prevention and intervention. This knowledge can guide the counselor in making appropriate decisions to best assist the client. The American Counseling Association Code of Ethics (2014) provides counselors with the core principles of autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, justice and fidelity to guide them in decisions making. Furthermore, the following ACA (2014) ethical codes are applicable to crisis counseling: A.1.a. Primary responsibility.
4. . COMMON VIOLATIONS OF ETHICAL CODES This concept was taken from module 5" ethics and laws", sub-topic 2" common violations of ethical codes-negligence, malpractice, incompetence etc.". Ethical codes are formulated and used by organizations to its members understand what is right and what is made and help them also make decisions based on this knowledge.
Abstract The term ethical standard is used by substance abuse counselor that define the meaning of ethics of ethical. First, the meaning of ethical is “pertaining to or dealing with morals or the principles of morality.” (n.d., Dictionary.com Unabridged) Besides, the code of ethics in any profession whether it’s counseling, business field, medicine, or even law was created to establish guidelines for the professionals to abide by.
An Ethical Problem can be defined as when a professional is faced or/placed in a situation in which the decision could possibly affect the client negatively, thus this ethical problem forces the counsellor/professional to reflect on what the right thing to do is under the specific circumstances (Allan, 2011). The case study stated that Thumi wants to continue having intercourse with Anthony as normal whilst knowing that she is HIV positive, this is the ethical problem. By having this information (that Thumi is HIV positive and what she intends to do leads to the ethical dilemma. The journal of American psychotherapy stipulated that counsellors are frequently faced with dilemmas, how they respond to these situations can either be ethical or
For that reason, the counselor should refer to the code of ethics for additional support. The counselor should have ethical and legal considerations when using research in counseling it is for the protection of the client. It is important to know what the population the counselor will be working to see if the research will be effective if there will be any barriers for the client. The responsibility of the counselor is to collect the proper pre and post-test of the client to show a difference when they first started therapy when they finished. It is also important to
While completing the values checklist, I learned many things about myself. The two main things that I have learned is that I am generally accepting of a client’s freedom to choose so long as the client is not placing others at harm, and I am judgmental of men who want to dominate women. After completing the checklist, I understand that as a counselor many times clients will come in with values that are vastly different from mine, and my job is not judge, but to understand. If the issues of the client appear to be too outlandish for me to overcome, I will seek supervision and reflect on why this client is challenging for me.
Adherence to professional ethics is a foundational aspect of counseling practice. As students, we are trained to be ethically competent, providing the most principled treatment for our clients. Yet, ethical issues are not just encountered by novice counselors, experienced practitioners face ethical dilemmas throughout their career, as well. The American Counseling Association (ACA) Code of Ethics (2014) sets ethical obligations and provides guidance for how to manage ethical dilemmas. The code considers professional values that counselors should be aware of, but also ethical principles that guide practice (ACA, 2014).
Much of what we, as counselors, base our work comes from empirical research and evidence based experience. Whether we are choosing to work from a specific theory or utilizing bits and pieces from many, neither leads us to complete competence. Even though a therapist may be following every ethical code and given theory there is always a question of was it the best for the client, and was it successful or not. There are times when it may be necessary to put aside what we have been taught and go with our “gut” feeling. We need to accept that we will not always have the answers and will make mistakes.