Discuss the benefits and limitations of ethical codes for counselors. What are some resources counselors can use in making ethical decisions?
What will be an ideal response?
Benefits and limitations of ethical codes in counseling, and resources counselors can use in making ethical decisions
• Benefits of ethical codes
• Offer formal statements for ensuring protection of clients’ rights while identifying expectations of practitioners
• Make it possible for individuals with similar interests to be part of a professional organization
• Provide guidelines for the professional behavior of members on a personal level
• Protect the profession from government
• Help control internal disagreements
• Protect practitioners from the public
• Increase public trust in the integrity of a profession
• Provide clients with protection from charlatans and incompetent counselors
• Limitations of ethical codes
• Some issues cannot be resolved by a code of ethics
• Enforcing ethical codes is difficult
• There may be conflicts within the standards delineated by the code
• Some legal and ethical issues are not covered in codes
• Ethical codes are historical documents. Thus, what may be acceptable practice at one time may be considered unethical later
• Sometimes conflicts arise between ethical and legal codes
• Ethical codes do not address cross-cultural issues
• Ethical codes do not address every possible situation
• There is often difficulty in bringing the interests of all parties involved in an ethical dispute together systematically
• Ethical codes are not proactive documents for helping counselors decide what to do in a new situation
• Resources in making ethical decisions
• Ethical reasoning
• Ethical Principles of beneficience, nonmaleficence, autonomy, justice, fidelity, and veracity
• Swanson’s (1983) guidelines for assessing ethical responsiveness
• Personal and professional honesty
• Acting in the best interest of clients
• Acting without malice or personal gain
• Justifying an action based on the current state of the profession
• ACA Ethical Standards Casebook
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