Introduction To Ethics In Counseling PDF

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE INTRODUCTION TO ETHICS IN COUNSELING Héctor José Velázquez-González, PhD, CRC Spring 2023 OBJECTIVES Recognize the importance of ethical and legal study principles and the decision-making process. Describe the differences between legal, ethical, and professional...

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE INTRODUCTION TO ETHICS IN COUNSELING Héctor José Velázquez-González, PhD, CRC Spring 2023 OBJECTIVES Recognize the importance of ethical and legal study principles and the decision-making process. Describe the differences between legal, ethical, and professional behaviors. Identify resources to use when needing help in resolving an ethical dilemma. Know how to get legal advice when a legal issue presents itself. Acquire a firm grounding in the area of professional orientation: Developing a professional identity as a counselor. Learning ethics. Learning about the law as it applies to counseling. PROFESSIONAL ORIENTATION FUNDAMENTAL PART OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROFESSIONAL ORIENTATION Credentialing of counselors Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) ⚬ Standards for the counselor preparation ⚬ Accredits training programs ⚬ Ensure students graduate with a strong professional identity ⚬ Professional identity core areas ⚬ Specialty areas PROFESSIONAL ORIENTATION Professional identity ⚬ General public is not aware of the counselor's identity compared to other professions (ie. psychologists, social workers, psychiatrists). ⚬ Be prepared to explain: ￭ Who you are as a member of a professional group ￭ What you believe ￭ Similarities and differences to other mental health professionals MORALS, VALUES, AND ETHICS OVERVIEW Morals, values, and ethics are sometimes used interchangeably. There are some overlapping meanings. ⚬ Involves judgment about what is good and bad; right or wrong ⚬ Pertain to the study of human behavior and relationships. OVERVIEW Morals are the “big picture” principles that guide behavior—e.g., sexual fidelity is a moral “good.” Ethics are the standards that specifically guide how to act in a specific circumstance (married people don’t cheat on their spouses). When confronted with a chance to cheat on your partner, you choose not to. Values are things you hold to be worthwhile—e.g., you value your relationship with your spouse or partner. Other values: love, freedom, family. (Rocco-Cottone et al., 2020) MORALS DERIVED FROM LATIN Mores Custums or norms CULTURAL CONTEXTS AND RELIGIOUS STANDARDS Determine morals MORALS JUDGEMENT Evaluation of morals differ from person to person in society. What a person view as moral is based on his/her values. VALUES Similar to morals - Personal values guide Value system is Personal values High self-awareness on determine what is choices and behaviors. unique for each person - influenced relate to professional values. personal values - learn how to “bracket" your good or right behavior. by upbringingulture, religious beleifs. personal values within the professional relationship. (Kocet and Herlihy, 2014) Bracketing “The intentional separating of a counselor’s personal values from his or her professional values or the intentional setting aside of the counselor’s personal values in order to provide ethical and appropriate counseling to all clients” (p. 182) Counselors can maintain their own values and beliefs, but they must competently serve those who have conflicting values and beliefs. If they can’t bracket for some reason, then they need to consider alternative means to ensure the client is compassionately, competently, and ethically served. (Rocco-Cottone et al., 2020) CHALLENGES WITH VALUES Counselors must learn to respect values different from their own and avoid imposing their values on their clients. Implicit bias at work. ⚬ Abortion vs. life ⚬ Marriage vs. divorce ⚬ Heteronormality vs. Diverse sexuality ETHICS Ethics is a discipline within philosophy that is concerned with human conduct and moral decision making. Individual (personal) ethical stance that guides you in the ways you treat others, expect them to treat you, and make decisions about what behaviors are good or right for you. ETHICS Professional ethics as counselors refers to conduct judged as good or right for counselors as a professional group. Fellow professionals have come to sufficient consensus about right behaviors, these behaviors have been codified and have become the ethical standards to which you are expected to adhere in your professional life. LEGAL, ETHICAL, AND PROFESSIONAL BEHAVIOR OVERVIEW Laws are the agreed-upon rules of a society that set forth the basic principles for living together as a group. Laws can be general or specific regarding both what is required and what is allowed of individuals who form a governmental entity. Criminal laws hold individuals accountable for violating principles of coexistence and are enforced by the government. Civil laws allow members of society to enforce rules of living with each other. Laws ⚬ Created by elected officials, enforced by police, and interpreted by judges. ⚬ Dictate the minimum standards of behavior that society will tolerate, whereas ethics pertain to a wider range of professional functioning. Ethics ⚬ Ceated by members of the counseling profession andare interpreted and enforced by ethics committees and licensure and certification boards. ⚬ Some ethical standards prescribe the minimum that other counselors will tolerate from fellow professionals (for example, sexual or romantic relationships with clients are prohibited). ⚬ Some standards describe ideal practices to which counselors should aspire (for example, counselors aspire to foster meaningful and respectful professional relationships). PROFESSIONALISM Professionalism and the Law - Where does the mixed? The newness of the counseling profession The interpersonal nature and complexity of the counseling process The wide variety of types of counselors and their work settings Counselors should conduct in a professional manner. PROFESSIONALISM Legal standards are the minimum that society will tolerate from a professional. Ethical standards - middle ground -: ⚬ describing the minimal behaviors expected of counselors ⚬ the ideal standards to which counselors aspire PROFESSIONALISM It is possible to be unprofessional without being unethical. Example: a counselor frequently run a bit late for counselling sessions ⚬ It might be unprofessional but would not be unethical. What about establishing a intimate relationship with a client? PROFESSIONALISM ETHICS COUNSELING BEST PRACTICES LAW Professionalism is related to best practices. BEST PRACTICES Best practice guidelines are intended to provide counselors with goals to which they can aspire, and they are motivational, as distinguished from ethical standards, which are enforceable. Let's do a quick search on best practices guidelines. BEST PRACTICES No concensus in best practices. Strive to practice in the best possible manner. Meeting minimum legal standards or minimum ethical standards is not enough for the truly professional counselor. MODEL OF PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE Throughout your career, you will encounter dilemmas for which there are no cookbook solutions or universally agreed-upon answers. MODEL OF PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE PROFESSIONAL ETHICS Professional Ethics Counseling can play a vital role in a person's struggle to lead a more meaningful and effective life. Foundations of Ethics BUSINESS AND MARKETING A debate between Presentations are Presentations are communication tools morals and ethics. communication tools that can be used as that can be used as demonstrations, Hippocratic Oath demonstrations, lectures and more. lectures and more. Plato and Aristotle SCIENCE Theories of Ethics Framework that counselors can use to decide whether an action or contemplated action is ethical. Will enable you to resolve the ethical dilemmas you encounter in your work and help you defend the solutions you reach. Remember that ethical reasoning is an acquired skill, not an inherent gift, and it can be sharpened through practice. This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA Theories of Ethics Ethical absolutism Ethical relativism There are some absolute moral standards that are universally applicable; that is, they must prevail in all circumstances and are not dependent on a person’s beliefs or cultural values. These standards exist a priori (they exist before a situation arises) and independently of whether one believes in them. No absolute moral standards exist that can be universally applied. If the members of a culture believe an action is morally right, then it is morally right to perform that act in that culture. Theories of Ethics Utilitarianism Deontology John Stuart Mill Argues that people should choose the act that will do the greatest good for the greatest number. An act is evaluated by its consequences independently of whether one believes in them. Immanuel Kant An action is justified by its being inherently right, not by its consequences. What makes an action right is the principle that guides it. Underlies much of the reasoning that counselors use in attempting to determine what is ethical professional behavior. Theories of Ethics Egoism Actions taken out for self-interest. Legal perspectives is focused more on protecting the counselor. Altruism Actions taken out to benefit others. Client welfare comes first. Ethical perspective is focused on the welfare and protection of the client. What motivates people to act morally and ethically. REFERENCES Kocet, M. M., & Herlihy, B. J. (2014). Addressing value-based conflicts within the counseling relationship: A decisionmaking model. Journal of Counseling & Development, 92(2), 180–186. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1556-6676.2014.00146.x