Ethical Decision Making

2456 Words10 Pages
Ethical Decision-Making Paper Abstract Counselors are often faced with situations which require sound ethical decision making ability. One dilemma that counselors face is the limits of confidentiality. Those who go for counseling assume that whatever they tell a counselor will be kept confidential and not shared with anyone outside of the counselor-client relationship. Competent counselors will honor their commitment to the laws and standards governing confidentiality, but there are limitations. When the clients right to confidentiality and the safety of human life clash, confidentiality cannot be maintained. The purpose of this paper is to examine an ethical dilemma to develop the ability to apply professional values, codes of ethics, and a decision-making model to the process of ethical decision making. Ethical Decision-Making Paper Ethical Dilemma Marcie is a new client, a 22-year-old female who has recently broken off her relationship with an older married man. She presents that she has lost interest in most activities, has been sleeping a great deal yet feels tired all the time, and sometimes wishes she could cease to exist. She admits to suicidal ideations and that she has access to a firearm at her place of residence. After consulting with my supervisor, there is a consensus that she be referred immediately for a psychiatric evaluation at a local facility. Marcie’s mother has accompanied her to the appointment and is expressing that she does not want her mother to know. Identify the problem There are two problems that have manifested themselves in the case of Marcy: 1) she has had suicidal ideations with the means to perform the act; and 2) patient confidentiality. It may be of benefit to try and discover if Marcy’s maturity level is on the level of most 22 year olds, and to attempt to discover if there may be a physiological cause of her
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