Chapter 3 Gerald Corey

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering core ethics concepts, practices, and issues from the counseling notes.

Ethics (in counseling)

Principles guiding professional practice to balance client welfare with counselor responsibilities and to support sound decision-making.

Mandatory ethics

Minimum standards required by law or professional codes; the baseline for practice.

Aspirational ethics

Highest standard focusing on understanding the spirit of ethical codes and prioritizing client welfare.

Fear-based ethics

Ethical behavior driven by fear of punishment rather than commitment to clients’ best interests.

Concern-based / positive ethics

Proactive, client-centered ethics that go beyond minimum standards to do the best for clients.

Countertransference

Counselor’s emotional reactions to a client that can distort judgment and care.

Client rights and education

Informing clients about their rights and the counseling process to promote autonomy and participation.

Confidentiality limits

Situations where disclosure is required or allowed (e.g., danger to self/others, abuse, legal mandates).

Privileged communication

Legal protection preventing disclosure of client communications in court, not universal across contexts.

Dimensions of confidentiality

Distinction between confidentiality (ethical/legal duty) and privileged communication; exceptions in groups or family therapy.

Privacy considerations

Technology-related privacy risks and safeguards (distance counseling, emails, texts, online platforms).

Informed consent

Ethical and legal requirement ensuring clients understand goals, limits to confidentiality, responsibilities, and rights.

Key components of informed consent

Goals, counselor/client responsibilities, limits to confidentiality, boundaries, qualifications, fees, length, risks/benefits, case discussions.

Informed consent as an ongoing process

Consent is revisited and updated throughout therapy, not a one-time event.

Documentation

Recording consent and relevant communications to protect both client and counselor.

Ongoing process (privacy/consent)

Consent and privacy protections are continually reviewed as therapy proceeds.

Technology and confidentiality

Distance counseling requires competencies in privacy, security, and consent related to tech use.

Group/privilege in confidentiality

Privilege usually does not apply in group, couples, family, or child/adolescent therapy.

Is counseling culture-bound?

Western theories have limits; therapy must adapt to diverse cultural contexts.

Western models have limits

Traditional theories may not fit all cultures or communities.

Collectivism vs. individualism

Cultural values differ; therapy should consider group goals and community context.

Multicultural and culturally congruent practice

Adapting interventions to align with clients’ cultural values and behaviors.

Person-in-environment

Understanding clients within their cultural, social, and environmental contexts.

DSM-5 considerations

DSM-5 emphasizes bias awareness and medical-model framing; watch for cultural pathologizing.

Risk of erroneous diagnoses

Cultural bias can lead to mislabeling culturally normative behavior as pathology.

Assessment

Systematic gathering of information to identify factors guiding therapy.

Diagnosis

Working hypothesis about a disorder to guide treatment and prognosis; may carry stigma or bias.

Holistic assessment

Assess mind, body, and spirit; consider medical information and collaboration with other professionals.

Cognitive-Behavioral (CBT) model

A theory emphasizing structured assessment and goal-oriented treatment planning.

Medical model

Focus on individual pathology; may overlook social/cultural context.

Relationship-oriented approaches

Therapies prioritizing the client’s subjective experience and relational context.

Feminist therapy

A critical, context-aware approach that questions power dynamics and societal factors.

Postmodern perspectives

Critique of traditional diagnoses; emphasize clients’ strengths and social construction of problems.

Ethical aspects of Evidence-Based Practice (EBP)

Balancing best research with clinical expertise and client characteristics/culture.

Three Pillars of EBP

Best available research, clinical expertise, and client characteristics/culture.

Therapeutic relationship

Quality of the client–therapist relationship significantly influences outcomes.

Over-reliance on manualized treatments

Rigid treatments may ignore individual needs and relational factors.

Existential concerns

EBP may be less suited for clients focused on meaning or existential goals beyond symptom relief.

Managing Multiple Relationships

Having two or more client roles (e.g., therapist and teacher); requires careful ethical management.

Nonsexual multiple relationships

Dual roles that are not sexual; require boundary management to avoid harm.

Sexual relationships with clients

Sexual involvement with current clients is unethical and often illegal; former clients is risky.

Boundary crossings

Minor, potentially beneficial deviations from usual boundaries (e.g., attending a client’s wedding) when justified.

Boundary violations

Serious boundary breaches that harm the client or exploit the client; unethical.

Social media policy in counseling

Clear guidelines for online interactions with clients to preserve boundaries.

Recommendations for ethical online conduct

Limit personal information online, use privacy settings, separate accounts, avoid friending clients.

ACA Code of Ethics (2014)

Code providing guidelines for ethical practice; emphasizes social media policies and professional standards.

Codes are guides, not rules

Ethics codes inform decisions but do not decide actions; require professional judgment.

Ongoing reflection and consultation

Ethical questions evolve; seek supervision/consultation to navigate dilemmas.

Lifelong journey of ethical practice

Ethical competence grows through ongoing learning, reflection, and self-improvement.

Right to counsel

Central ethical question about who has the right to counsel others; focuses on client welfare.

Self-examination questions

Reflective prompts used to assess one’s readiness and approach to counseling ethics.

Boundaries in Counseling (resource)

Key reference on boundary management; foundational for ethical practice.