Ethical Issues in Counselling Practice - Research Paper Example

Practicing the codes of one’s profession is part and parcel of being ethically sensitive and being an ethical practitioner, which ultimately gives you an insight into matters so much that the practitioner can differentiate between the ethical and unethical aspects of situations (Corey, 2013). Mandatory ethics are the employment of the minimum level of ethics during professional practice where as when the practitioner considers the best interest of the client while taking professional decisions is referred to as aspirational ethics (Corey, 2013).

Ethical Codes and Laws Ethical codes differ from laws in the respect that ethical codes are frameworks followed by counselors during practice, whereas laws are the implementation of set minimum socially acceptable standards by the government (Grant, 2009). Principles of Ethics Ethics in Counseling follow five principles (APA, 2010) 1. Beneficence and Nonmaleficence 2. Fidelity and Responsibility 3. Integrity 4. Justice 5. Respect for People’s Rights and Dignity Confidentiality: An Ethical Standard Confidentiality is considered to be somewhat of a necessary ethical standard.

In some states, confidentiality also becomes a legal obligation for the practitioner, where the practitioner is legally obligated not to disclose the client’s information (Corey, 2013). According to the American Psychological Association, it is the prime obligation of the practitioner to ensure confidentiality; that is the protection of confidential information obtained during practice (2010). Confidentiality becomes necessary to ensure the trust of the client towards the psychotherapist, for therapy, will only be successful when the client is assured of the privacy of his communications with the therapist (Corey, 2010).

The degree of confidentiality shall be discussed and agreed to in advance, and the client should be aware of the therapist is sharing certain information about the client with his superior or a colleague (Corey, 2013). With therapists providing therapeutic intervention on telephones and via e-mail communication, it has become increasingly important to ensure what falls within the boundaries of confidentiality (APA, 2010) Legal Breach of Confidentiality A breach in confidentiality can lead to legal action against the therapist; at times, the law requires the therapist to breach confidentiality due to legal requirements, e.g. in case of child abuse, incest or crime, but the therapist is required to know the legal limits of confidentiality too and ensure proper action be taken against the offender (Corey, 2013).

Pros of Confidentiality Practicing Confidentiality during therapy has benefits not only for the client but also for the therapist. 1. Trust Building Practicing confidentiality leads to the building of trust in the client for the therapist. Confidentiality is considered as the sine-qua-non of the patient-psychiatrist relationship (Grant, 2009). When this trust relationship is developed, it allows for the client to share intimate information which otherwise he would have kept back. 2. Therapy Effectiveness The more the therapist knows about the client, the better and more effectively.