Code Of Ethics And Ethical Issues In Counseling

It is my job as a professional to put all those differences aside and view my client as just that. A client of mine that has enlisted my help with an issue they are facing and my focus should remain on helping my client and not judging them for their lifestyle. Lastly, clients have the right to quality care. The NAADAC (2011) states, “The addiction professional espouses objectivity and integrity and maintains the highest standards in the services provided.” As a professional counselor I will be an advocate for my clients. I will stay up to date with the latest research and counseling techniques. In an article by Eberstein (1977) he states “ Don’t use new styles or fads for treatment when they have not yet been accepted or approved by your professional body.” Although we may use these new techniques we should be properly trained on how to use them properly first. Clients deserve to be provided with the best we have to offer which means updated assessments and quick results. I will keep my personal opinions to myself and will not attempt to force them onto my clients. I will remain professional at all times.

Professional associations establish codes of ethics to ensure that clinicians uphold the standards of their association in order to protect the clients they serve and the profession they are affiliated with. This paper will compare the codes of ethics of the American Counseling Association (ACA), American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT), and National Association of Social Workers (NASW).

The first ethical issue that counselors have to worry about in counseling children is to be a competent counselor. It includes that the counselor must be familiar with child and adolescent development. Also, in order to be competent in counseling children, a counselor must frequently participate in trainings, specialized education, and supervised practice (Henderson & Thompson, 2011). Another ethical issue in counseling minors is privacy and confidentiality. According to the American Counseling Association (ACA) (2014) Code of Ethics, when counseling minors a counselors protect the confidentiality of information received (ACA, 2014, B.5.a). Counselors also have responsibilities with the child’s parents such as inform parents about the role of counselors and the confidential nature of the counseling relationship (ACA, 2014, B.5.b). When a counselors needs to release confidential information, he needs to seek permission from the child’s parents, legal guardians, or the appropriate third party in order to disclose the information (ACA, 2014, B.5.c). According to Henderson and Thompson (2011), children have to have their parents’ consent to see a

When most people think of substance abuse and addiction counseling they often only think of the 12 step program or alcoholics anonymous. The truth is that an addiction counselor must have a vast knowledge in the

Stabilization and treatment require effective planning. The clients who enter this addictions program are the essence of this program and its success. Therefore, the needs of the clients we serve set precedence and our staff are to address the needs of the clients with regards to confidentiality as it can become an issue if no policy is in place. Client confidentiality is an issue for program staff who receive calls by family members who are seeking information about their loved ones. This becomes a policy and procedure issue at the time the phone is answered. To resolve this issue and to effectively manage client confidentiality a protocol is in place. The program staff will follow the procedural response for each phone call and request. After training and demonstrating how to answer the phone our staff will be properly trained. Each program staff will seek guidance if any breach of confidentiality is made and will log it immediately. This method of response and approach will reduce violation of policies and procedures that reduce legal obligations in the event confidentiality is breached. Proper steps in place to ensure compliance.

This paper is a response to a video discussing the issues of confidentiality, privilege, reporting, and duty to warn. This paper looks at these issues and their explanations in the American Counseling Association Code of Ethics as well as the Georgia State Board of Professional Counselor’s ethical guidelines and provides a commentary on the laws. It was found that these issues are not always black and white, but there is some debate on these issues. Confidentiality is both an ethical and a legal responsibility yet there are often times when the ethical demands clash with the legal demands. This paper explores some of those crashes and explains what I have learned from the video and the professional and stage guidelines concerning confidentiality and its implications and how I will apply what I have learned into future practice.

First, counselors need to be experienced about mental health and addiction; that is, be knowledgeable about mental health diagnosis and symptoms, as well, the various substances that are commonly used and know possible ways drugs can interact with symptoms of mental health. Counselors should be aware of other risks self-harm and suicide, as well a firm understanding of crisis intervention.

There are numerous ethical issues a counselor must confront during their work; dual relationships and confidentiality being two of them and are going to be discussed here. Both are important to both the client and the profession, as they set the expectations for how counselors are to act professionally (Miller, 2015). Ethical principles “direct the moral and value-based decisions that affect the counseling process” (p. 557). Without them, the profession lacks these moral and value-based directives and the ship that is “addiction counseling” has no rudder. It is directionless and adrift.

Stevens, P., & Smith, R. L. (2013). Substance abuse counseling: Theory and practice (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Thank you for sharing your post! I'm in agreeable with the counselor being the most in the second part in this equation when dealing with a client when dealing with clients who are fighting against addiction. To clarify if there were no counselors or professional persons helping and solving problems or funeral Solutions in the order for the person who suffering for the children it will be like person doing the best I can without a guided tour or someone to dye them through speech that needed for them to move past substance abuse and live free. Not to mention incorporating 12-step program or the new Resources with support addiction issues which office places significant part in treatment planning. In any case it all still in the individual pants

Dual relationships and the ethical behavior that revolves around boundaries with clients present a multitude of very complicated situations to counselors where a clearly defined course of action is not always evident. Aside from no accord amongst mental health professionals and boundary issues being unavoidable at times, recognition and prediction of potential benefits or pitfalls correlated with dual relationships can prove to be troublesome as well (Remley & Herlihy, 2010). For most cases, it is best if an outline is used to discern when it is appropriate for a counselor to breach the client-counselor boundary.

Being patient and allowing the client to talk is very important as this is the difference between counselling and an ordinary discussion (Dryden &Feltham, 1992). The client told me that losing his job was the reason that pushed him towards alcohol. Not being able to provide for his family made him depressed and hopeless. He was very worried about the future and wanted help immediately. I was emphatic with the client and his pain and thought we can succeed in working together (Coulshed

For any professional working in the substance abuse treatment field, they will very likely come across situations and be presented with dilemmas relating to personal beliefs, judgments, and values. Drug or substance use and abuse have been a controversial and heated topic around the world for centuries. Drug abuse, in a way, is a facet of human culture that has been present for a great deal of human history in general. Every culture handles the issue of drug abuse differently. The history of how a society views persons with addictions is intermeshed with emotion, misperceptions, and prejudice that directly affects the care of drug abusers. This is a kind of awareness that drug users and those who provide drug treatment or rehabilitation should have. They may be susceptible to treating patients different because of their own personal views or because of the culturally normative views of that particular society. Just like teenagers may be automatically considered dangerous or irresponsible, it is fairly normative in a health care setting for a patient to be perceived negatively just because that person is a known drug user. Because of the highly charged emotional nature of the substance abuse treatment field, providers should possess the tools to explore ethical dilemmas objectively. By doing so, and by examining their own reactions to the situation, providers can proceed with the most ethical course of action. Ethical practice is

There are many ethical issues that can arise during counseling. One issue that is fairly common is sexual attraction from patient to counselor, counselor to patient, or even in both directions. Even though an attraction may exist, this does not necessarily mean that these instincts will be followed in any inappropriate way. In fact attraction is a natural part of life and is impossible to avoid. However, any fulfillment of these desires is an unethical act that could not only be in violation of the code of ethics that a counselor is bound by, but it could also subject the counselor and their organization to litigation and legal action.

During the treatment and assessment of drug or alcohol users, social workers must put their own morals and opinions aside in order to properly assess those who are afflicted by addiction (Boyle et al, 2009). Subsequently it is important for social workers to know themselves as individuals and professionals when facilitating those they are trying to help. The social workers’ approach to the client can help determine the foundation for intervention techniques. However, in order for a social worker to fully understand the client who suffers from substance abuse, it is important to know the neurological effects that the client endures in order to ultimately gain a better understanding of treatment methods.