The Use of Ethics in Group Counseling

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The Use of Ethics in Group Counseling Tammy Carowick Liberty University Abstract The Use of Ethics in Group Counseling Many things have changed in the counseling field, among them the increasing use of groups. Groups offer many things for both the participants and the counselor that are participating in them. For the counselor they offer a way for them to meet the needs of several people at one time due to ever increasing demands for their services. School counselors, mental health, and social work agencies all benefit from the group counseling format. Agencies that offer group sessions realize higher income because of the higher therapist to client ratio in the group format. Crespi (2008) stated that “children receive more services through schools than any other system” (p. 273). Additionally Coleman (2005) stated that “the rising cost of health care combined with the number of people who are not insured” (p. 450) are responsible for the increase in the number of people that are joining self-help groups. Contributing to their attractiveness for countless numbers of clients is that they are operated by those with similar struggles, their services are available indefinitely, and they are free (p. 449). A big draw to self-help groups is the assumption that there is someone out there that understands “how I feel.” For most they seek understanding and identification with someone that has already been through it. For those participating in the group the “interactions between members are seen as potentially therapeutic and members are encouraged to speak freely of their feelings toward each other and the group (Haeseler, 1992, p. 2). However it is important to look at the ethical implications for all involved in the process and when considering that information we are made aware of concerns within

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