The Case of Zora: Counseling, Bias, and Ethics - Term Paper Example

? The Case of Zora: Counseling, Bias, and Ethics Section/# It is without question that confidentiality occupies oneof the most important roles with regards to the psychologist/patient relationship. That being said, the situation that was provided in the case of Zora, the that is a situation in which a 14-year-old child is abusing controlled substances, sleeping with college aged men, and subsequently pregnant. Whereas it is the role of the counselor to assist the individual with their psychological health at each and every juncture, confidentiality is also a primary goal that must be implemented. However, there are some conflicting issues that will be discussed within some depth in this analysis. Firstly, the case illustrates that the counselor that Zora currently is assigned is Catholic by tradition and feels uncomfortable counseling a young woman with regards to choices that might include abortion. Another conflict within confidentiality has to do with the fact that an alternate counselor who has been called in as a peer upon this particular case is also conflicted due to the fact that she knows Zora’s family and is shocked to hear the psychological issues that are plaguing the young woman at the current time. Although it is not the express direction of this particular assignment to analyze the way in which individuals involved in counseling this patient might find a way to ameliorate these pressures, it is the belief of this student that the first counselor, the one who is troubled by the fact that her Catholic tradition forbids abortion must necessarily find a peer counselor who is capable of providing confidential and unbiased options to the patient in question (Wright-McDougal & Toriello, 2013). Although it is not against regulations or best practices to have one’s own beliefs with regards to an issue such as abortion, allowing these to interfere with the overall quality and level of counseling that a patient might receive is unallowable. By much the same token, allowing a peer advisor who is familiar with the family of Zora and is conflicted with regards to how she can counsel a young woman without alerting her parents to the dangers that she is facing is also unallowable. As such, it is the view of this author that a peer advisor who is unfamiliar with the family situation that Zora is describing and is as personally on conflicted as possible must be utilized (Morrow & Diedan, 1992). Naturally, this is oftentimes easier said than done; however, in the case of Zora, the situation demands a counselor that is open-minded and willing to weigh examine the cost and benefit of each and every proposed situation to provide Zora, and/or her unborn child with the greatest level of opportunity possible within their future life (Boyson, 2010). Similarly, the second portion of this analysis, will be concentric upon analyzing the way in which the Catholic tradition might influence the way in which a counselor approaches Zora’s particular situation. From even a cursory review of the Catholic tradition, it is understood that contraception, premarital sex, and abortion are all considered as a sin. As a member of Christian denominations, sin is a mortal ill that is able to keep an individual from salvation; the ultimate ability to spend eternity in paradise with Christ and the Father. As such, an issue as simple as, then usage, or contraception, portends a much larger issue than merely a personal choice. Naturally, not all Catholics should be understood to be quite as zealous as some of the more hard-line elements within the church. Nonetheless, such a worldview necessarily impact not only upon the decisions that an individual himself/herself is able to make, they also have a direct level of correlation to the level of decisions and advice that an individual of the Catholic persuasion is likely to give to another (Moore & Strickler, 1980). Whereas the information that is thus far been presented is been concentric upon the degree and extent to which an individual the Catholic persuasion might be biased with regards to the case illustrated, it must also be understood that the issue of contraception and/or premarital sex is already in the past for the particular patient in question. As such, the only issue that remains in the present is with regards to whether or not the child will be Or will be important. In this way, it must not be understood that the decision not to abort is in and of itself a negative choice. Rather, it only represents one particular standpoint of the choice that faces young Zora. By calling in a peer counselor to potentially represent the benefits and perspective of the difficulties that Zora will face with raising a child and leveraging a discussion of the benefits that abortion might have, a full and nuanced approach to this particular situation can be affected (Havercamp, 1994). Naturally, situations such as the one which have been defined thus far this analysis are quite common within the field of counseling. The ultimate reason for this is due to the fact that even though counseling should represent a ideologically unbiased level of approach, it is ultimately made up of individuals who have their own cultural and moral/religious traditions and therefore are influenced by them with regards to the advice that they give their clients (Munley et al., 2004). In this way, rather than viewing bias within the field of counseling as a net evil, a more appropriate response is to balance this is biased by seeking to ameliorate it at each and every turn. In the case in question, Zora could be led to the correct choice merely by providing both sides of the situation and let to choose a more appropriate between the two. Although the individual in question is most certainly a minor and issues relating to legality of sexual relations with college aged men is most certainly a concern, the more powerful question at the immediate juncture is whether or not the child will be kept and how this will impact upon Zora, her education, her relationship with her family, and the future dreams and goals that she might have. References Boysen, G. A. (2010). Integrating implicit bias into counselor education. Counselor Education & Supervision, 49(4), 210-227. Haverkamp, B. E. (1994). Cognitive bias in the assessment phase of the counseling process. Journal of Employment Counseling, 31(4), 155-167. Moore, H., & Strickler, C. (1980). The counseling profession's response to sex-biased counseling: An update. Personnel & Guidance Journal, 59(2), 84. Morrow, K. A., & Deidan, C. T. (1992). Bias in the counseling process: How to recognize and avoid it. Journal of Counseling & Development, 70(5), 571. Munley, P., Duncan, L., McDonnell, K., & Sauer, E. (2004). Counseling psychology in the United States of America. Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 17(3), 247-271. Wright-McDougal, J. J., & Toriello, P. J. (2013). Ethical implications of confirmation bias in the rehabilitation counseling relationship. Journal of Applied Rehabilitation Counseling, 44(2), 3-10. Read More