Counselor Ethics and Responsibilities
Introduction
Counselling is a special type therapy that lets a person discuss about their problems and emotional states with a counselor. This therapy happens in a confidential and dependable environment where the client's safety is not compromised. A counsellor is trainedpersonnel who listens with empathy the client's problems and gives them the necessary aid or piece of mind to tackle the issues. By putting themselves in the client's shoes, they help them to effectively deal with any negative thoughts and feelings(Gullickson, 1996). On the other hand, values are the things, actions or behaviors that one believes to be of importance in how one lives or work. They determine what one prioritizes to another and are a measure of assessing whether one is living how he or she wants.
When the things that one does and believe in match your values, there is satisfaction, contentment life is usually smooth. Similarly, when the life one is living does not line up with their personal values, a feeling of being wrong arises and what results is unhappiness. This paper discusses the ethical values that a competent counsellor should put into practice while handling clients.
Section One: Counsellor Values
Abortion is a clinical way of ending pregnancy so that it does not result to birth of a baby. The personal values as well as Issues that arise up when discussing abortion are wide ranging and complex. It is of great significant for the 19 year old take notice that her beliefs about the issue are true and respected. Therefore, her family members should be ultimately careful not to compromise her believe system especially taking note that she is a recovering rape victim and that her age allows her to make sound and firm decisions about her life. It can be hard to talk about personal beliefs in with others especially in such a dire issue so she should carefully choose who she discusses the issue with. If she wants to speak with a friend or family member, I would advise her to consider someone who she thinks will be respectful and not judge or pressure you.
In such a tragic case as this, there is aboundless value for the mental health of a woman who becomes pregnant as a result of rape. Such value can at best be medically safe- guarded by performing abortion. A victim of pregnancy by rape should not be obliged to carry the fetus to viability especially keeping in mind that her ninemonths carrying the fruits of the violence committed against her would just upsurge her mental agony(Walker, 1999). The parents should allow her to carry on with the abortion as she has seemingly made up her mind about the issue. At the age as 19, the lady is no longer a minor and she should be allowed to make her own firm decisions about the issue. The parents should give her room to decide on her own and should not pressure her especially noting the fact that she is a recovering rape victim.
A decision of life termination is complex and should only be respected if decided by the client herself.On Eleanor's case, her decision on assisted suicide is sound and conclusive should be respected at all costs. According to the ACA code of ethics, Eleanor has the consent of deciding whether to discuss the issue with her relatives or not. She should decide to decide the issue with her relatives if at all she feels safe about it and is assured that her relatives should not compromise her decision. I would advise her to share the issue only with her trusted and close relatives on whom she believes will not pressure her on changing her mind.
Section Two: Clients Rights
Autonomy
Autonomy is the respect for the client's right to be self-governing. It denotes the importance of ensuring the client's commitment to participating in counselling or psychotherapy. Practitioners who respect their clients' autonomy ensure accuracy in any information given. In additional to the services offered it ensures that practitioners seek andare adequately informed of the consent of the client. It also requires practitioners to protect the client's privacy and confidentiality. They should not make any disclosures of private information conditional on the consent of the person concerned except where serious risks warrant an exception to this principle.The principle of autonomy opposes the influence of clients against their will, even for beneficial social ends.
Non-maleficence
Non-maleficence involves evading sexual, financial, emotional or any other form of client exploitation. It also involves avoiding ineffectiveness or malpractice, not providing services when unfit to do so due to illness, personal circumstances or intoxication. Any given practitioner has an ethical responsibility to ease any harm caused to a client, even when the harm is unavoidable or not intentional. Restitution for any caused harm is done through holding appropriate insurance. Practitioners have a personal responsibility to challenge, where appropriate, the incompetence or malpractice of others. In addition, they should fund to any investigation and decision concerning professional practice which falls below that of a reasonably competent practitioner and that threats bringing disgrace upon the counselling profession.
Beneficence
Beneficence is a commitment to promoting the client's well-being. This principle is meant to act in the best interests of the client based on a certified assessment. It directsthe attention to working strictly within the practitioner's area of competence, and providing services on the basis of adequate training and experience. Ensuring that the client's best interests are achieved requires organized monitoring of practice and outcomes byall the best available means. It is considered important that research and organized reflection inform practice. There is an obligation to use regular and ongoing supervision to enhance the quality of services provided in addition to upgrade practice by continuing professions. An obligation to act in the best interests of a client is vital when the client's capacity for autonomy is diminished because of immaturity, lack of understanding, extreme distress, mental disorder, serious disturbance, or other significant personal constraints.
Justice
Justice is the fair and neutral treatment of all clients through provision of adequate services. The principle of justice requires being just and fair to all clients and respecting their human rights and self-esteem. Justice in the distribution of services requires the ability to determine fair provision of services for clients and the allocation of services between clients. A commitment to fairness requires the ability to appreciate differences between people and to be committed to equality of opportunity, and avoiding discrimination against people or groups on the basis of personal, social or cultural characteristics.
Fidelity
Fidelity is honoring the trust placed by the practitioner. Being trustworthy is regarded as fundamental to understanding and resolving ethical challenges and problems. Practitioners who adopt this principle act in accordance with the trust placed in them; regard confidentiality as an obligation arising from the client's trust. It restricts any disclosure of confidential information about the client for any other purposes than the intended(Kirschenbaum, 2015).
Billing to clients
When establishing fees for professional counseling services, counselors should consider the financial status of clients and locality. The code of ethics protects clients from being overcharged by the counsellors but rather charge them accordingly based on the kind of services provided. In the event that the established fee structure is inappropriate for a client, counselors assist clients in attempting to find comparable services of acceptable cost.
Right to privacy
Counselors respect the confidentiality of prospective and current clients. They recognize and respect the need of the client to have their information regarded as private and not disclosed at all costs. Counselors should only request private information from clients only when it is helpful to the counseling process. They should only disclose information from the client only with enough consent of the client or with sound legal or ethical justification.
HIPAA compliance
As a counselor, one is required by HIPAA to provide a document that explains to potential clients how you and your practice will handle the release of confidential information. It should entail various issues such as the treatment, payment, healthcare operations and other uses of the disclosed information. Including the above information will communicate to your client what happens with the confidential information that they shares with you.
Once a client enters into a counseling relationship, the counselor is under obligation to provide the information necessary for the client's informed consent. The codes of professional counseling ethics require this informed consent as authorized by the various laws of conduct. The informed consent advises the client of the counselor's policies, state and federal laws, and clients' rights(Eberlein, 1977).
Section Three: Responsibility to Warn and Protect
In counselling, it turns out difficult to make predictions over client violence especially when dealing with issues that concern mental health. A counsellor is under obligation to give a prior warning to the client if the deteriorating effects they are in if not treated accordingly. In addition, he should give a prior warning of any side effects of the counselling session to ensure that due care is taken. The principles for handling a threat of violence are generally the same as those for dealing with a suicidal threat. Counsellors should assess thepatient's thoughts against injuring themselves or others.
Duty to protect can involve being able to keep potential victims from harm. It is the duty of a practitioner to protect their clients from self-harm and it is an ethical obligation in social work practice. This area needs to be explored and understood by social work practitioners, educators, and social work students. Duty to warn and duty to protect have ethical implications for all social workers. The duty to warn involve warning the potential victim, notifying the police, starting a commitment hearing, informing mental health evaluators of the threat, and utilizing professional supervision. On the other hand, duty to protect involves working with homicidal and suicidal clients and varies depending on the situation at hand(Karasu, 1990).
Section Four: Client Record Keeping
Proper documentation is beneficial for both the counsellor as well as the patient. The records keep a clear schedule of the treatment plans, services provided, and client progress. Record keeping documents the psychologist's organization and application of a fitting course of services, allowing the psychologist to monitor their work. In addition, records are important where there are significant periods of time between contacts and when the client seeks services from any other professionals. Proper records can also help safeguard both the client and the psychologist in the event of legal or ethical proceedings. Satisfactory records are a requirement for third-party reimbursement for psychological services("Record Keeping", 1989).
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is crucial for professionals to stick to the code of ethics when performing duty to their clients. Ultimate care should be put in place to ensure that the clients are left satisfied and that their privacy, health and rights are not compromised in any way. If the code of ethics was to be effectively practiced , proper counselling services will be provided to clients with the minimum ease.
References
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Gullickson, T. (1996). ACA Ethical Standards Casebook (5th ed.). Psyccritiques, 41(10).
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Karasu, T. (1990).The Psychotherapist's Duty to Warn or Protect.JAMA: The Journal Of The American Medical Association, 263(21), 2950.
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Kirschenbaum, H. (2015). Values and ethics in counselling and psychotherapy.British Journal Of Guidance & Counselling, 43(3), 372-375.
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Record Keeping.(1989). Physiotherapy, 75(2), 92.
https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s0031-9406(10)62726-5
Walker, J. (1999). Abortion in the case of pregnancy due to rape.International Journal Of Sociology And Social Policy, 19(3/4), 71-78.
https://dx.doi.org/10.1108/01443339910788776