Values are used every day in our lives. Values are important and needed to help us make right decisions for our lives. Should values be left outside the professional doors of our lives? If they were what would the world look like? Is it ethical to impose your belief system on someone else? Should you refer a client because of a value conflict? Is it possible to be beneficence when your core beliefs are in conflict with the client problem? We are here to help the client; and because we’re here to help sometimes it is best to refer the client. Is it ethical or unethical to counsel the client when you know you are not the best one to help them?
Summary
The chapter addressed values within the counseling process. It focused on how counselors
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It also means not being biased and judgmental against the client. It is important to have a neutral stance with the client to value and respect the client autonomy. The neutral stance help develops the therapeutic relationship with the client. Using neutrality help the client open up and share their heart. Working from the concept of a therapeutic neutrality relationship helps the practitioner to stay within the guideline of principle and virtue ethics.
Couples therapy, is a good example of when a therapist, can make uses of the concept of the therapeutic neutrality relationship. The counselor should keep a neutral stance when counseling the couple. Even if the counselor think one client is right, in what they are saying, the counselor should not take sides. The counselor should stay neutral. If the counselor breaks the therapeutic neutrality relationship, because of taking sides, the counselor might lose them both. The counselor would have acted unethically if this happened. Family therapy would also be a good example of using the therapeutic neutrality relationship. In family therapy, the therapist has to keep a neutral stance with the whole
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When the counselor gives advice, to the client, of what to do can also be considered as value imposition. It is important, for the counselor, to not participate in value imposing because the client want learn how to make decisions for themselves. Our job, as counselors, is to help the client sort out and find their own solution. Our job is not to make them clones of ourselves, and value imposing is unethical. A woman went to a counselor because of her husband’s cheating, not working, and stay gone all day long. The woman told the counselor she was at her wits end. She told the counselor the kids and she were depressed because of the treatment of her husband. Unbeknown to the client, the counselor has experienced the same thing in her life. The counselor has unfinished business. The counselor told the client she and the kids would be better off without him, and she should leave him. This would be an example of value
Cultural meanings of gender can play heavily into therapeutic effects of the client. A female client who is in therapy with her male partner may not have the “right” to speak against what he is saying if she disagrees; some cultures forbid the woman to go against her male partner or even speak in the presence of a male stranger, which could be the clinician. On the other hand, a male client with the above cultural custom may view a female clinician in a nega...
As a psychologist in a mental health profession, you should avoid conflicts of interest when providing any professional services to a client. Engaging in any activity with a client that makes the boundary between a provider and a client somewhat un...
A counselor should always keep their thoughts to themselves and remain open-minded about the situation. The only time a counselor should share their thoughts is if it helps the client with their situation that they are dealing with. “Counselors must practice only within the boundaries of their competence (Standard C.2.a.), and, if they “determine an inability to be of professional assistance to clients” (Standard A.11.b.), they should facilitate a referral to another provider. (Kocet, M. M., & Herlihy, B. J. (2014). Addressing Value-Based Conflicts Within the Counseling Relationship: A Decision-Making Model. Journal Of Counseling & Development, 92(2), 180-186 7p. doi: 10.1002/j.1556-6676.2014.00146.x).” Keeping your thoughts to yourself is
The counseling session should be centered on the client and their understanding of their world and/or problems not heavily weighted on the counselor interpretation of the client’s situation. The role of the counselor is to examine a problem needs changing and discover options in overcoming their problem. Bringing about change can help change the client’s narrative on their problem in the future and/or on life in the process.
It is important for Human Service workers to be aware of their values because sometimes those values can cloud judgment on matters and may not make the clients treatment the best treatment possible for them. Say for example a worker had an experience with cheating, so they think cheating is disgusting, and a client cheats on their husband/wife, the worker will not be able to treat the person properly unless they can identify their value and separate themselves from it.
Ethics in the counselling and psychotherapy protects the client and the therapist involved in the therapeutic relationship and the therapeutic process as a whole; with the concepts that act as a guide for the therapists in provision of good practice and care for the client. The framework is built on values of counselling and psychotherapy; principles of trustworthiness, autonomy, fidelity, justice, beneficence, non-maleficence and self-respect, and provides standards of good practice and care for the practitioner (BACP, 2010). Ethical framework contributes to the development of the therapeutic relationship and process by assisting therapist’s decisions, and guides their behaviour and proceedings within their legal rights and duties. The ethical frame is structured on the boundaries of the therapeutic relationship and the therapists should be aware of their categories and be responsible for their forms. Monitoring and being aware of what goes on in and out of the room physically, emotionally and psychologically is primarily the duty of the therapist.
In the case study of Gwen, there is one major problem presented. That problem is whether it is ethical for a supervisor to counsel his supervisee. I think that Gwen is going through the grieving process after learning about her mother’s condition and is in a vulnerable spot. She feels like she cannot continue her work with hospice patients because of personal feelings. Ken thinks that Gwen is a great therapist and does not want to see her give up. He also feels like he would be the most effective person to give Gwen counseling, because of their trusting relationship. I think that this would be a bad idea and could cross professional boundaries. The Ethical Guidelines for Counseling Supervisors strongly suggest against a supervisor entering in a psychotherapeutic relationship with supervisees. It is important to limit the possibilities of a dual relationship. Dual relationships can easily become unethical and present problems or possible harm to the client, which in this case is the supervisee. They can also create dependency or have unfavorable symbolic meanings. I also do not think it was a good idea that the counseling happened in the supervision sessions. This time should be spent on improving knowledge and helping clients. Spending most of the supervisor sessions working on personal problems could potentially harm the progress and well-being of the supervisee’s clients. My reaction to Ken blending the roles of supervisor and counselor is that it was not a good, professional, decision. He has entered a dual relationship with Gwen that could potentially cause harm to her or create a conflict of interest. Since Ken is Gwen’s supervisor, he has more power over the relationship than Gwen does. This power can easily be abused by Ken...
As a human service professional my own philosophy of life, your personal values, and your vision for the future of the world, and your values in relationships will inevitably impact on the decisions I make, and how I will react when they are questioned by clients, other professionals or conflict with the policies, procedures and laws I will work under. The important role ethics holds in providing a guideline for best practice and ethical decision making, in protecting both the counsellor and the client, and providing professional legitimacy (O’Connor, Wilson, and Setterlund, 2003, p.224). I will explore my personal values, and how congruent they are with the core values of social work and human services. By doing this regularly as a human services professional, I am better equipped at dealing with clashes between my values and the values of clients, other professionals and agencies, and managing the challenge of not imposing my personal values on others and when advocating for social justice.
Linde, L.E., Erford, B.T., & Cheung, A. (2010). Ethical and Legal Issues in Counseling. In B.T. Erford (Ed.), Orientations to the Counseling Profession: Advocacy, ethics, and essential professional foundations (pp.55-92). New Jersey: Pearson.
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,
Meeting Eboni’s needs is more important than meeting ours indicative in the NASW standards of practice. Kocet and Herlihy (2014 p.182) report that “counselors bring their professional, personal and cultural values into their professional relationships are not expected to be value free” These values and beliefs are integrated in their practices even though imposing these on clients is unethical. Maintaining the balance between personal and professional values is a challenging undertaking.
This paper will explore the concept of dual relationships between counselors and clients and the ethical implications of such relationships. In addition to presenting several examples of dual relationships, this paper will also explore how ethical decisions must be made to avoid potentially harmful or exploitive relationships in therapy as well understanding how different interactions between counselor and clients can be understood from an ethical standpoint, as well as how reviewing these ethical dilemmas may shape my future career as a counselor.
Keeping a positive and open relationship so that the client feels comfortable sharing their issues with the counselor. If the client is feeling judged they will withhold information and stunt the counseling process.
Counselor A is neutral with both Tom and Virginia. A professional response was provided rather than a personal one to both parties. The counselor view was from a positive perspective. The counselor was professional in giving feedbacks pertain to his or her potential clients. The therapist present a realistic approach based on the couple situation and facts. The therapist realistic approach will help the couple view their situation from a different perspective so that they can improve their relationship. Looking at things from the therapist point of view this method is intended to teach specific tools and skills to Virginia and Tom so that they can deepen their friendship and intimacy in their relationship. A more realistic approach will help them productively manage their own conflicts. If they choose this...
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...