What would you do if you were providing a psychological test to a counseling client and an issue
arose in which your ethics conflicted with the established state and federal laws and codes of ethics?
Provide an example to support your response.
ou made a very valid point when you mentioned that a counselor needs to be aware of their personal
beliefs and do their best to avoid pushing their personal beliefs onto their clients. Mentioning that it
may beneficial to refer the client to a new counselor is also very important because if the current
counselor cannot work in accordance to ethical standards and laws, they will end up harming the
client. Another thing that counselors need to keep in mind when it comes to ethical codes in
confidentiality and getting the clients consent to share information. Code B.1.c. discusses that a
counselor needs to protect their client’s confidential information and cannot disclose information
about the client without their consent (American Counseling Association, 2014). When a counselor is
conducting a psychological test and their personal ethics come into conflict with the state laws,
federal laws, and code of ethics, the counselor may want to talk to someone about the client’s case,
however, they need to get the clients consent to share their personal information before they do so.
Even if the counselor wants to discuss the client’s results with the client’s family, consent needs to
be received before this could occur.
American Counseling Association. (2014).
2014 ACA Code of Ethics: As Approved by the ACA
Governing Council
.
American Counseling Association
. American Counseling Association. Retrieved
December 2, 2023, from
https://www.counseling.org/resources/aca-code-of-ethics.pdf
.
