Importance Of Confidentiality In Counseling

1194 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Role of ethics in counseling

Ethical along with confidentiality issues are always a concern when you are dealing with clients in a counseling center. It could be a couple therapists engaging in seemingly harmless chit chat at the water cooler, sensitive topics brought up in a group which brings about personal discussions within a group or mishandling of client records. Although all the staff at the agencies know or should know about good ethical practices and confidentiality the subject of confidentiality should also be brought up with the clients within the group reminding them of the importance of each other’s confidentiality once outside of the group setting. When agencies have staff meetings the importance of ethics and confidentiality should be brought up so it is …show more content…

For instance, if the person comes in and needs to do Domestic Violence classes and a substance abuse class the person is going to be seeing two different therapists at the agency. I can understand the two therapists collaborating on what is best for the client as long as they are not disclosing what is being talked about in each of their individual group settings. Another issue that I have noticed at the agency that is of concern is at times there will be a group going in the large group room and the door will be open and people (usually staff) that walk past going to the kitchen area. The clients that are in the room are visible to whoever might pass by and what they are saying can be overheard. There has been a couple times where I have witnessed a therapist giving advice to a client. Then another time where one of the therapists was getting feedback in a situation with a client from their supervisor Marcela, and she told them they cannot give them advice, and the client knows what they need to do in their situation. One evening while one of therapists and I were facilitating a group and one client expressed they had just before arriving were situation they were not comfortable with, and they didn’t want to have contact with this person because the situation could escalate. By the end of the session the person that the client was avoiding having showed up at the agency and was sitting outside waiting for them. This was the last group of the night and the person came into the facility asking about the client, and the person working the front desk informed the person that that could not disclose any information regarding clients. Eventually the person outside left and the client ended up calling a cab; the therapist explained to the client that she or I being their therapist

Show More
Related

  • ACA Code Of Ethics Analysis

    176 Words  | 1 Pages

    It is important as a professional health care provider to have guidelines, regulations, and ethical standards to obey when providing care to the public. The ACA is to improve the quality of professional counselors in the community with education, knowledge, and guidelines by providing an ACA Code of Ethics standard when delivering treatment toward a clientele (American Counseling Association, 2015). One particular part of the ACA mission that is essential, is the ACA Code of Ethics. The purpose of the ACA Code of Ethics is a guide to ensure counselors in training and professional counselors understand the ethical obligations toward clients, possible grievances for conduct unbecoming, and professional responsibilities, which supports the ACA

    Read More

  • AAMFT Code Of Ethics Case Study

    1050 Words  | 3 Pages

    A promise of confidentiality assures clients that information revealed during counseling will not be shared with others without permission. An individual has the right to choose the time, circumstances, and extent, to which he or she wishes to share or withhold information. Marriage and family therapist have different confidentiality aspects from other counseling areas. Marriage and family therapist mostly have more than one client in a therapeutic relationship, there are different limitations for each individual client. AAMFT Standard II (2015 2.2) states When providing couple, family or group treatment, the therapist does not disclose information outside the treatment context without a written authorization from each individual competent to execute a waiver. Conclusively, counselors may be counseling a couple, group, or family for treatment, each client has their own rights to privacy protection and confidentiality. All counselors must follow specific guidelines when in regards to disclosing information that has potential harm to the client or identified others. If court ordered or third party payers have requested information it is the counselors job to obtain written consent from the client to release information about that

    Read More

  • AMHCA Ethical Codes

    1274 Words  | 3 Pages

    Understanding the American Counseling Association (ACA) and the American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA) ethical codes is an important aspect of developing one’s professional identity as a mental health counselor. More specifically, in order for a counselor to be professionally competent and ensure he/she is able to uphold ethical boundaries, it is essential that one becomes familiar with the codes. Furthermore, both ethical codes share a multitude of similarities as well as differences, including that the AMHCA code of ethics profoundly draws from the ACA code of ethics. However, it is important to note that the AMHCA code presents ethical criteria geared specifically towards mental health counselors whereas the ACA code

    Read More

  • Importance Of Confidentiality In The Practice Of Psychiatry

    1099 Words  | 3 Pages

    There is much debate about how psychiatric patients should be cared for and treated. Especially in an in patient setting, many healthcare providers will choose to care for mentally ill patients in their own way. Patients who are mentally ill have restrictions on certain aspects of their care such as access to certain things along with the environment they are in. Although confidentiality is important and should be maintained in all aspects of medical care, I do think that psychiatric patients should have the same have the opportunity to keep as much information confidential as they wish. Given the circumstances there are reasons to breach that confidentiality in mentally ill patients in order to keep the patient safe and out of harms way.

    Read More

  • Ethics and Law in the Field of Counseling

    1411 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • NASW Code Of Ethics

    907 Words  | 2 Pages

    Breaking confidentiality would threaten the goodwill and relationships within our group and could detriment group function. Protecting human relationships is a critical value in social work, and this worker strives “to promote, restore, maintain, and enhance the well-being of individuals, families, social groups, organizations, and communities” (Code of Ethics - NASW, n.d.). Sharing confidential information would go against social work’s ethical principles and tarnish the integrity of this worker who is intentionally “moving toward adherence to one’s professed values” (Miller & Rollnick, 2012, pg.

    Read More

  • Ethical Issues In Counseling

    1132 Words  | 3 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Extending Counseling Boundaries

    293 Words  | 1 Pages

    Counselor should never have a dual relationship with a client it can bring a lot of ethics issue that affect the client and counselor. According to ACA "A.6.b. Extending Counseling Boundaries Counselors consider the risks and bene ts of extending current counsel- ing relationships beyond conventional parameters. Examples include attend- ing a client’s formal ceremony (e.g., a wedding/commitment ceremony or graduation), purchasing a service or product provided by a client (excepting unrestricted bartering), and visiting a cli- ent’s ill family member in the hospital. In extending these boundaries, counselors take appropriate professional precau- tions such as informed consent, consul- tation, supervision, and documentation to ensure that judgment

    Read More

  • Counseling: Ethical Issues

    1774 Words  | 4 Pages

    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...

    Read More

  • Ethical Standards Guiding Group Therapy

    1861 Words  | 4 Pages

    The American Counseling Association (ACA, 2005) and the American Psychological Association (APA, 2002) established the basic codes of conduct, or ethical guidelines, that are followed by mental health professionals who provide therapy. In 1989, however, the Association for Specialists in Group Work (ASGW, 1989), a division of the ACA, published a comprehensive set of Ethical Guidelines specifically put forth, “to promote quality group training, practice, and research through enhancing the awareness of ethical issues associated with groups” (Durr, n.d., p. 2). And as a therapeutic group leader, one must be conversant with the contents of these rules and procedu...

    Read More

  • The ACA Code Of Ethics In Group Counseling

    1181 Words  | 3 Pages

    The ACA code of ethics “reflects the counseling profession’s understanding of changes in the role of the professional or changes in the society counselors serve” (Ponton & Duba, 2009, p. 119). The ACA code of ethics discusses many things counselors need to keep in mind when counseling an individual or a group. Some topics addressed are informed consent, confidentiality, and group work (ACA code of ethics, 2006, pp. 236-238). All three of these topics are all issues counselors will encounter in counseling a group or an individual.

    Read More

  • Ethical Dilemmas In Mental Health Counseling

    1067 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Boundaries and Ethics in a Counseling Relationship

    2216 Words  | 5 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Assessment: The Importance Of Assessment In Counseling

    1452 Words  | 3 Pages

    There are few circumstances counselors have to oblige when dealing issues from clients. Counselors have to be trustworthy; this is a fundamental to understanding and solving issues. Counselors have to keep information gathered confidential and restrict any disclosure of information to anybody. Clients voluntarily seek help to counselors for therapy or any kind of help they need. Hence as a counselor it is important to respect their clients’ self-government and ensure precision in information given. Commitment of a counselor plays a big role in a therapy. It is not ethical for a counselor to neglect a client such that the client’s well being is not taken care of. It is also important for counselors to have a fair treatment with all their clients. No matter how each client will be, there must not be any form of judgment, which will cause any form of unfair

    Read More

  • Dual Relationships Between Counselors and Clients

    1588 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

More about Importance Of Confidentiality In Counseling

Open Document