Morals, Values & Ethics in Counseling Practice

The Effective Counselor

• Be accepting and non-judgmental

• Be powerful and influential without imposing your own

  moral values and choice

Personal Characteristics of Effective Counselors

• Have an identity

• Respect & appreciate themselves

• Able to recognize & accept own power

• Open to change

• Make choices that affect their lives

• Feel alive & make life-oriented choices

• Authentic, sincere & honest

• Have a sense of humor

• Make mistakes & admit them

• Appreciate the influence of culture

• Sincere interest in the welfare of others

• Maintain healthy boundaries

define value

an enduring belief that a specific end-state or mode of conduct is preferable

Values of a counselor influences values held by clients

instrumental values

means by which goals are achieved, e.g. through competence, honesty, ambition

terminal values

desirable end-states, e.g. wisdom, comfort, peace, freedom

religious/ theistic value system

• God is supreme

• Relationship with God defines self-worth

• Strict morality; universal ethics

• Service and self-sacrifice are central to personal growth

• Forgiveness of others who cause distress

• completes the restoration of self

• Meaning and purpose derived from spiritual insight

clinical/humanist value system

Humans are supreme

Relationships with others define self-worth

Flexible morality; situational ethics

Self-satisfaction central to personal growth

Acceptance and expression of accusatory feelings are sufficient

Meaning and purpose derived from reason and intellect

Counselors’ Values

• Benevolence

• Self-direction

• Autonomy

• Self expression

• Broadmindedness and tolerance of beliefs and sexual choices of others

values counselors are low in

• Power

• Tradition (acceptance of and respect for customs)

Counselor’s Values

• Understand the Impact of Your Values on Interventions

• Acknowledge that you are not impartial regarding values.

• Your role involves aiding clients in aligning their decisions with their own values.

• Implement strategies to handle value discrepancies between yourself and clients effectively.

• Initiate therapy by delving into the client's objectives and aspirations."

Ethics & Moral Reasoning

• Personal intuition

• Ethical guidelines established by professional organizations

• Ethical principles

• General theories of moral actiondefine

Ethical principles

Autonomy: right to freedom of action and choice

Non-maleficence

Beneficence: the greatest good for the greatest number

Justice: fair distribution of resources and services;

assumes people are equal unless the existence of an acceptable rationale for

treating them differently

Fidelity

Utilitarianism

• consider an ethical decision in light of the

  costs and benefits for each participant in the event

Kant’s principle of universality

• Kant's principle of universality is a moral concept.

• Proposed by philosopher Immanuel Kant.

• It asserts that an action is morally acceptable if its guiding principle or maxim can be consistently applied as a universal law without contradiction.

• Universality

• publicity

• justice

MacIntyre’s (1981) Moral Philosophy

- MacIntyre's Moral Philosophy, outlined in his 1981 book "After Virtue," critiques modern moral discourse.

- It advocates a return to Aristotelian ethics, emphasizing virtue ethics and human flourishing within communities.

- It highlights the importance of moral character and rejects the fragmented nature of contemporary moral philosophy.

Personal Qualities of Practitioners

• Empathy

• Sincerity

• Integrity

• Resilience

• Respect

• Humility

• Competence

• Fairness

• Wisdom

• Courage

Issues Faced by Therapists

• To whom the counsellor is accountable

• Legitimacy of directiveness or active persuasion and challenge

• Existence of dual roles

• Abuse and exploitation of clients

• Issue of touch

Counsellor Accountability

• Client-centered accountability

• Absolute client-centeredness may not always align with moral and ethical principles

• Legal obligation for counselors to report cases of child sexual abuse to authorities

• Essential to inform clients at the beginning of counseling about potential breaches of confidentiality in specific circumstances

Mandated Reporting

• Legally mandated to report observed or suspected abuse

• Reported abuse may encompass neglect, financial, physical, sexual, or other forms

• if client threatens violence to another person

  (Options include anonymous reporting, transferring responsibility to supervisor, involving child protection agency, or encouraging client to self-report)

Direct/Active Persuasion & Challenge

• Therapists practice reflective patience, allowing clients to develop their own insights.

• Employs empathic listening techniques.

• Prioritizes informed consent, allowing patients to choose their treatment path and avoiding confrontational or aggressive methods.

• Refrains from attempting to control clients or alter their beliefs and behaviors.

• Counselors should be cautious in interpreting childhood experiences as signs of abuse.

• Recognizes the potential harm of implanting false memories, which can adversely affect clients and their families.

Challenges of Dual Relationships in Effective Therapy

• professional nature of relationship is compromised

• Makes professional boundaries less clear

• DR introduce conflict of interest

  (counsellor is not there solely for client Counsellor unable to enter business/other non-therapy relationship on equal footing – because of personal material client has disclosed and transference reactions/dependence)

• Unethical exploitation of professional roles (may occur if therapists engage in dual relationships after counseling has ended.)

Sexual Exploitation

• Effective therapy phases may heighten client dependence and susceptibility to suggestion.

• Confidential counseling environments can facilitate unethical counselor behavior.

• Counseling focusing on the client's personality may induce self-blame.

• Clients who have been sexually abused by professionals may face challenges seeking redress.

Dealing ethically with feelings of attraction

• Recognize your feelings.

• Keep personal feelings separate.

• Avoid taking on the client's issues.

• Don't burden the client with your problems.

• Seek support from others.

• Set boundaries and provide a safe space.

• Show care without crossing boundaries.

• Be clear and consistent in communication.

Sexual Misconduct

• Interacting with the client outside of therapy sessions.

• Sharing personal information that is not relevant to the therapy.

• Physical contact with the client.

Clinically appropriate touch

• The client expresses a desire for physical contact or responsiveness.

• Touch is intended to benefit the client and is clearly communicated.

• The client demonstrates understanding of empowerment and its role in therapy.

• Both therapist and client have a clear understanding of touch boundaries.

• Adequate time is available to discuss and process any touch interactions.

• The therapist-client relationship has reached a suitable level of development.

• Consultation or supervision is accessible and utilized.

• The therapist feels comfortable with the idea of touch in therapy.

when is avoidance of touch recommended

• Sexual content dominates therapy discussions before touch.

• Risk of violence is present.

• Touch is conducted covertly.

• Therapist doubts client's capacity to refuse.

• Therapist feels coerced into using touch.

• Touch is clinically unsuitable.

• Touch substitutes verbal therapy.

• Client rejects touch.

• Therapist lacks comfort with touch.

Knowledge of Client Cultures

• Differing Worldviews

• Views about family

• Cooperation vs. Competition

• Time Orientation

• Communication Styles

• Locus of Control

Multicultural Counseling

• Acknowledge biases and values.

• Endeavor to see the world from the client's perspective.

• Educate oneself on oppression, racism, discrimination, and stereotyping.

• Familiarize with the client's historical context, traditions, and values.

• Maintain openness to learning from the client.

Personal Characteristics of Effective Counselors

• Defined sense of self.

• Self-respect and appreciation.

• Recognition and acceptance of personal power.

• Openness to change.

• Active decision-making.

• Life-affirming choices.

• Authenticity and honesty.

• Humor.

• Accountability for mistakes.

• Cultural awareness.

• Genuine concern for others.

• Healthy boundaries.