The Link Between Personal Values and Professional Ethics of the Famiy/Marital Counselor

In my initial blog, I briefly explored the importance for therapist’s to maintain awareness of their personal values in order to not affect the outcome of their clients’ treatments.  This advice is substantial for effective therapy, but it seems there should be more to it than a simple awareness of one’s own personal values while respecting the values of clients.  In an article titled “Value analysis: A model of personal and professional ethics in marriage and family counseling”  Thomas (1994) explains six recommended values that bridge personal and professional ethics, which in turn increase the counselor’s ability to promote effective therapy.  The three most influential values will be discussed in this blog: responsibility, integrity, and freedom of choice.

Responsibility.  On a personal level, responsibility is a value that includes self care, awareness of personal limitations, and allowing for growth in one’s personal life (Thomas, 1994).  On a professional level, a therapist who values responsibility not only adheres to the code of ethics and regulations of the profession, but also maintains membership in professional organizations, is aware of professional limitations, and seeks consultation and continuing education when necessary (Thomas, 1994).

Integrity.  Thomas (1994) recommends that counselors uphold their personal integrity by “protecting themselves from intrusion of personal boundaries and from physical and emotional pain that goes beyond their threshold” (para. 16).  While this is ideal, it is not always possible.  Therefore, Thomas’ (1994) second recommendation of “nurturing confidence and self-esteem” (para. 16) is more likely to preserve integrity on a personal level as well as carry over into the professional domain.

Freedom of Choice.  Thomas (1994) describes freedom of choice to be a personal value that creates a positive sense of self and considers it to be a critical factor for enabling one to be responsive to others.  Since a counselor must be responsive to their clients, it seems as though freedom of choice is a pivotal point between personal values and being effective as a counselor.

To conclude, Thomas (1994) simplifies the ways in which personal values can enhance the counselor’s ability to provide effective therapy.  Therapists who are responsible for self-care, maintain high self-esteem, and are able to freely make their own choices are more likely to carry the same values into their profession and as a result, conduct more effective therapy for their clients.

References

Thomas, V. (1994). Value analysis: A model of personal and professional ethics in marriage and family counseling. Counseling & Values, 38(3), 193.

Common Ethical Questions and the Benefit of Consultation for Resolution

Common Ethical Questions and the Benefit of Consultation for Resolution

While writing my previous blog, which discussed the ethical considerations of family and marital counseling, I realized that counselors of this particular realm may often feel conflicted due to the nature of the ethical dilemmas that occur.  As a result of this realization, I wondered what ethical topics are the most common cause of conflict within counselors as well as what the professional can do if they cannot reach a satisfactory resolution on their own.   My query led me to an empirical article which examines common ethical dilemmas for which Norwegian psychologists utilized an anonymous telephone counseling service for consultation (Dalen, 2006).  

            Dalen’s (2006) study was simple in that anonymous data was collected from the telephone calls made to the Ethics Telephone Counseling Service (ETCS) that was developed by The Norwegian Psychological Association.  All callers were informed of the type of the data being collected, which included gender of caller, years since licensing, and the nature of the ethical concern (Dalen, 2006).  Information was collected from the ETCS for three years, from 2001 to 2003, and during that time 121 calls were made (Dalen, 2006). 

            The ETCS did not receive any calls regarding concern of competence, and Dalen (2006) suggests this is likely due to these types of concerns being discussed with colleagues.  The most common ethical dilemmas discussed with the ETCS were concerns of confidentiality, followed by concerns of respect, role conflicts, responsibility, and the proper handling of ethical dilemmas (Dalen, 2006).

Figure 1. Telephone Counseling

While Dalen’s (2006) study did not collect information regarding the helpfulness of the ETCS, I would venture to say that this anonymous service provides Nordic psychologists with numerous benefits.  The most obvious is the benefit of support.  For concerns that the professional wishes to discuss anonymously, the ETCS provides a support system that that is likely to contribute to the professional and psychological wellness of those with ethical concerns (as cited in Kassin, Fein, & Markus, 2014, p. 600).  Whether ethical concerns are discussed anonymously through a service like the ETCS or with a colleague, the consultation enhances the ethical decision making process.  Dalen (2006) cited a study conducted by Bowers and Pipes (2000) that determined why seeking consultation is helpful:

·         The discussion with a colleague may stimulate thinking enabling the psychologist to generate new ideas and options.

·         In discussion, one also receives feedback about the quality of one’s own ideas.

·         One can get new ideas and knowledge from the other person.

·         Discussion also helps one to be more aware of personal factors and conflicts that may influence the ethical decision-making process (p. 240).

The findings of Dalen’s (2006) study provide the basic information for further research on handling common ethical concerns encountered by the professional counselor.  The study leads me to conclude that the most common areas of ethical concern confronted by counselors are confidentiality, respect, role conflicts, responsibility, and proper handling of ethical concerns (Dalen, 2006).  If the professional cannot reach a satisfactory solution for their ethical concern, reaching out for support from another professional is likely to be helpful.

References

Dalen, K. (2006). To tell or not to tell, that is the question: Ethical dilemmas presented by Norwegian psychologists in telephone counseling. European Psychologist, 11(3), 236-243. doi:10.1027/1016-9040.11.3.236

Kassin, S., Fein, S., & Markus, H.R. (2014).  Health and Well-Being.  Social psychology (9^th ed.).  Belmont, CA:  Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.

Telephone  Counseling [JPEG Image file].  Retrieved from URL (http://www.israellewis.com/index.htm?http%3A//www.israellewis.com/services.htm).