Lying on the Couch Book Report
In this report, I will be summarizing the book, Lying on the Couch by Irvin D. Yalom. I will also be giving my personal opinions on this book and its ethical implications. In addition, I will be giving examples from National Association of Social Workers code of ethics, National Association for Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Counselors, and National Human Services ethics and how they were violated in this story by the characters. I will also touch on the importance of self-care and creating clear boundaries in the helping profession.
Lying on the Couch tells us the stories of Ernest Lash, his supervisor Marshal Streider and their clients. Both Ernest and Marshal are psychoanalysts and they both have their own issues to deal with and ethical dilemmas that they run into. Marshall is envious of the wealthy, and Ernest is very eager to please and willing to do whatever he can to get to the top of the mountain. Another prominent character is Carolyn, who is a client; she is very interested in Ernest and he is interested in her even though this is not ethical for a counselor and client relationship.
In my personal opinion, this book was very hard to read and follow. At certain times I had a hard time figuring out who was talking in the book. I really wanted to enjoy this book and it’s “case studies” but I simply could not get past the confusion and enjoy this like I would any other book. I feel like the author wrote a lot of the situations for shock
This essay will address the ethical dilemmas faced by social workers and how they address these ethical dilemmas when working with service users and carers. It will be illustrated that codes of practice and codes of ethics are of paramount importance when dealing with these dilemmas as they are ones that guide social workers as to how they should try and solve these dilemmas.
The author’s style of writing is straightforward and to the point and the novel is unique because it is written through the different perspectives of the four main characters. The switching of perspectives throughout the book is what made the book so hard to put down. I could see, compare and contrast how the characters themselves feel about the situation. As this goes on, the reader can comprehend the characters’ personalities better and their view on the other characters. If this story was written from just one point of view, one wouldn’t be able to figure out each character’s thoughts and perception of people around them.
What Did You Expect To Learn When You Picked Up The Book? To What Extent – And How Effectively – Were Your Expectations Met?
The section of the National Association of Social Work Ethics that will be discussed will be number four which includes Social Workers’ ethical responsibilities as professionals. This ethics code concentrates on a several different factors which include: 4.01 Competence, 4.02 discrimination, 4.03 private conduct, 4.04 dishonesty, 4.05 personal impairment, 4.06 misinterpretations, 4.07 solicitations, and 4.08 acknowledging credit.
The commitment to act ethically is an essential aspect of social work due to the effect it can have on the quality of the service offered to those who engage with us. Through group discussions in our foundations of social work practice I have become extremely ethically aware and now will always seek to ascertain and respect, as far as possible, each individual’s preferences, wishes and involvement in decision making. From discussions with my fellow classmates I have learnt to strive to respect and uphold the values and principles of the profession by making sure I promote and work towards the code of ethics wherever possible. This in turn enables me act in a reliable, honest and trustworthy manner having worked closely with service users in a professional setting and learned of their good and bad experiences with practitioners through the service user experience we undertook in class. I believe I am now in a good position to apply the social work ethical principles to my professional practice, in a way that seeks to empower my service users and enable me to emulate the best practice. In addition from reading social work journals and staying on top of news regarding the profession more generally I am knowledgeable about the value base of social work as a profession .
There are many ways in which social workers can avoid ethical dilemmas. In regards to the Jones case I will explain five ethical dilemmas. I will explain what 3 core values could have benefitted the Jones family and I will give three strategies I will use to practice ethical behavior in my field of social work in the future.
This book combines characteristics of a suspense thriller with those of a tragedy and is a very interesting book to read. I liked the detail that the author went into about the psychological aspects of the characters in making the decisions that they made. I thought that the characters were well developed and I liked the detail that the author went into about the settings. A detailed setting can really increase the intensity and realism of a situation in a book. This book contained some difficult words that lower level readers might not understand. I would recommend that anyone looking for a suspense/tragedy oriented book should look to this one. The beginning is a somewhat tedious read, but that is only because the author takes so much time to develop the
There is a great necessity for the code of ethics in social welfare. The first code of ethics was “adopted in 1960” and was a single page (NASW,1998, para. 8). The last major adoption was in 1996, which was similar to what we see today, in the 2008 edition. In this changing profession it is absolutely necessary for a social worker to have something to reference to when there is an ethical dilemma, because they will transpire from time to time (NASW, 1998).
This week’s reflection paper examines the Social Work values and ethical aspects presented in Dr. Padesky’s therapeutic session, Testing Automatic Thoughts. Throughout the therapeutic session, Dr. Padesky operated within three ethical principles of NASW Code of Ethics. More specifically, the therapist practiced in a trustworthy manner and within her areas of competence and demonstrated respect for the inherent dignity and worth of her client.
Already I can tell that this book is more difficult than most other novels I have read. It seems as though Roth is in favor of using long sentences and complex vocabulary. I sometimes had to reread sentences a few times because there was difficult vocabulary I needed to look up and the sentences were long. I needed to read each sentence piece by piece to make sure I could understand what the author wanted to convey to the reader. Although the text seemed overwhelming when I read the first few pages; once I began reading sentences in increments I could more easily understand the text.
According to the Preamble of the Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers, “the primary mission of the social work profession is to enhance human wellbeing and help meet the basic human needs of all people, with particular attention to the needs and empowerment of people who are vulnerable, oppressed, and living in poverty.” National Association of Social Workers. (approved 1996, revised 1999, 2008). Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers. Washington, DC: Author. The ethical considerations of the Bruff Case as presented by Hermann and Herlihy (2006), are clearly defined and set forth Code of Ethics; additionally, the Code provides guidance to counselors on dealing with issues which might give rise
The reading wasn’t hard to understand. One thing that I really liked about the reading was how it would give you examples that would help you comprehend the reading. A clear example in the reading has to be the one about Nick. He upgraded from his old Honda Civic to a Mercedes. He justified his new purchased saying that it was safer and that he deserved it. Going in to read the reading I didn't think that it would be as engrossing, but I was proved wrong. The reading overall is really interesting and greatly detailed. I learned several things dealing with cognitive dissonance. I was staggered by the extent to which we justify our decisions and confront our own mistakes. I don’t really recognize when I justify my decisions, but now that I think
The book is thought provoking well written with some of the best scholars who address issues that ordinary people are facing throughout the world in view of injustice, human rights issues, corrupt government and policies. It really gets you thinking.
Workers in the helping professions endure a massive amount of ethical and professional issues. These issues affect the practice of counseling and the relationship with the client. The book Issues and Ethics in the Helping Professions by Corey, Corey, and Hallanan gives many themes that one will encounter throughout their career. The book also gives possible solutions to problems and stimulates different ways to think about issues. The authors of this book provide good knowledge and information for anyone in the helping professions.
When working in a social care environment, ethical practice plays a major part in every aspect of your work. This essay will explain what ethical practise is, how it affects the social care industry, and some examples as to how it could play an important role in daily work.