...Ethical Issues in Group Counseling COUN 612: Mental Health Ethics, Law and Practice April 28, 2011 Introduction Group counseling offers multiple relationships to assist an individual in growth and problem solving. Groups are an excellent treatment choice for numerous intrapersonal and interpersonal issues, and in helping people to change. Groups provide a sense of community to its members allowing them to see that they are not alone. In group therapy sessions, members are encouraged to discuss the issues that brought them to therapy openly and honestly. It is the responsibility of the counselor to work to create an atmosphere of trust and acceptance that encourages members to support one another. This atmosphere is developed and maintained from the initial intake of a client to the close of group. Many ethical dilemmas and questions arise for group therapists, a few of which will be addressed here: group work with diverse populations; rights of clients, informed consent and confidentiality; and involuntary clients. Description of Topic More recently group therapy has been widely used in the mental health field. There is a natural power in a therapeutic group that helps to bring about personal change for group members (Corey, Corey & Corey, 2010). Groups are designed to remediate specific problems or even prevent problems. It is the responsibility of the group leader, or counselor, to consciously acknowledge human diversity in society and the group setting. If...
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...1 Approaching Ethical Issues and Dilemmas in Counseling Rosa Davis BSHS/335 February 16, 2015 Facilitator Carrie Hill 2 Approaching Ethical Issues and Dilemmas in Counseling Counselors, whether they are working in private practice, in an agency setting, or teaching and supervising; are struggling more and more with issues that are related to their own, trainees, and clients. As professional, we all have has training on legal and ethical issues in counseling. Even though our credentialing organizations might require a certain amount of training in ethics and we meet that requirement; there are still ethical violations. This could be due to two reasons: (1) most writing and courses on ethics does not teach us to think or how to make ethical decisions that are in the best interest of the client. Basically, the training teaches the do’s and don’ts but does not provide the tools to work through complex clinical situations. (2) Generally, the alcohol and substance abuse field does not provide adequate clinical supervision to its counselors. This field tends to gravitate toward what happens behind closed doors; stays unseen and unknown until things blow up. As professional counselors, there are three major issues that we must face when we are considering making a decision on how to act within the counseling setting: (1) what is legal, what is ethical and what is moral. Typically, the legal standard is the minimum acceptable level that will meet the requirement...
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...examines the basic ethical issues and current trends affecting the counselor working in a contemporary school or agency. Topics include: the nature and scope of counseling, the definition of ethics and its meaning for professional counselors, and the relationship between counseling and professional ethical practice as defined by the American Counseling Association. The variety of agency and school settings are examined to illustrate the specific ethical guidelines that apply to schools and agencies. Professional norms, such as non-malfeasance, patient autonomy, and confidentiality are explained. (3 credits) TEXT: Ethics in Counseling and Psychotherapy: Standards, research and emerging issues (4th edition) Elizabeth Reynolds Welfel (2013) Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole Cengage ISBN13: 978-0-8400-2858-7 American Counselor Association Code of Ethics http://www.counseling.org/docs/ethics/2014-aca-code-of-ethics.pdf?sfvrsn=4 Code of Ethics of the American Mental Health Counseling Association. Available on-line at www.amhca.org/ethics.html American School Counselor Association Ethical Standards for School Counselors, Available on-line at www.schoolcounselor.org/library/ethics.pdf Program Outcomes (PO) – Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling Program Outcome (PO) Code | Program Outcomes (POs) | Program Goal (PG) Alignment | * PO1 | * Students will identify and describe the application of the American Mental Health Counseling Association standards...
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...Running Head: ETHICAL CONCIDERATIONS FOR GROUP LEADERSHIP Ethical Considerations for Group leadership in Counseling David Cook Liberty University HSER 511-04 Dr. Pinkston July 4, 2014 Abstract Ethics has been in the forefront in the counseling field, especially in the recent cases of PTSD and military and family counseling. This type of family and group counseling presents new ethical considerations for professionals. Group leaders have to be aware of new updates in the code of ethics and legal responsibilities while showing empathy and leadership in the group. The viewpoints in this paper will consider those codes from the perspective of a professional Christian leader. Viewpoints will include techniques for group participation, professional training for the leader, confidentiality considerations, ethnic and cultural awareness and ethical financial practices. There will be a focus on the personal relationships within the group setting and how the leader can effectively control the ethical relationships. This paper will present a personal testimony on Christian qualities that direct leadership and ethical considerations in treatment in family healing. Ethical Considerations for Group leadership in Counseling Professional counseling and group therapy has received more recognition in the past few years and the subject of ethical practices, as a result, has become more important and relevant. Codes for ethical practices have...
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...of therapy, two of those include group therapy and individual counseling. Group therapy consists of a group of people who meet with a therapist or counselor for the purpose of sharing their problems and providing support for each other. Individual counseling consists of a person (client) meeting with a counselor or therapist one-on-one to discuss whatever problems they may be having. Although both methods of counseling are valuable, for the purpose of this portion of research, group therapy will be examined and the ethical challenges faced when using this form of counseling. Group therapy is often times described as one of the most effective and beneficial kinds of treatment. It is believed that because all members in the group share similar issues, contributions from the other members are valuable to the individual. This form of counseling brings together individuals with similar issues and it allows people to see that they are not alone. There are other people who may be experiencing or going through the same issues. According to Jacobs, Masson, Harvill, & Schimmel (2012), “Any helping professional who is looking for an economical and effective means of helping individuals who share similar problems and concerns should use groups” (p. 2). Knowing that other people have some of the same issues can also be comforting to someone who might not have access among their own family and friends to people with the same issues. Group therapy usually consists of a minimum of 3 people to...
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...apply moral ethics in their practice. Study from several academic periodicals, trainings and textbook understandings are noted features for this paper. Groups The implementations of ethics in counseling is not to micromanage and/or try to inform someone of how to do their job, it is provided in order to help counselors and other professionals maintain standards within the profession one is in and it is the standard of behavior or action in relation to others. “A code of ethics for most professional organizations or associations is designed to articulate the standards of practice for a group of people.” (Kocet, 2006). Although ethics have many definitions, they are all intertwined to state the same meaning. According to Jacobs (2012), “Most ethical problems and situations deal with therapy and growth groups, although ethical standards apply to leaders of all kinds of groups.” (p. 27) These types of problems or unethical behavior usually occurs when a leader is not knowledgeable enough to lead a group or the leader shows or have a lack of care for their members. “All professional associations, such as the American Counseling Association, the National Association for Social Workers,...
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...COMPARING CODES OF ETHICS 1 Comparing Codes of Ethics Kirsten Price Counseling 6306: Ethics and Legal Issues Walden University Comparing Codes of Ethics The mental health counseling profession is guided by basic ethical guidelines that outline legal and moral responsibilities. Professional standards are necessary for counselors to understand the implications of their actions and behavior in the field. Good intentions do not guarantee appropriate practice. The American Mental Health Counselors’ Association (AMHCA) and American Counseling Association (ACA) provide standards for education and training counselors to better understand their role and provide oversight of ethical and legal issues commonly experienced by counselors on a day to day basis. Similarities between AMHCA and ACA Codes of Ethics The spirit and commitment to competent application of counseling procedure and professional courtesy is the underlying theme shared by the principles and guidelines of the AMHCA and ACA ethical codes. The ACA standards in Section A regarding the Counseling Relationship explore the counselor’s relationship to the client in regards to sensitivity and the mission to safeguard the client from harm during counseling process. (ACA 2014) The AMHCA principle under I.A.1 “Primary Responsibility”, also addresses the overall goal of counselors to look out for client welfare by following appropriate process and procedure. (AMHCA 2010). Differences...
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...students have acute counseling needs, including cases of severe depression and suicidal ideation, pregnancy, substance abuse, school violence, and child abuse (Page, Pietrzak, & Sutton, 2001). To respond adequately to these needs, counselors must have both strong clinical skills and a keen awareness of the legal and ethical ramifications of any actions they may take or fail to take. These mandates are particularly challenging when school counselors are isolated in their settings or are so burdened with clerical and administrative tasks that they are unable to adequately address the counseling needs of the students they serve. School counselors in these situations may feel stressed and overworked and may be experiencing professional burnout. As a consequence, they can become unsure of their abilities and effectiveness and may experience erosion in their skills and competence (Crutchfield & Borders, 1997). This process runs counter to their ethical responsibility to maintain and increase their competence (American Counseling Association [ACA] 1995, Section C.2.) When school counselors fail to practice competently, this can become a legal problem as well as an ethical issue, because a malpractice lawsuit could result. Supervision can be an effective means of assisting school counselors to maintain and enhance their competence. Supervision can provide opportunities for continuing clinical-skill development, ongoing consultation regarding legal and ethical issues, and a professional...
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...This is what I am expected to do. Assignment 2: Ethics Review In this assignment, you will explore professional counseling ethical codes. You will examine multiple codes of ethics to assist in practicing CMHC in an ethical manner. You will also familiarize yourself with the sections of the codes that govern your responsibilities as a counseling student. Tasks: * Compare and contrast the ACA's, the AMHCA's, and the NBCC's codes of ethics. * Describe your responsibilities as a student as per the ACA's and the AMHCA's codes of ethics. Your final product will be a 3- to 5-page Microsoft Word document written in APA format, utilizing at least three scholarly sources. Your paper should be written in a clear, concise, and organized manner; demonstrate ethical scholarship in accurate representation and attribution of sources; and display accurate spelling, grammar, and punctuation. This is the grading rubric Assignment Components | Proficient | Max Points | | | | Compare and contrast the American Counseling Association (ACA), American Mental Health Counseling Association (AMHCA), and National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) codes of ethics. | Thoughtful and insightful understanding of the parallels and variations between the ACA, AMHCA, and NBCC codes of ethics is reflected. Accurate analysis and synthesis of the ethical codes reflects an appropriate connection between the three codes. | ...
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...involved, which would include family members. Family counseling is coming to the forefront to help everyone involved in substance abuse cases with the hope that drug use can be reduced or that they will sustain got the long haul. When individual counseling for substance abuse switches to an emphasis on family, professionals need to heed caution with ethical principles. Whittinghill (2002), states that “many substance abusing individuals are homeless. Professionals need to heed caution to ethical principles because many times they are not in contact with living family members, are single, or their only next of kind has passed away. With this being said, professionals are at a greater risk for violating ethical practices if they do not have a family member reading available. They need to look at the bigger picture and include significant others as a source of the client’s family as well. A person cannot be denied treatment because they do not fit into the counseling prototype. This also applies if the client cannot afford to pay for those services provided. Beneficence is terms of counseling means that there is a pledge to do what is good and best for the group or client. Many times those that provide services to families dealing with substance abuse are not qualified. Their competence on family issues varies greatly and they lack experience so correct treatment options could be compromised. As a result ethical issues are likely to arise. While family members need to...
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...After reading both the American Counseling Association (ACA) (2014) Code of Ethics and the American Mental Health Counseling Association (AMHCA) (2011), I felt that it was important to touch upon certain sections that I feel could become potential issues for us as counselors. Essay 1. There are many skills needed in order to work with a patient presenting with a co-occurring disorder. According to the American Mental Health Counseling Association (AMHCA) (2011), there are eight skills that we as counselors must center our focus on. They are all very important, yet I chose to focus on us as counselors can demonstrate our skills wisely by utilizing the knowledge we have gained during training. One of the hardest part of counseling clients is trying to discover what exactly is needed to help that client maintain a healthy relationship with others and a balance within themselves. Clients with co-occurring disorders are the most difficult kind of client. We must understand the treatment and clinical management of common co-occurring disorders such as anxiety, depression, PTSD and trauma-related disorders, dissociative disorders, personality disorders, eating disorders, psychotic disorders, disruptive behaviors, and mood disorders in combination with substance abuse disorders. We must provide appropriate counseling strategies by demonstrating the ability to modify counseling systems, theories, interventions when necessary and specific techniques that will work with the client...
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...Week 1 Discussion Yvonne English Counseling 6306 September 4, 2014 Dr. Gilea Week 1 Discussion Apprehensions or Challenges about Ethics and Law Ethics in counseling are put into place for the purpose of setting professional standards for appropriate behavior, defining professional expectations and preventing harm to clients. Counselors facilitate client growth and development in order to foster the interests and welfare of the client in promoting healthy relationships (AMA, 2014). The special circumstances of clients such as in mental health facilities often have questions concerning patient autonomy, freedom of choice and consent to treatment even more complex than they are in other contexts. Counselors must identify ethical issues they are likely to encounter and maintain policies that address them effectively. The high cost of care and prejudices against persons with mental illness also creates ethical problems. Two Foundational Definitions of Ethics Related to Counseling Justice and Beneficence are two foundational issues in counseling ethics and legal issues. Although these two are mandatory components of ethical functioning at any level, they must be self-evident for counselors and certainly essential and fundamental in practice (Herlihy & Corey, 2006). Herlihy & Corey (2006) define justice as “our commitment to fairness” (p. 9) that includes several issues involved within counseling practice such as the counselor personal ethics, fees structures and...
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...The Process of Ethical Decision Making E. Alyce Zellmer Liberty University Abstract The purpose of this paper is to delve into a good process of decision making pertaining specifically to ethical dilemmas that will inevitably arise during a counselor’s career. Ethical dilemmas are, by their very nature, not easy to resolve. As such, it is important to have a process or outline with which to structure and guide one’s thoughts and decisions about such dilemmas. Having such a process helps the decision maker, in this case, a counselor, put a little emotional distance between himself or herself and the problem at hand. Writing it all out would also be beneficial for two reasons. Frist this would allow the counselor to tactilely and concretely see the options of action he or she might take. Second, such documentation would be beneficial in its inclusion into the clients file, should such documentation prove needful in the event of a lawsuit should something go amiss. Using such a process shows that the counselor put real thought into the problem and considered all options and consequences and chose to the best of his or her ability the course of action that would do the least amount of damage to the client. The Process of Ethical Decision Making One of the purposes of this class was to equip new and soon-to-be counselors with the knowledge and skills needed to make to think through ethical problems and arrive at a solution that will be in the best interest of one’s client...
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...Ethical Principles and Issues within Addiction Counseling Jennifer Spivey Liberty University Abstract Addiction counselors have many ethical and legal considerations in when providing services to substance abusers. There are ethical principles that including justice, autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, and fidelity. Along with these principles there are federal and state regulations when providing services. As an addiction counselor there should be ethical guidelines to follow with informed consent, compensation, confidentiality, and collection and protection of data. Furthermore, addiction counselors must avoid coercion, provide alternative treatment options, protect vulnerable clients, and select representative participants for addictions research. The ultimate goal of addictions counseling is to benefit the clients and society as a whole. Keywords: ethical, principles, addiction, counselor Introduction There are many counselors that are faced with ethical issues on a regular basis. These issues are intensified for an addiction counselor. There are a number of reasons for ethical issues for addiction counselors. One is that there is a high correlation between addiction and criminal activity. There is also the concern that ethical issues such as informed consent can be complicated by problems arising out of substance abuse. The counselor’s ability to cope with these and other issues is dependent, to a large degree, on their ability to weigh up the inherent risks...
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...Ethical Issues in Multicultural Counseling Abstract In the past, counselors have lacked the knowledge and skills to interpret ethical guidelines in multicultural counseling. The ethical guidelines dictate how a counselor should have the necessary tools when conducting a counseling session. There is a shortfall of training and education when dealing with race, ethnicity, and cultural backgrounds in today’s society. Ethics is a hot topic for counselors, partially because there are so many different situations that can be affected by ethical behavior. These situations can range from betraying the clients trust to injustice. There tends to be a lot of ambiguity for how to handle a situation ethically since there are a lot of variables involved in ethical issues. This involves disagreements in having one response that would be the most ethical response to that situation. There are many areas of ethical issues: privacy and confidentiality, informed consent, time and role boundaries, unplanned endings, finances, competence, and therapist initiated termination. Code of Ethics The code of ethics in social work, psychology, and counseling will continue to go through changes over time. Mental health professionals are expected to practice with the standards, and ethical code established by their professions. According to Pack-Brown, Thomas, and Seymour (2008) the American Counseling Association has established ethical responsibility for counselors to have enhancing human...
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