Code Of Ethics : Professional Counselor

A code of ethics stands for a set of principles of conduct set within an organization to assist or guide employees to making decisions and adhering to ethical behavior. It’s a set of guidelines that must be followed to make ethical choices when conducting work related matters. Code of ethics is an organizations form integrity. This paper will discuss what an appropriate code of ethics is, and summarize the features of deontological, consequentialist, and virtue of ethics in a professional code of ethics. It will also analyze both the advantages and disadvantages of each approach to ethical theory in the context of the workplace.

Dual relationships and the ethical behavior that revolves around boundaries with clients present a multitude of very complicated situations to counselors where a clearly defined course of action is not always evident. Aside from no accord amongst mental health professionals and boundary issues being unavoidable at times, recognition and prediction of potential benefits or pitfalls correlated with dual relationships can prove to be troublesome as well (Remley & Herlihy, 2010). For most cases, it is best if an outline is used to discern when it is appropriate for a counselor to breach the client-counselor boundary.

1. Describe and discuss ethical frameworks within which counselling and therapeutic practitioners work. Include justification for observing codes of conduct and how professionalism is maintained.

Boundaries and ethics are very important to know whether you a counselor, coach, pastor, and so on because there are limitations in what you can do and say. Almost everywhere you go a business, organization, church, etc. has a Code of Ethics to follow. Having a Code of Ethics in place is to protect the coach and the client to create professional boundaries that can help build a professional relationship. The American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC) has very strong approach on how a coach should have professional boundaries with their clients. Having Code of ethic or professional boundaries is important to understanding before you meet your client so you and the client can have a proper environment during your time together. When

* I believe it is unethical for the counselor to reveal anything said in individual counseling with the husband. She didn’t address a “no secrets” policy in the informed consent. Sharing this information with the wife without his permission is unethical. In marriage counseling the “no secrets” policy needs to be addressed and explained in the informed consent. Since she did not have a policy concerning this, she is bound by confidentiality which should have been in her informed consent.

This paper is a response to a video discussing the issues of confidentiality, privilege, reporting, and duty to warn. This paper looks at these issues and their explanations in the American Counseling Association Code of Ethics as well as the Georgia State Board of Professional Counselor’s ethical guidelines and provides a commentary on the laws. It was found that these issues are not always black and white, but there is some debate on these issues. Confidentiality is both an ethical and a legal responsibility yet there are often times when the ethical demands clash with the legal demands. This paper explores some of those crashes and explains what I have learned from the video and the professional and stage guidelines concerning confidentiality and its implications and how I will apply what I have learned into future practice.

b. What special issues of confidentiality may arise in the case? How should David address these issues? Even though David most recently been in a counseling relationship with the husband, he stills have a legal “duty” to the husband, who was originally client..In most circumstances, he can release the husband 's individual counseling records to her upon his written request. However, he may be compromising his ethics and breaching confidentiality by releasing information to the wife that he obtained from the husband or learned during a joint counseling session unless he have written authorization of both or a court order (2005 ACA Code of Ethics, Section B.2.c.)

Counseling takes many different roads in the direction of improving a client’s mental health. These roads all lead to a common goal, but the therapist must be diligent in the direction chosen. A code of ethics provides the parameters for proper and effective treatment and boundaries protect the process of healing. Understanding how these two critical components interweave into this process aids in the conceptual framework of therapy. It may become necessary to expand upon and even cross the theoretical aspect of a boundary in order to stimulate the process of helping the client, but by no means shall these boundaries be violated. The Royal College of Psychologists (2013) compare professional boundaries to that of guardrails at the Grand Canyon, providing the visitor a safe area to enjoy the view with minimal risk of harm. Though the therapist’s boundaries can be much more flexible than a guardrail as it involves the process of therapy, some aspects such as sexual contact as an example are just as unyielding. Utilization of ethical treatment keeps the counselor on the path with clear direction and out of harm’s way for both the client and the therapist. The substance abuse therapist must become intimately familiar with the definition and application appearance of boundary crossing versus boundary violation and how a code of ethics model successful treatment for the substance user.

Professional counselors and their staff are exposed to sensitive client information and records. The helpful receptionist and whose privilege videos, show how to apply both the American Counseling Association Code of Ethics (ACA Code of Ethics) and state board counseling laws to common ethical scenarios. The content explores aspects designed to call attention to favorable and unfavorable skills and techniques in handling such matters. These two videos demonstrate the limitations of confidentiality and privileged information. As a professional counselor one is expected to uphold the principles of confidentiality and privilege according to the ACA Code of Ethics and state laws. One may conclude that the helpful receptionist video shows clear violations of confidentiality. While the whose privilege video indicates the significance of insuring that counselors comprehend state laws and ethics codes pertaining to confidentiality and privilege. Furthermore, counseling professionals are held accountable for violating ethics codes and state laws as well as training staff on informed consent.

Professional associations establish codes of ethics to ensure that clinicians uphold the standards of their association in order to protect the clients they serve and the profession they are affiliated with. This paper will compare the codes of ethics of the American Counseling Association (ACA), American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT), and National Association of Social Workers (NASW).

On the issue of abortion with the 19-year old rape victim, I feel that she has a right to choose whether or not to go through with the abortion. As her counselor I have to put my personal feelings aside and help her to make the best decision for herself. My client is firm in her plans to have the abortion and since she is an adult her parents have no legal right to make her change her mind. I am unable to convince the parents to change their minds as they are not my clients and I have no input in how they feel. According to the ACA (2005) I must be sensitive to the family’s cultural beliefs and in the

I intend to show an understanding of the ethical framework for good practice in counselling, relating it to practice and also my own beliefs and opinions, how this influences the counselling relationship, I will also show the need for protection of self and client.

While all three associations seek to set standards of ethical conduct based on the idea of doing no harm, the Christian Counseling Code of Ethics takes it one step further and acknowledges, and embraces, the role God and faith plays in our interactions with our clients. The APA and AAMFT both stress our responsibility to others and personal (and professional) integrity, but the AACC breaks down their ethics code into areas which represents our calls from God.

Jessica is sixteen years old, and is sent to the school counselor following concerns from her year level coordinator. Jessica is finding it difficult to concentrate in class, is continuously late to school, and often arrives to school disheveled and unkempt. The coordinator is concerned about what may be happening at home with Jessica, and that she may be getting involved in a notoriously bad circle of friends in the area known for drug taking and other delinquent activities. Although reluctant during the first few sessions to disclose anything much, Jessica begins to trust the counselor and opens up about her frequent drug use. She says she used to only smoke marijuana, but that now this had increased to weekly

Second argument, let's look back at the ethical codes, section A.6.B ( Extending Counseling Boundaries) states that "Counselors consider the risks and benefits of extending current counseling relationships beyond conventional parameters. In extending these boundaries, counselors take appropriate professional precautions such as informed consent, consultation, supervision, and documentation to ensure that judgment is not impaired and no harm occurs." (ACA, 2014). As this code states, if a therapist takes appropriate steps by documenting everything and discussing events in supervision, which we are doing now, we should be safe within the ethical code lines. The Most important point to remember, as long as the client is not hurt during the dual relationship process, we are maintaining our promise of being ethically professional helpers.