The Ethical Decision Making Model is an ethical guideline that is useful in ethical dilemmas and what course of action to take. It’s a framework that allows professionals to analyze and make ethical decisions to the best of their ability. It gives counselors a protocol to determine the appropriate course of action when faced difficult challenge. These decisions are taking into account; reflect a concern for the interests and the well-being of all clients concerns. Counselors should keep in mind the Golden Rule: “Do onto others as you would want onto you”. The ACA Ethics Committee members developed “A Practitioner 's Guide to Ethical Decision Making”, which address ethical questions in the workplace by identifying problems, deliberating potential …show more content…
This model identifies five moral principles which are: justice, autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and fidelity. These fundamental guidelines are used to clarify issues that involve any given situation. Ethical guidelines may not address all situations, but will allow a counselor to explore ethical dilemmas and conflicting issues. Counselors are responsible to encourage clients to make their own appropriate decisions and to act on their own values. Two important things to consider when counseling client are: autonomous encouragement helps clients understand how their decisions and values that may or may not receive within the context of the society; they live in or may impinge on the rights of others (Kitchener, …show more content…
Strengths of the Ethical Decisions Making Model are Kitchener 's Critical Evaluation Model (1984), which involves understanding how ethical decision-making approaches play an important role in the ethical landscape of counseling. It involved the notions of loyalty, faithfulness, and honoring commitments (Kitchener, 1984). It’s best to form trust within the client/counselor relationship and implement faith in the growth of their therapeutic relationship. Kitchener (1984) proposes four goals to strength the model of increasing ethical sensitivity, improving ethical reasoning, developing ethical responsibility and tolerating ambiguity (Kitchener,
Sim, J (1997). Ethical Decision Making in Therapy Practice. Oxford: Reed Educational and Professional Publishing Ltd. p.16.
Wendel, Peter Counselors in Recovery find answers to ethical dilemmas. Counseling Today. May 1997: 28 pars Online: Available http://www.conseling.org/ctonline/archives/recovery.htm
In 2005, the American Counseling Association (ACA) published a document titled the ACA Code of Ethics which was designed to aid counselors in the ethical decision making process and, in response, “expand the capacity of people to grow and develop” (p. 3). The ACA Code of Ethics provides regulatory guidelines for all counselors to follow in ethical decision-making and practice. Of a more specific nature, the American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC) has also published a document stating the ethical practices and procedures for the Christian counseling field. The two documents contain many similarities, but, due to differing goals and principals, also containing may differences. This paper compares these two documents and more specifically focuses on the similarities and differences in the areas of confidentiality, fees, and records.
The American Psychiatric Association (APA) Code of Ethics (2002) is the foundation for psychology’s professional practice and ethical responsibility. Although it is important to know the ethical standards, professionals must also apply them into practice. The current case example examines the importance of professional consultation, when faced to identify ethical dilemmas in clinical practice, make ethical decisions, and gain insight into self-awareness. This case also highlights the importance of implementing self-care in clinical practice, especially when treating patients who present with severe symptomatology.
Aspirational ethics reach toward higher standards than those of mandatory ethics, requiring the counselor to possess a stronger sense of duty. These principles guide counselors to do more than simply meet the “letter of the law” of the ethics code. The welfare of the client becomes the main focus of the counselor, who takes into consideration not only the interventions, but also the effects on the client. (Kottler & Shepard, 2011) Aspirational ethics include, but are not limited to the following principles.
Since ethical dilemmas are not always easily answered through the use of The Code of Ethics, ethical decision-making models are effective tools that can assist nurses in dealing with ethical issues. Ethical decision-making models provide a framework for working through difficult choices. They seek to define the limits of what is morally acceptable and help clarify the guidelines for making those difficult decisions. Ethical decision making models assist nurses in analyzing situations by focusing on understanding the patient needs, need for responsiveness to circumstantial considerations, and recognizing the uniqueness of each situation.
582). Ethical decision making is defined as “The process of choosing between actions based on a system of beliefs and values” (Black, 2014, p. 347). The nurse handling the ethical problem must first identify that there is in fact a problem. The second step is to acquire all of the required information related to the current situation. The third step is to come up with multiple choices and options to solve the ethical problem. The fourth step is to actually pick one of the choices utilizing sound ethical judgement. The fifth step would be to enact the made decision. The final step in the process is to reassess your decision and look for effectiveness and
Ethics is the judgement and the moral actions used in interactions with cultures and society and its focus is on the client well-being. Ethics is defined by Remley and Herlihy (2010) in the counseling field as “professional behavioral and interactions” (p.4). Counselors do rely and are guide by Codes of Ethics. The role and relevance of the ethical principals, the ACA and AMHCA Code of Ethics are the base of the counseling profession. Without them this career would not have a guide on how the professionals should act and react professionally in all the different situations that are faced in this field.
The method of ethical decision making which was developed by Dr. Cathryn A. Baird presented two components contained in all ethical decisions which are; The Four ethical Lenses and the 4+1 Decision process. The Four Ethical Lenses issue claims that different ethical theories and the means in which we tend to approach the situations which form part of our ethical traditions are looked at in four different perspectives. From each perspective there are different values on which to decide whether the action taken is either ethical or not and each lens also lays emphasis on determining whether the decision made is of ethical requirement. In the 4+1 Decision Process, people who are responsible for making final decisions in an organization do it using four specific decision making steps and eventually will end up with one extra decision which gives a chance to reflect. The 4+1 decision process allows the decision makers to give solutions when faced with complicated ethical issues (John Muir Institute for Environmental Studies, 2000).
So your opinions on the topic may or may not help out the situation and also in some unfortunate cases can send the client into a ‘downward spiral’. By expressing your ethical issues on the topic to your client you may trigger unwanted emotions. These unwanted emotions can drive the client to hurt themselves or even make the client take legal actions towards the counselor. Ways to prevent this from happening is learning your own self-control and what your limits are when its comes to dealing the client. “You want to consider the best action that will protect your client’s needs, but you also want to ask yourself: What is the best action to protect the profession and myself? (Berton, J. D. (2014). Make the Rule to Break the Rule: Setting Your Ethical Standards. Counselor: The Magazine For Addiction Professionals, 15(5), 10-12
Ethical issues in a counseling practice lay the foundation of a therapist in practice. Ethics are at the center of how the counseling process functions and operates in a successful manner for the clients who seek help in such a setting. In order for the counseling profession to be ethical and hold professional recognition, there are many facets that need to be examined and outlined to make sure all counselors and practitioners are functioning at the highest level and withholding their duties required by the counseling profession. The first introduction so to speak of the area of ethics also happens to be one of the first steps in counseling, which is the informed consent. The informed consent provides the basis of what happens or will be happening in a counseling setting and serves to inform the client to their rights, responsibilities, and what to expect. Most importantly, the informed consent is in place for the client’s benefit. It also is important to understand that culture and environment play a role in the treatment of a client and how theories can positively or negatively impact this treatment. Therapists need to understand how to work within the context of a theory while being able to understand the individual in their own environment. Although theories are put into place to serve as a framework, there are also alternative ways to approach counseling, one example being evidence-based practice. Such an approach is very specific, which presents a series of solutions for counseling as a whole, but also brings forth many problems. Every approach or theory introduces ethical concerns that need to be taken into consideration by the entire counseling community and how each can positively and negatively affect clients and the pr...
Ethical issues are common in the field of mental health, and so mental health counselors rely heavily on sound ethical decision-making to navigate difficult decisions that affect the client’s wellbeing, law, and the counselor’s own liability. Using ethical decision-making models, counselors can make better decisions, however, there are situations where other factors outside of the counselor’s control can influence these decisions. These factors can include the education and experience of the counselor as well as their current emotions. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of emotions, both positive and negative, on ethical decisions.
In a professional counselor’s life, the counselor is responsible for creating ethical decisions for the clients they are trained to work with such as, when to break confidentiality, when to receive client’s gifts, or the correct methods to preform when treating a certain client (Wester & Hines, 2017, p. 16). In addition to ethical decisions, Wester and Hines (2017), discuss the importance in research ethics and integrity and how it has not been widely considered to the counseling professionals. The importance in ethical research practice consists of informed consent, ensuring the proper treatment for particular clients, to assure the clients anonymity in data, guide professional judgments, and help with the decision-making
Given this obvious challenge within the field of psychology, several ethical decision-making models have been postulated as an additional guide to the American Psychological Association’s Code of ethics in assisting psychologists in appropriately resolving ethical dilemmas. Psychologists ethical decision making is guided by constructs including values, morality, community standards, reasonableness and professionalism (Corey, Corey & Callanan, 2006). Ethical decision making can be carefully evaluated through models such as that of Tymchuck (1981), Kitchener (1984) and Day (1996). According to Tymchuck’s model, a detailed description of the situation containing information derived from all relevant sources must first be obtained to identify critical issues (Freeman, 2000). The ethical decision is then calculated through a thorough evaluation of the critical issues outlined using an analogous process where consequences are carefully assessed (Freeman, 2000). Similarly, Kitchener outlined a critical evaluation model demonstrating the role of virtue ethics in ethical decision
Morals and principles rule our behavior, these elements are termed ethics. When working as a counselor or psychologist these ethics determine our level of professionalism and commitment to our clients. A case study will be reviewed in the context of ethics. Ethical standards and codes will be evaluated and relevant standards will be utilized and justified for relevance as it pertains to the case study. Multicultural issues within the decision-making model will be considered. The steps used in the process of decision-making will be discussed, as well as an ethical reasoning model will be applied with evaluation of the advantages and disadvantages of using the chosen model. A solution for the dilemma will be