Epistemological Beliefs - Essay Example

Journal Article Analysis: Epistemological Beliefs Psychologist and counsellors carry out their activities under several set of rules. Bond (2010, pp. 40) indicates its process to be aligned mostly on the social process. The nature of the ethics tends to differ in form and the way they are practiced during service delivery. There exist several sources of these ethics and if utilised they may be used to define the level of professionalism each practitioner may be classified upon. They range from personal ethics to moral ethics and professional ethics. Professional ethics are universal and are the requirement of any practitioner. The essay would base its analysis of ethics that defines psychotherapist and counsellors. The practitioners are tasked in ensuring the patients stay in a more comfortable environment. The professional ethics are tasked in designing these ethics. Opinions may defer on which criterions to use when two or more ethical issues collide. The practitioner is tasked in ensuring decisions made during these scenarios are upright and acceptable according to the set procedures. Each practitioner has the obligation of studying the environment before making any decisions. The four major principles are guided by three major philosophies major philosophies. The essay will relate the three philosophies which are Unitarianism, consequentialism theory Deontological theories. They lay basis of the formulation of every ethical composition. The essay will relate then to the daily activities of the counselors and the physiotherapist The ethical aspect operates on four levels with the initial level being identified to be autonomy. The rule operates on personal rules and philosophies. It states the nature in which a single individual operates and make decisions should not be influence by an external forces and the third party. In counselling and psychotherapy the psychotherapist and the counsellors should not influence the nature in which the patients make decisions based on their conditions. The therapist should respect the rule in autonomy and design the environment that that assist the patients to make informed decisions. There comes a time when the psychotherapist or the counsellor is caught between the patients’ right o make autonomous decisions and their beneficence duty. In the scenario the patient may choose to go against the psychotherapist prescription. In matters like these the patients may the priority and upon evaluation and identification of the patient’s autonomy rule the psychotherapist has no choice but to respect the patient’s decisions. Respect for autonomy also restricted the physiotherapy from lying to the patient’s health ad condition. The rule only allows the psychotherapist to deceive the patient or each other when a deceit circumstances is available (Gillon, 1994, pp 185). The second ethical aspect surrounds the moral aspect of the entire fraternity. Commonly referred to a justice, which is all about fairness in service delivery. In the aspect of fairness each person needs to be treated equally. The moral aspect emerges when the existing patient scenario does not fall in any of the set rules. The psychotherapist and counsellors do not operate on religious or ideological ground and when such issues occur they need to act professionals with morals. These moral ethics would guide them through with no privileges given to the patient based on the affiliation to the psychotherapist. Justice is more of equality for instances for counsellors who are of the person- centred therapy should be in line with the aim of the therapy (Hill, 2009). The therapy is more focused on the forces which enhances growth and are subject to individual’s view of the surrounding. These views should be respected and decisions made ethically with respect to these beliefs. Alienating a person based ne these beliefs may be termed unethical and at the same time being considered injustice to those who may be subject to neglect or unfair treatment due to the counsellor’s decisions to judge their interaction with the existing world. The third ethical composition is the ethics of non- maleficence. The practise based ethics protects the patient from any bodily or psychological harm when in the care of the medical practitioners. The ethic prevents the counsellors or the psychologists from malpractices. The initial scrutiny of the counsellors before employment enables efficient staff is employed. The psychotherapist is mandated to ensure the bodily harm to an individual is avoided even in cases where the accidental harm would be unregulated. An assurance should exist when offering assistance; the assurance should be on the based interest of the patient. The patients should experience a safe environment while being attended to. The practitioner should contact his services while on his right state of mind. This includes the health state of the psychotherapist or counsellor and his substance from intoxication caused by substance use and other drugs. The conditions give the practitioner to evaluate and give a decision on matters concerning the health of the patient. Non- maleficence also denies the practitioner any chances of gaining any favour from the patients. This may range from financial or sexual favour ( Burr, & Kurtz, 2000). The fourth ethical principle is the beneficence principle in ethics. The aim of this principle is to improve and manage the welfare of the patient. The welfare of the patients should be guided and used during the assessment procedure of the patient. The welfare of the patients involves hiring competent psychotherapist who performs based on their training rather than assumptions. The privacy aspect of the patient is also guided by this principle. The practitioner has the mandate to ensure the patient information is not displayed in the public domain without the patients consent. Quality enhancement by any practitioner would be based on the existing formulation and the nature in which they are utilized and criticized to form an acceptable level of service ( Burr, & Kurtz, 2000). The new innovated service should focus in ensuring the well being of the patient. When a patient is uncertified with the existing mechanism the practitioners use this platform to enhance the services based on the assumption that the patient may be satisfied to some point. Freedom and value are the two major driver o the moral ethics in healthcare as far as the Unitarianism is concerned. Performance of any psychotherapy and counseling sessions will depend in the manner in which the department deals with internal and external matters the moral and social issue should be consider and the economical being given less priority. British association for counseling & psychotherapy (2010) indicates the nature in which the welfare of any patient should depend on the economic welfare and well being of the society. The ethical aspect is designed based on the end result and the consequence of any given action. The theory borrows from the welfare theory which states the importance and responsibility of each and every given practitioner to follow. Morals and values are the tools used to judge those who go contrast to the requirement by the professional body. The end result of any practice should surround the very basis of happiness to the patient and the non infringement of their fundamental rights. The result of the philosophy is to ensure common sense is applied while formulating personal ethics and the same time regulate the manner in which the same laws are used during service delivery (British association for counseling & psychotherapy [BACP], 2010). The second theory that relates to ethics is the consequentialism theory. It indicates the choice of an action is based on the outcome and it would be judged as good if only the choice is exceptional or acceptable by the society. The theory operates on three major systems with the first one being nature of the outcome and the environment in which the rule operates (Burr, & Kurtz, 2000). The disciplinary committee acts upon these rules in matters where there exist a dispute between the patient and the practitioner. In some instances both parties may claim to have acted ethically and the complainant may feel that their right has been undermine hence the board acts with the knowledge that the outcome is what would determine the ruling. According to BBC (2014) philosophy states that the practitioner may be right only if the action and decision made resulted from set rules and ethical background. The failure in which may refer land the practitioner to disciplinary actions. The actions may range according to the set rules and regulations. Society formulates personal ethics of which the practitioners use them to adapt to their professional ethics. One is mandated to act ethically without any supervision as their duty to create a friendly environment for the patient as it is efficient in their well being. The third theory entails balancing rights with obligation while service delivering is the Deontological theories. They require the practitioner to act based on the on pure reasoning. The reasoning is drive upon by the existing values rather than set rule and authoritative forces. Reasoning enables one to choose from two complex scenarios. The ethics are compulsory to all medical practitioners and hence their application is what categorizes them as either unconditional and imperatives. In the theory the rights are mostly affiliated to the patients while the obligations tasked to the practitioner. The community I used as a tool that ensures they posses some limits. Professional responsibilities and obligation of the counselor or psychotherapist would dwell majorly on set rules and regulations. Modernity is a tool to this theory as they form the basis of development of ideas with focus being laid on the desired output. The outcome to the practitioner’s side should be positive failure in which it will be termed as unethical and hence punishable or having a negative influence to the professional levels of individuals (BACP, 2010). While shaping these ethics the society becomes a tool. These tools ensures the diversity that nature provides is utilized in advancing services while at the same time satisfy the needs of each patient. Variables and constraints in the service delivery are usually finances and the practitioners should not use this tool as an excuse to deny the patient the right to medical and counseling services. The services are controlled by the patient and the guidance of the practitioner should be employed as a tool of service delivery and not to intimidate them. There exist scenarios in which the patients make wrong choices and these choices may be catastrophic when applied hence the practitioner should step in and ensure the patient is given proper guidance (Burr, & Kurtz, 2000). These should not infringe their rights as patients. The code of ethics only allows counselors to guide the patients through a complex scenario and hence the healing process should be left to the patient to transit through. The diagnosis of a complex scenario by the practitioner should not be a reason for these professional to dominate the thinking ability of the patient. The independent state of the person is recognized by both the law and the medical code of ethics. The equal treatment at any given level is what defines an ethical practitioner with the course of action depending on both environmental factors and matters at hand (BACP, 2010).. In conclusion it is evident on how ethics are the major rules guiding a practitioner. The rule may determine the manner in which each single institution may be regarded by patients. The formulation of these rules are driven on the point are driven upon universal frame work. The framework ensues each practitioner should connect and interact with the society and the patient. Existing ethics are based on common sense and that the user should use them and choose those appropriate at a given complex scenario. Favors and inequality is the major unbecoming in the medical fraternity. The failure to balance between professional and personal values may lead to the unethical aspect which is discouraged while practicing medicine and other related fields. A success of any organization would be judged with the nature in which they handle and interact with the outside world. The external environment in our case refers to the patients. The demands of these patients should be kept into consideration while applying them to a real life set up. The expectation of these patients is finding an environment that is friendly and offers them the required comfort and that’s what ethics are all about. Reference BBC.(2014). “Ethics guide: consequentialism.” Reteriived from Bond, T. (2010). Standards and Ethics for Counselling in Action. London: sage British association for counseling & psychotherapy (2010). “Ethical principles of counselling and psychotherapy”. Retrieved from Burr, L. & Kurtz, P. (2000). Ethics and health care. London: Jones and Bartlett Gillon, R. (1994). Four principles plus attention scope. 309, pp. 184- 200 Hill, A. (2009). “The competences required to deliver effective Counselling for Depression”. Retrieved from Read More