You are a support agent for Bug-Free Software Limited, which develops customized software for businesses on a contract basis. You receive the following email message from a large client:…
n order to minimize professional liability and ensure treatments of clients so that they remain soundly and within the boundaries of professional standards it is up to the counselor to inform and educate his/her clients about the code of ethics (the clients may not know there boundaries) as well as determine if the client needs to be transferred to another professional. For example if the client attempts to cross the boundaries it’s the consoler responsibility to be an authority figure in these cases, as mentioned in the ACA it’s part the counselors job to determine if the client needs to see a different professional. Decisions and treatment options for the client are always made with the best interest in mind for the client. As mentioned in the code of ethics section A.2.e Mandated client’s counselors discuss the required limitations to confidentiality when working with clients who have been mandated for counseling services.…
The field of professional counseling provides for occasions for the counselor to make decisions based on professional ethics. Ethics can be commonly derived from one’s own values. In order to create a more consistent standard codes of ethics have been published. Two of these publications will be used in this paper: 1) American Counseling Association (ACA): Code of Ethics (2005), 2) American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC): Code of Ethics (2004). Whereas these organizations are based on different ideals, a general comparison will be made. Inasmuch as revisions are ongoing, this paper will review several that were revised in the latest publication, as highlighted in the article New Mandates and Imperatives in the Revised ACA Code of Ethics. (2009)…
As a future counselor, I can say with certainty that at some point in my counseling career I will be faced with an ethical dilemma. What will help me in this type of situation is having a solid understanding of the ACA Ethical Guidelines. My understanding of ethics is that it is beneficial to both the client and the counselor and serves as a guide for counselors and protects the client. From the counselor perspective, ethical guidelines provide guidance, boundaries and answers to ethical dilemmas that arise during counseling sessions. To be discussed in this paper is a summary of my understanding of ethics as it pertains to ethics and legalities course I am currently enrolled in. In addition the ethical codes…
Informed consent will be a handout provided along with the application, during the first session there will be an orientation that will review the informed consent with the group. Confidentiality will be covered in the informed consent handout, in the group rules and facilitators will be trained on this topic. Yalom and Leszcz (2005) stated, “Group members must maintain confidentiality to create a safe environment for the work of therapy and to develop trust within the group” (p. 568). However, there is always a risk of confidentiality being broken in a group due to the nature of being humans. Also, an ethical concern for the facilitators is that in Nebraska they are legally mandated reporters of certain types of abuse, such as child abuse.…
This paper will study through some of the diverse ethical issues that can arise within group therapy sessions, such as conflict and confidentiality. While discussing the ethical issues within group counseling we will take note of how these ethical issues may differ and compare to the ethical issues of those within individual counseling sessions. This paper will also discuss reasons why a therapist might choose to lead a group therapy session over individual counseling and vice versa. Throughout this paper you will be accurately informed of the ethical issues surrounding group therapy and individual counseling. As someone just starting out in the counseling field this paper may help to address any questions you had in deciding if leading group therapy is right for you or if you would be better suited for individual counseling.…
While gathering back ground information Dr. should try to gain some perspective on the situation at hand as well as the story of both patients. The information of how the relationship was started should be clearly stated as well as awareness of rules of the group therapy admittance. With all perspectives, information and research he should generate ethical alternatives and evaluate alternative in terms of moral theories, general principles, ethical standards, laws & consequences. Making an informed decision Dr. Jones terminate the two from the group therapy sessions because it jeopardizes…
When providing counseling services to individuals or a group of individuals, one needs to be cautious on his or her approach to everyone’s specific needs. Even though there are a variety of methods to solving a problem, some methods encounter ethical dilemmas. The ethical dilemma is about Jane, a counselor at a community college, who starts a relationship skills group for nine individuals between the ages of 18-25. In her primary course of action, she encounters several ethical dilemmas: she fails to provide sufficient information about the group in an advertisement, encounters ethical problems within the enrollment process, fails to provide an informed consent to the enrollees, and puts the other attendees at risk of harm. By identifying the code of ethics involved and the moral principles within her primary course of action, Jane is able to purpose and evaluate several options that she can properly apply to her final course of action, eliminating the ethical dilemmas.…
The primary role of counseling’s ethical code is to protect the public and to preserve the credibility of the counseling profession (Remley & Herlihy, 2010). My future work as a counselor may entail a wide variety of different ethical dilemmas that arise at any given time. I might also be required to make decisions that have implications in several different legal and ethical areas. In order to be able to meet the needs of my clients, the role as a counselor and the professional responsibilities of the field I practice in I must be fully aware of all the necessary information that is available to me to make such decisions. I must strive to be fully versed in all areas of ethical codes so that I am able to provide services that allow me to function within the best practices guidelines. Being the very best at what I do and striving to go beyond leave me no alternative but to be fully versed in the application of ethics in my future field of…
In group counseling, counselors are vulnerable to several risks affiliated with ethical issues in groups. Among the identified risks is the fact that verbal abuse is more likely to occur in comparison to individual therapy, the possibility of members becoming dependent on the group leader, screening and selection may be poorly conducted, and the group leader has less control in influencing what occurs within the group…
Groups may be defined in many ways, indeed providing an absolute definition of a group, as with much of the theory around group work, is highly problematic and contestable. However for the purposes of discussing groupwork within a context of working with young people we may define a group as a small gathering of young people. Group work may simplistically be described as the study and application of the processes and outcomes experienced when a small group comes together.…
The American Counseling Association (ACA) Code of Ethics is available to clarify the ethical responsibilities for professional counselors and future professional counselors. According to the ACA (2005), “the code serves as an ethical guide designed to assist members in constructing a professional course of action that best serves those utilizing counseling services and best promotes the values of the counseling profession.” As a graduate student striving to achieve a Master’s Degree in Counseling, it is crucial, not only to know and understand the ACA Code of Ethics, but also to understand any challenges that I may have in upholding them as well as ways to address these challenges effectively. In this paper I examine a section of the ACA Code of Ethics that I find personally challenging, risk management strategies used to resolve this potential ethical conflict, and a section of the ACA Code of Ethics that will not present a challenge.…
Different organizations are driven by specific sets of code of ethics, which are used to protect many different aspect of the organizations, specifically the client, counselor, and organization. Concerning the standards of a counselor, their ethics are not only provided by the laws of the state or their practice, but also outside sources who present basic values and regulations of ethical standards in their code of ethics. This paper will look at two specific associations: the American Counseling Association (ACA) and the American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC). The purpose of this paper is to discuss both the similarities as well as differences of these two organizations and their standards of ethics. While discussing the AACC and ACA organizations standards, this paper will also look at three specific areas which we chosen to compare and contrast: confidentiality, fees, and competence.…
Reflecting on the many committees, teams, and groups that I have been on or have been a part of over of my career, I would have to say the majority of them have been formed in reaction to an already occurring problem. In the following paper, I will explain my experience with work-based group formation and the challenges of the groups.…
Groups generally pass through a standardized sequence in their evolution. We call this sequence the five stage model of group’s development.…