Impairment 1: Ethical Issues In Counseling Practice
Ethical Issues in Counseling Practice
Ethical decision-making is an evolutionary process that requires you to be continually open and self-critical.
Recognizing the potential for countertransference: what are your own needs? Do you have areas of unfinished business? Are there potential personal conflicts that would interfere with helping the client? Do you recognize your own areas of prejudice and vulnerabilities? Counselor impairment often leads to countertransference. The more common characteristics of impairment are: • Fragile self-esteem • Difficulty establishing intimacy in one’s personal life • Professional isolation • A need to rescue clients • A need for reassurance about one’s attractiveness or one’s competence • A substance abuse
Countertransference can show itself in many ways. The …show more content…
Giving advice compulsively. 8. Desiring a social relationship with a client. 9. Delaying termination
Whose needs are being met in this relationship—my client’s or my own?
Is it unethical to meet our personal needs through our professional work? Don’t we benefit by being nurturing, feeling adequate, displaying competence, being respected and appreciated?
Steps in Ethical Decision-Making
1. Identify the potential problem. Is the problem mainly ethical, legal, professional, clinical, or moral? 2. Identify the potential issues for both you and the client. 3. Review the ethical codes for your profession. Are you own values and ethics consistent with or in conflict with the relevant guidelines? 4. Consider the applicable laws and regulations. 5. Seek consultation from other professionals or from your professional organization. 6. Brainstorm possible courses of action. 7. Evaluate the consequences of possible courses of action. 8. Decide on the best possible course of action. 9. Follow up to evaluate the
Ethical decision-making is an evolutionary process that requires you to be continually open and self-critical.
Recognizing the potential for countertransference: what are your own needs? Do you have areas of unfinished business? Are there potential personal conflicts that would interfere with helping the client? Do you recognize your own areas of prejudice and vulnerabilities? Counselor impairment often leads to countertransference. The more common characteristics of impairment are: • Fragile self-esteem • Difficulty establishing intimacy in one’s personal life • Professional isolation • A need to rescue clients • A need for reassurance about one’s attractiveness or one’s competence • A substance abuse
Countertransference can show itself in many ways. The …show more content…
Giving advice compulsively. 8. Desiring a social relationship with a client. 9. Delaying termination
Whose needs are being met in this relationship—my client’s or my own?
Is it unethical to meet our personal needs through our professional work? Don’t we benefit by being nurturing, feeling adequate, displaying competence, being respected and appreciated?
Steps in Ethical Decision-Making
1. Identify the potential problem. Is the problem mainly ethical, legal, professional, clinical, or moral? 2. Identify the potential issues for both you and the client. 3. Review the ethical codes for your profession. Are you own values and ethics consistent with or in conflict with the relevant guidelines? 4. Consider the applicable laws and regulations. 5. Seek consultation from other professionals or from your professional organization. 6. Brainstorm possible courses of action. 7. Evaluate the consequences of possible courses of action. 8. Decide on the best possible course of action. 9. Follow up to evaluate the