Ethics and Cross Cultural Counseling
Kendra DiLascio
CS204-23
February 23, 2014
Unit 7 Assignment
Culture is a group's way of life. It is visible and invisible, cognitive and affective, conscious and unconscious, and much more. There are at least five sources of it. They are the universal, ecological, national, regional, and racio-ethnic tributaries. Interactively, they shape and influence all human behavior, including counseling. The majority of the professional groups or sub-groups such as the counseling industry have moral codes of conducts, procedures and laws. These behavioral principles are geared towards counselors for high efficiency and success rates in therapy sessions (Hill, 2004). They help maintain the integrity of the counselor which helps maintain the trust between the therapist and the patient. There are inconsistencies and discrepancies with these moral values or code of conducts (Jennings et al., 2005) .Many professionals put precedence over rules and regulations, just as many Christians can be overly zealous with God’s commands that they miss out in creating and maintaining meaningful relationships. Many counselors can also miss out on the strengths of relationships as they focus on just the foundational moral values they bring into their professions (Jennings, 2005) In other words, it is not merely enough to go by the “codes” in one’s professional culture. These codes can be too broad. One’s beliefs, interpersonal and intrapersonal skills, justice and sound mind should also be a direct and large part in the behavior of a counselor. Each profession, including the counseling profession must create a balance or equilibrium for such rules. Cultural norms or societal standards are highly regulated principles set forth by a certain group within a profession. For instance, the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs regulate the principles and procedures within the counseling profession. The principles
CS204-23
February 23, 2014
Unit 7 Assignment
Culture is a group's way of life. It is visible and invisible, cognitive and affective, conscious and unconscious, and much more. There are at least five sources of it. They are the universal, ecological, national, regional, and racio-ethnic tributaries. Interactively, they shape and influence all human behavior, including counseling. The majority of the professional groups or sub-groups such as the counseling industry have moral codes of conducts, procedures and laws. These behavioral principles are geared towards counselors for high efficiency and success rates in therapy sessions (Hill, 2004). They help maintain the integrity of the counselor which helps maintain the trust between the therapist and the patient. There are inconsistencies and discrepancies with these moral values or code of conducts (Jennings et al., 2005) .Many professionals put precedence over rules and regulations, just as many Christians can be overly zealous with God’s commands that they miss out in creating and maintaining meaningful relationships. Many counselors can also miss out on the strengths of relationships as they focus on just the foundational moral values they bring into their professions (Jennings, 2005) In other words, it is not merely enough to go by the “codes” in one’s professional culture. These codes can be too broad. One’s beliefs, interpersonal and intrapersonal skills, justice and sound mind should also be a direct and large part in the behavior of a counselor. Each profession, including the counseling profession must create a balance or equilibrium for such rules. Cultural norms or societal standards are highly regulated principles set forth by a certain group within a profession. For instance, the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs regulate the principles and procedures within the counseling profession. The principles