Promoting Effectiveness and

Resiliency Through Counseling Ethics

David KaplanACA Chief Professional Officer

dkaplan@counseling.org

www.counseling.org/kaplan

Thesis

Focusing on counseling ethics makes you more

effective and your clients more resilient

Theory-Based Rationale

Person-Centered Therapy

In my early professionals years I was asking the question: How can I treat, or cure, or change this person? Now I would phrase the question in this

way: How can I provide a relationship which this person may use for his own personal growth?

-Carl Rogers

Research-Based Rationale

Michael Lambert – The counseling relationship accounts

for 30% of the variance of positive client outcomes

The Convergence of Theory and Research

TRUST

Ethical Principles for Establishing Trust

• Autonomy • Nonmaleficence• Beneficence• Justice• Fidelity

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Autonomy

Clients have the right to make their own decisions

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Nonmaleficence

Do no harm

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Beneficence

Do good

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Justice

Be fair

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Fidelity

Be faithful

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Implementing the Ethical Principles

I.1.b. Ethical Decision MakingWhen counselors are faced with an ethical dilemma, they use and document, as appropriate, an ethical decision making model….

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I have been counseling an adult woman with a presenting problem of difficulty in coping with the death of her mother. Her mother and grandmother (who is also deceased) suffered from progressive Alzheimer’s disease. My client revealed to me that she administered a lethal dose of sleeping pills to her grandmother during the final stages of the Alzheimer’s, and that she also caused the death of her mother by withholding cardiac medication. It was then revealed that it is likely she will have to take care of a third relative with Alzheimer’s disease, an elderly Aunt. It is important to understand that my client is not a bad person and did what she did while under tremendous stress and pressure and with feelings of compassion for the deteriorating condition of her mother and grandmother. My question is in two parts: First, what are my ethical obligations upon hearing the manner in which my client’s mother and grandmother died? Second, am I responsible to do anything about the upcoming situation with the Aunt?

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THE ACA KNOWLEDGE CENTER

WWW.COUNSELING.ORG

ACA 2014 Ethics Resources

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• The ACA Code of Ethics• Ethics podcast• Ethics webinar series• Ethics interview series • Books on counseling ethics* See handout

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David KaplanACA Chief Professional Officer

dkaplan@counseling.org

www.counseling.org/kaplan