Ethical Issues in Counseling Practice

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Analysis of the Critical Review Papers: Ethical Issues in Counseling Practice Mindy Gochis Montana State University-Billings Analysis of Critical Review Papers While there is no limit to the number and variety of ethical issues one can face within in a counseling setting, the text attempts to look at some of these more common situations. The first issue the text delves into is that of placing the clients’ needs before our own as counselors. The ability to honestly and intentionally look at this specific aspect of ethics can place us on a stable ground with which to build our practice on. The author of the text continually repeats that” professional maturity” is helpful in all aspects of making ethical decisions. This “professional maturity” is the foundation for which ethical decision making is built upon. There are no readymade or easy answers; however, there are several models for ethical decision making. The author helps to create a series of procedural steps to help one work through ethical problems that may arise. Those steps inclue1) identifying the problem, 2) indentify the potential issues, 3) consider relevant ethic codes in terms of general guidelines, 4) consider relevant policy, regulations and laws which apply or may apply to this situation, 5) seek out consultation from other professionals, 6) come up with a variety of possible courses of action to resolve the situation at hand, 7) select one course of action which appears to be the best. The Right of Informed Consent is both an ethical and a legal requirement and one which must be woven into our therapeutic process from the beginning. Informed Consent helps us to form a therapeutic alliance with our client by being honest and intentionally advocating for them and with them. This allows us to communicate respectfully and honestly about the process and purpose of the therapy.
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