Ethics in Groups - Research Paper Example

Ethics within groups Ethics within groups Ethics can be defined as the moral guidelines that direct and manage the manners of conduct of an individual or a set of individuals. The decision of a therapist to either counsel people as a group on individually is dependent on the results presumed. Therefore, therapists demand individuals undergoing therapy to conduct themselves in particular manners. This paper addresses the hot topic of ethics within groups. Ethical issues unique to group therapy and how these issues compare to those from individual counselling are also covered. In addition, this paper elucidates the reasons why a therapist would choose group therapy over individual counselling or vice versa. Hill (2004) asserts that It is important to consider the fact that morals, ideals, or values are founded on religion. All religions advocate for people to act in specific ways as postulated in the Bible, Quran, and other religious books. This follows that, all professions have to be guided by their own policies aimed at upholding acceptable behaviours. Observing morals or values is considered an important factor in therapy as it enables the therapist uphold high echelons of veracity, conviction, and also ensure competence and victory in therapy. Other than these moral guidelines, there are also legal guidelines in groups. The main objective of legal guidelines is to ensure security or protection of both parties involved. In doing so, these guidelines outlines the obligations of each party, and also the effects of disregarding these guidelines (Forsyth, 2014). Subsequently, ethical issues within groups also encompass traditions and customs. Each and every community globally has its own set of guidelines that controls manners of conduct. Interactions within groups should therefore be guided by individual cultural beliefs and practises. Individual aptitude and proficiency is also an issue that determines ethics. According to Forsyth (2014), the ability of each and every individual within a group to conduct himself or herself ethically is dependent on the level of education, and know-how. These are important as they enable an individual resolve disagreements effectively and amicably. Basically, ethical issues within groups goes beyond moral guidelines and level of skills or know-how. Acting ethically requires an individual to have a deeper understanding and insight of issues at hand. It is the obligation of a therapist to provide the individuals undergoing therapy with dexterity in order to assist them progress from their current poignant and psychological quandary. Ethical issues unique to group therapy According to Jennings and Skovholt (2005), the issue of control brings a lot of confusion in group therapy. This is attributed to the fact that therapist find it difficult managing and directing the happenings during group therapies. In contrast, it is easier to control a patient during individual therapy sittings. It is easier for an individual to treat his or her private information relating to therapy with discretion as compared to a group of individuals. Therefore, discretion is an issue of significance in group therapy. Any information given by the patients in therapy sessions should be treated with utmost confidentiality. Therapists from all corners of the world are faced with difficulties in ensuring that group members do not share their colleagues personal information with third parties. Human beings are labelled as social animals hence associations are based on communication and interaction. In group therapies therefore, all the participants are warned against diverging other patients personal and medical information with other people. Breach of information is associated with many social problems such as discrimination. Breach of patients information to unauthorised personnel breaks the trust between therapists and the patients. This is the reason why there ought to be rules and regulations within a group setting in therapy. In addition, breach of patients information during therapy leads to a violation of the indenture between the therapist and patients (Jacobs et-al, 2012). This has its own set of intricacies. For instance, the reliability of the whole process is put at stake. Many individuals have discontinued their therapy sessions as a result of breach of information since trust is broken. Each member of a group must sign a privacy agreement stating the legal consequences associated with making public personal or private information of a group member. Therapists should also share their clients information with third parties only with the informed consent of the patient, or through an order issued by a court of law (Silvestre, Luisa and Vandenberghe, 2008). In group therapies, individual participants are encouraged to state and share their issues with the rest of the group members. In such a setting, it is easy for the other participants to give their own opinions on a particular issue. Some people are easily manipulated or swayed by other peoples opinions. However, some opinions may be misleading and hence make an issue facing a patient worse. In a group therapy session therefore, the therapist has the responsibility of ensuring that each patient gets an opportunity to share their problems unreservedly devoid of stress, demands, and manipulation by other participants. Sometimes, intimidations and bullying may be prevalent in a group setting (Vandenberghe, 2009). These issues are absent in an individual therapy sessions as the therapist engages the patient one-on-one. A particular city or town may comprises of individuals from diverse communities. It is therefore very easy to find participants in a group therapy session with diverse cultural beliefs and practises. Engaging with such individuals sometimes becomes an issue (Robert and Paul, 1998). Participants are therefore advised to use the therapy sessions as a chance to acclimatise or familiarise themselves with the traditions and customs practised by their colleagues. Participants from similar backgrounds may try to form smaller sub-groups within the group. Such behaviours mat may affect association, interactions, and individual involvement within the group (Robert and Paul, 1998). It is the duty of the therapist to train or coach the group members about diversity as well as how to bear and accommodate other members of the group based on their cultural beliefs and practises. The sincerity of each and every group member is a moral issue in group therapies. Lack of integrity or candour within the group can affect affiliations particularly linking the therapist and clients, and also within group members. Consequently, lack of candour breaks conviction and further leads to acrimony between group members. This also affects teamwork, collaboration, involvement of individual members within the group, and can also force some individuals to desert the group (Nassar-McMillan and Hakim-Larson, 2011). An unforeseen and abrupt end or break of the group is also considered an issue of ethical concern particularly on the side of the therapist. This is attributed to the fact that such an occurrence is an indication of the groups deficiency of principle and rationale in achievement of its objectives. It also indicates the therapists incapability to build unity and consistency within a group. It is important to assert that neither the therapist nor the group members develops in such a case. Studies conducted in the past elucidated the fact that untimely cessation of a group leads to sentiments of anxiety between the members and hence those affected feel perturbed in becoming a member of another group. An individual therapy has more chances of success completion as compared to a group therapy. Why would a therapist choose a group therapy as opposed to individual therapy? Since time immemorial, people have undergone therapy either individually or as a group. A therapist may prefer a group therapy as opposed to individual therapy for a number of reasons. Arguably, group therapy supports and encourages egalitarianism. In other words, members of a group have an equal opportunity to share their feelings. In individual therapy on the other hand, the therapist is the decision maker while the patient is the recipient i.e. there is no impartiality. In addition, a therapist may opt for a group therapy if s/he feels that the patient will perform well in a group. It is common knowledge that some individuals blossom better when involved in a group as opposed to being involved individually. The reason behind this inference is that some individuals may feel at ease when sharing their feelings with a group as opposed to sharing with a single person i.e. the therapist (Parcover et-al, 2006). An individual undergoing therapy is more likely to receive admiration and reverence in a group setting (Childers and Couch, 1989). The groups dynamics allows the individuals to aggressively participate in the groups activities. As mentioned earlier, group members are encouraged to treat their colleagues views with esteem. Subsequently, an individual is able to learn a lot through listening and comprehending the viewpoints presented by the other members of the group. In such a case, a patient is able to develop both psychologically and objectively. According to Childers and Couch (1989), a therapist is also able to be more observant and attentive in a group setting. This is important in therapy as it boosts creativity and vivacity within the group. Listening to divergent opinions or viewpoint from the members of the groups makes the exercise more interesting as compared to individual therapy where the exercise can be monotonous. People learn a lot in an interesting and vivacious atmosphere. A therapist can also opt for group therapy as opposed to individual therapy as a group setting encourages the involvement and contributions of members of the group. A group also ensures additional explanations and elucidations of opinions as the members are dynamically involved in the process. This also allows the members of the group to receive responses, comments, and criticism on their opinions. Through listening to the other members of the group, an individual is able to consider each and every viewpoint (Corey, Corey and Haynes, 2014). Methodical investigations conducted in the past showed that group therapies heartens and gives members a chance to chip-in in all the activities, and also ensures the participants are engaged collectively (Parcover et-al, 2006). Engaging people in group therapy presents the participants with a feeling of commonality. In other words, they become aware that there are also other individuals suffering the same predicaments. This helps in the healing process as the participant does not feel secluded or isolated. Other important and beneficial aspects of group therapy include solidarity of the group members, and engagement is tentative and descriptive. Why would a therapist opt individual therapy as opposed to group therapy? According to Carter, Mitchell and Krautheim (2001), therapists who opt individual therapy deem that dealing with a group of individuals collectively eliminates eccentricity or independence. According to them, there is a higher probability of group members being manipulated by other members opinions. It is also understandable to consider the fact that some individuals find it uncomfortable sharing their feelings in a group hence opt a one-on-one with the therapist. Similarly, some therapists work better when dealing with patients individually. Since the therapist is responding to many questions and suggestions in a group set-up, some participants may misconstrue the therapists response to mean that s/he treats some participants harshly and at the same time treat others with kindness. This may result to hostility and some therapists may prefer to avoid that all together by opting individual therapy. Individual therapies are considered easier to arrange or prepare for. In contrast, group therapies are time consuming when preparing as the therapist has to keep into account issues such as the diverse characters of the group members, as well as cultural diversity (Shechtman, Vogel and Maman, 2010). Performing and accomplishing group therapies necessitates a therapist to go for further studies in order to acquire the necessary skills. There is also a probability of some of the participants in the group changing the subject under consideration either deliberately or inadvertently. This arises when some of the participants experience complexities when conversing. Conclusion The issue of ethic in therapy is of great concern. It is important for participants within a group to ensure that they respect the cultural beliefs of their colleagues. It is also important for them to understand the fact that there are legal issues that govern their associations. Whether an individual within a group acts in an ethical manner or not depends on his or her level of education, perceptions, and acumen. There are certain ethical issues that are unique to group therapies. One of these issues involve control of the members of the group. At time, therapists find it very difficult to manage and direct the group and hence issues of breach of confidentiality and indenture arise. It is important for each and every member of the group to treat private information concerning their colleagues with utmost confidentiality. Others issues that are unique to a group include issues pertaining to cultural diversity, manipulation by group members opinions, sincerity, and unforeseen cessation of the group activities. A therapist may opt a group therapy as opposed to individual therapy for a number of reasons. There is even-handedness and fairness in a group setting as each individual is given a chance to share his or her feelings with the others. Subsequently, some individuals prefer teamwork as opposed to being engaged individually. Others reasons include the fact that individuals in a group are able to learn from one another through listening to each others experiences, and due to the nature and dynamics of a group, the therapist is able to be creative and vivacious. Individuals are able to grasp more in a group as the members or participants contribute adversely to the subject at hand. On the other hand, a therapist may opt an individual therapy as opposed to group therapy for a number of reasons. Individual therapies are easier to prepare for, some therapists feel that group therapies eliminates independence of the individual seeking therapy, and also individual therapies minimises the chances of the therapists ideas being misconstrued. References Carter, E. F., Mitchell, S. L., & Krautheim, M. D. (2001). Understanding and Addressing Clients Resistance to Group Counselling. 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