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
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.
As this book points out, and what I found interesting, the therapeutic relationship between therapist and client, can be even more important than how the therapy sessions are conducted. A therapists needs to be congruent. This is important because a client needs a sense of stability. To know what is expected from him or her while being in this transitional period of change. In some cases this congruency may be the only stability in his life, and without it, there is no way of him trusting in his t...
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.
The field of clinical mental health is one of great reward, but also one of grave responsibility. It is the duty of the counselor to provide the client with a safe environment and an open mind, in order to foster a healthy therapeutic relationship. The majority of mental health counselors would never intentionally harm their clients; however; good intentions are not enough to ensure that wrong will not occur. The ethical expectations and boundaries are regulated by both laws and professional codes. When discussing ethics, one must realize there are two categories, mandatory and aspirational. (Corey, Corey & Callanan, 2007)
Another aspect of my personal theory comes from Carl Rogers and his Person Centered theory. My greatest take away from Rogers is his theory of unconditional positive regard. I am in agreement that an individual in counseling must feel as if they are being accepted and not judged by their therapist. Often individuals who seek counseling are fearful to begin with so as a therapist it is important to make this client feel at ease and understand that they are in a safe environment where they will not be judged. Once you can establish this with a client I believe that the relationship with that client will be more successful and the ...
Lastly a strong morally opposition to a client’s behaviors, beliefs, et cetera can result in limited ability to help the client. A counselor may be subconsciously unwilling to help or even openly unwilling to help a client with a particular issue they have taken a stance on. In inability or unwillingness to help a client certainly impacts therapy. It can impact what a client is willing to talk about, the progress that is able to be made, and determines if a client should seek services elsewhere. If a client does not feel their issues are being adequately addresses they will either retreat and give up on addressing them or move on to an alternative solution.
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.
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...
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,
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...
The counselor must establish a trustworthy relationship with the client which will create the foundation in order to effectively reach the goals for the client. It is important for the counselor to listen to the client’s story, make sure to take good notes, and establish clear objectives based on the specific needs of the client. The counselor should be empathetic, make sure your focus is on the patient, always make sure your relationship is professional, make sure proper procedures are followed and also that the importance of confidentiality. By communicating a set of objectives, with milestones along the way, you can help your client feel hopeful and their issues can come to a resolution.
...f dual relationship there was also a possibility of the client becoming dependant on the therapist which could be seen as unethical by the BACP (2010).
Three interrelated attitude of the therapist are central to the success of person-centered therapy, this include: congruence; unconditional positive regard; and empathy (Corey, 2010). Congruence represents the openness and geniuses of the therapists. Therapists who function this way does not hind behind a professional façade, and are willing to share significant emotional reactions with their clients. Unconditional positive regards refers to the therapist accepting the client totally as she or he is without disapproving particular behaviors, believes, feelings or characteristics. Therapists convey this message by their wiliness to listen without being judging, or directive. The therapist who creates a nonthreatening context allows the clients to explore and share their true feelings without fear of being judged. Empathy is the third necessary component of a therapist’s attitude. The therapist should try to see through client’s point to view, and show understanding and sensitivity to client’s feeling throughout the therapy session. When these three attitudes are conveyed by a therapist, according the Rogers, the client can freely express themselves without afraid of being
Values remind me of ethics and morals, necessary in any walk of life and imperative in the work place. These concepts are guidelines in which employees need to follow to be successful. “Values represent basic convictions that a specific mode of conduct or end-state of existence is personally or socially preferable to an opposite or converse mode of conduct or end-state of existence.” (Robbins, 136) Integrity, courage, service, wisdom, respect and goal setting are a few of the values that are most crucial to me and what I hope to achieve within any work place setting. Values should be lived every day in the work place and should exemplify the
One aspect I found striking was the role of advice giving in counseling. Prior to this class, I knew that counselors did not typically give opinions or advice to lead a client in a certain direction. What I did not know was the entire reasoning behind this. A counselor might avoid giving advice so that a client learns to make his/her own decisions, does not become dependent on the counselor, and to ensure that a client will not later blame the counselor if the counselor’s advice did not turn out well. In this context, I have a better appreciation and understanding of why therapists refrain from telling the client what to do.