Ethics

Question 1

What is morality?

Answer 1

the evaluation of action

- personal judgement

Question 2

What is Law

Answer 2

-arrangement of codes of behaviours that are established to ensure legal and moral justice

Question 3

What are thics

Answer 3

• what is good and what is bad

study of human conduct and values

Question 4

What are the reasons for code of ethics in counselling

Answer 4

 Represent the core values of a profession
 Statements for the protection of clients’ rights while identifying expectations of therapists/counsellors
 Expectations and guidelines for professional practice
 Without a code, counsellors would not be seen as a professional organization
 Protection of practitioners from the public (malpractice suits) and from the government
 Most ethical codes are a combination of ethics, professional conduct and legal standards

Question 5

Limitations of the code of ethics include

Answer 5

 Some issues cannot be resolved by a code of ethics
 Some codes lack clarity which makes application of them challenging.
 Some legal and ethical issues are not covered in codes.
 Sometimes conflicts arise with other ethical and legal codes, standards, values and policies.
 Ethical codes do not address all cross-cultural issues.
 Ethical codes do not address every possible situation.
 Ethical codes are not proactive documents for helping counselors decide what to do in new situations.

Question 6

What are the foundational principles

Answer 6

◦ Autonomy: individual to make own choice
◦ Nonmaleficence: not causing harm to others
◦ Beneficience: contributing to others well being
◦ Fidelity: faithfulness, loyalty, placing clients ahead of self
◦ Justice: act fairly

Question 7

Why do we use the CPA Code

Answer 7

 Intended to guide psychologists in their
everyday conduct, thinking, and planning,
and in the resolution of ethical dilemmas
 Umbrella document for conduct codes
 To assist in the adjudication of complaints
against psychologists

Question 8

CPA Ethical code

four underlying ethical principles

Answer 8

I. Respect for the Dignity of Persons
II. Responsible Caring
III. Integrity in Relationships
IV. Responsibility to Society

Question 9

Principle 1: respect for the dignity of persons

• informed consent
• confidentiality

Answer 9

 Focuses on respect of individual differences
 Emphasizes fair treatment and due process for people of all backgrounds. - implied (substantive) rights and explicit (procedural)
 all people deserve the right to respectful therapeutic process without bias.
 Consideration of autonomy: freedom of choice and independence
 Multi-cultural competencies

Question 10

Informed consent

Answer 10

 information they need to be active participants
 Being involved in counselling at all,
 Establishing therapeutic goals,
 Sharing responsibility for change and progress, of
 Determining the frequency of meetings and approximate number of counselling sessions to be attended,
 Establishing the fees for service,
 Accepting the qualifications, background, attitudes and beliefs, and orientation of the
counsellor,
 Understanding possible risks or benefits of becoming involved in the counselling process,
 Collaboratively making decisions about interventions
 Understanding limitations to confidentiality

Question 11

Limits of Confidentiality

Answer 11

 Imminent risk that he/she will do self-harm
 Imminent risk that he/she will harm specific others
 Others have done harm to your client – usually related to real or suspected child abuse that is current or historic (client a minor)
 The client is a minor (more on this later)
 There is legal involvement – current or pending
 Clients consent to “release of information”
 Counselling is being supervised or observed

Question 12

Principle 2: responsible Caring

Answer 12

 This principle emphasizes the counsellor’s obligation to minimize harm to the client and maximize positive outcomes and benefits
accrued by the client
 Considerations of Beneficence and Nonmaleficence
 i.e. violations of this principle would include practicing outside of one’s competence, not taking steps to minimize harm to research
subjects, counselling clients etc..
 Note that this principle would tap into counsellor’s capacity to self reflect…

Question 13

Principle 3: integrity in relationships

Answer 13

 This principle focuses on freedom from cultural bias in the
counsellor-client relationship and on the need to abstain from
engaging in damaging dual relationships with clients
 There are two types of dual relationships:
1. Non-sexual dual relationships
2. Sexual dual relationships

Question 14

Principle 4: responsibility to society

Answer 14

 Counsellors’ primary responsibility is to their
individual clients with a secondary responsibility to
society; however, these factors often interact.
 Emphasizes the need to advocate for clients beyond
the counsellor-client relationship whenever necessary
(i.e., social policy, human rights).
 Encourages counsellors to do “pro bono” service for
the well-being of the general community. (i.e., 9/11
community-building activities, Katrina crisis support
and, mental health public education

Question 15

Multicultural Ethics in Counselling
– in working with people from ethnic and cultrual minority groups, we need to adopt a “person in environment perspective” which involves looking at the presenting problem from the client’s cultural framework or world view

Answer 15

Person in environment perspective
- clients world view, can’t impose beliefs
Be sure you as a professional know self and you aren’t imposing anything on client

Question 16

Unethical behaivours in counselling include

Answer 16

 Violations of confidentiality
 Exceeding one’s level of professional competence
 Negligent practice
 Claiming expertise one does not possess
 Imposing one’s values on a client
 Creating dependency in a client
 Sexual activity with a client
 Certain conflicts of interest, such as dual relationships (i.e.
being a counsellor to a client and hiring them to clean your house, or serving as his/her tennis partner)
 Questionable financial arrangements, such as charging excessive fees

Question 17

Decision Making Process **8

Answer 17

1. Identification of the individuals and groups potentially affected by the decision.
2. Identification of ethically relevant issues and practices, including the interests, rights, and any relevant characteristics of the individuals and groups involved and of the system or circumstances in which the ethical
   problem arose.
3. Consideration of how personal biases, stresses, or self-interest might influence the development of or choice between courses of action.
4. Development of alternative courses of action.
5. Analysis of likely short-term, ongoing, and long-term risks and benefits of
   each course of action on the individual(s)/group(s) involved or likely to be
   affected (e.g., client, client’s family or employees, employing institution,
   students, research participants, colleagues, the discipline, society, self).
6. Choice of course of action after conscientious application of existing principles, values, and standards.
7. Action, with a commitment to assume responsibility for the consequences of the action.
8. Evaluation of the results of the course of action.
9. Assumption of responsibility for consequences of action, including
   correction of negative consequences, if any, or re-engaging in the decision-making process if the ethical issue is not resolved.
10. Appropriate action, as warranted and feasible, to prevent future occurrences of the dilemma (e.g., communication and problem

Question 18

5 types of ethical dilemas most prevalent

Answer 18

• confidentiality
• role conflict
• counsellor competence
• conflict with employer/institution
• degree of dangerousness