(c) professional responsibility (d) relationships with other19

professionals, (e) evaluation, assessment, and interpretation, (f) teaching, training and
supervision (g)
research and publication (Gladding, 2000). We shall only present in details three of
the seven areas,
namely, counseling relationships, confidentiality, and professional responsibility. The
following three
tables below provide a sample code of ethics of the American Counseling Association.
Areas
Description
The Counseling Relationships
1. Client welfare
Counselor’s primary responsibility is to respect the dignity and
promote the welfare of clients. They are also expected to
encourage client’s growth. Counselors and clients are expected
to work together in crafting individual counseling plans
consistent with the client’s circumstances.
2. Respecting Diversity
Counselors do not engage in discrimination based on age, color,
culture, disability, ethnic group, gender, race, religion, sexual
orientation, marital status and socio economic status.
Counselors shall respect differences and understand the diverse
cultural backgrounds of their clients.
3. Client Rights
Counselors shall disclose the purposes, goals, techniques,
procedures, limitations, potential risks, benefits of the services
to be performed and other pertinent information to the client
throughout the counseling process. Counselors offer clients the
freedom to choose whether to enter into a counseling
relationship and determine which professional will provide
counseling, except when the client is unable to give consent.
4. Clients Served by others
In cases where the client is receiving services from another
mental health professional, with clients consent, inform the
professional person already involved to develop an agreement.
5. Personal Needs and values
Maintain the clients and avoid actions that seek to meet their
personal needs at the expense of the clients. Counselors shall be
aware of their values, attitudes, beliefs, and behavior and how
these apply in a diverse society and avoid imposing their values
on clients.
6. Dual Relationships
Counselors are aware of their influential position over their
clients avoid the exploiting the trust and dependency of the
clients. Counselors should not accept as superiors or
subordinate’s clients’.
7. Sexual Intimacies with
Clients
Counselors should not have any type of sexual intimacies with
clients and do not counsel persons with whom they have sexual
relationship. Counselors should not also engage with sexual
intimacies with their former clients within a minimum of two
years.
8. Multiple Clients
In cases where counselors agree to provide counseling services
to two or more persons who have a relationship, counselors
clarify at the outset which person or persons are clients and the
nature of relationship they will have with each other involved
person.
9. Group Work
Counselors screen prospective group counseling / therapy
participants to determine those with compatible needs. In group
setting, counselors take reasonable precautions to protect clients
from physical or psychological trauma.
10. Fees
Prior to entering the counseling relationship, the counselors
clearly explain the clients all financial arrangements related to
professional fees.
Source: Cited in the book of Gladding (2000).20
Areas
Confidentiality