Ethical Principles in Therapy Practice

Ethical Principles in Counseling

• Promoting Client's Well-Being: The principle focuses on enhancing the client's overall health and happiness, prioritizing their best interests.
• Respecting Self-Governance: This principle emphasizes autonomy, allowing clients to make their own informed choices without coercion.

Fidelity in Counseling Practice

• Fidelity: Refers to the duty of counselors to uphold commitments, maintaining trust and loyalty in the client-counselor relationship.

Confidentiality Standards

• ACA Confidentiality Guidelines: Outline the obligations of counselors to protect client information and uphold privacy in all counseling sessions.

Nonmaleficence in Counseling

• Nonmaleficence: The ethical principle of "do no harm" that mandates counselors to avoid actions that could harm clients, both physically and emotionally.

Responsibilities of CRC/CCRC

• Primary Responsibility: The Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) or Certified Clinical Rehabilitation Counselor (CCRC) primarily ensures the welfare and rights of clients within the rehabilitation process.

Prohibited Roles and Relationships

• Non-Counseling Roles Section: Section 6 of the 2014 ACA Code examines the boundaries of counselor-client relationships, especially those that may lead to conflicts of interest.

Informed Consent Purpose

• Informed Consent: Serves to educate clients about the counseling process, ensuring they understand the risks, benefits, and their rights within the therapeutic relationship.

Harmful Interactions

• Non-Harmful Interaction Example: Providing empathetic support, clear communication, and professional boundaries are seen as beneficial interactions rather than harmful.

Confidentiality and Child Abuse

• Child Abuse Disclosure: In cases of suspected child abuse, confidentiality is ethically overridden, allowing counselors to report to authorities for the protection of the child.

Harmful vs. Non-Harmful Interactions

• General Rule: Counselors should strive to foster non-harmful interactions while being trained to recognize potentially harmful behaviors and intervene appropriately.

Documentation in Third Person

• Documentation Guidelines: A CRC/CCRC should document interactions in the third person particularly when discussing sensitive topics or when conflicts arise in the client-counselor relationship.

Informed Consent Definition

• Informed Consent: It includes providing clients with necessary information about the counseling process and obtaining their agreement to proceed based on that information.

Maintaining Boundaries

• Addressing Boundaries: Section 3 of the 2014 ACA Code expressly covers maintaining professional relationships and the importance of boundaries within the counseling context.

Illegal or Unethical Relationships

• Technically Illegal/Unethical Relationships: Any romantic or sexual relationship with a client is considered both illegal and unethical due to the inherent power imbalance and violation of trust.

Explore key ethical principles in therapy practice such as autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and fidelity. Understand the importance of respecting clients' rights, promoting their well-being, avoiding harm, and keeping promises in therapeutic settings.