Lecture 1

Introduction
 Over t the last 60 years, irrefutable evidence has emerged
that participation in counseling and psychotherapy is an
effective intervention for relieving emotional distress and
increasing general satisfaction with life. (2010)

 However the news is not all good. Research shown that

some mental health services do more harm than good.
Client who come to therapy end ep feeling worse
 Those deterioration effect are tied to therapist incompetent
services to their insensitivity to the ethics of practice or their
disregard for the welfare of clients.

 These finding about clinician who make’s clien’t symtomps

worse is at the core of the rational for developing and
enforcing ethical standards and competency requirement
for professional practice.
Counseling is a professional practice.

Ethical standards have been delineated to

describe the best practices of professionals
and to ensure high quality of practice
(Corey, Corey, & Callanan, 2003).
Values Of The
Counseling
Profession
Welfel (2003), professional ethics encompasses 5
dimension represent the positive ethical ideals and values of
the profession:

1. Enhancing human development throughout the life span

2. Having sufficient knowledge, skills and judgement to use

efficacious interventions.

3. Respecting the human dignity and freedom of the clients.

Honouring diversity and embracing a multicultural approach in
support of the worth, dignity, potential, and uniqueness of
people within their social and cultural contexts.
3.Using the power inherent in the profesional role
responsibly
4. Acting in ways that promote public confidence in the
profession/ safeguarding the integrity of the
counselor
5. Placing the welfare of the clients as the professional’s
highest priority
Ethic and Law
Ethics
Ethics are moral principles embraced by
an individual or group designed to
provide rules for right conduct.
Law

 Law defines the minimum standards of

performance which society will tolerate and
these standards are enforced by government.
Ethics It deals with good or
bad, right or wrong
behaviour; it evaluates
Ethics deals with the conduct against some
character and conduct of
morals of human beings. absolute criteria and
puts negative or
positive values on it
(Hanekom, 1984).
Dengan kata lain etika adalah satu sistem standard
moral ; satu bidang ilmu yang berkaitan dengan
standart pengamalan dan ketentuan bermoral
atau satu sistem moral yang dipegang oleh
seseorang individu atau sekumpulan orang yang
dipantau oleh pertubuhan profesional.
Codes of
Ethics
Lunt (1999) Freeman (2000)
• ethical standards are self-
• code may provide imposed regulations that
bottom-line rules or provide rough guidelines for
prescriptions for professional behaviour and
behaviour or attempt to specify the
nature of the ethical
aspirational responsibilities of members,
guidelines at least minimally
 Satu set standard (piawaian) dan prinsip yang dibentuk oleh
sesebuah organisasi bertujuan memberi panduan kepada ahli
mengenai tatalaku berinteraksi antara ahli dan dengan orang
luar organisasi berkenaan
 All the Codes of ethics state that practitioner are
obligated to act in accordance with relevant
federal and state statues and government
regulations.

 It is essential that practitioners be able to identify

legal problems as they arise in their work , because
many of the situations they encounter that involve
ethical and professional judgement will also have
legal implications.
Code of Ethics

codes of ethics have been

developed and periodically revised
to guide ethical decision-making
and regulate counselor behaviors.
Codes of Ethics

These codes have a variety of names but they

all specify the standards of care and the rules of
conduct for members.
These codes represent both the highest and
lowest standards of practice expected for the
practitioner.
American Psychological Association (APA) has
some of the following specialty guideline:
 Guideline for providers of psychological services to ethnic, linguistic
and culturally diverse population ( APA, 1993).
 Guidelines for psychotherapy with lesbian, gay and bisexual clients (
APA, 2000)
 Guidelines on multicultural education, training, research, practice
and organizational change for psychologists. (APA, 2003).
 Guidelines for psychological practice with older adults (APA, 2000)
 Record keeping guideline (APA, 2007)
Licensed Professional Counselors rely on the :
i. Code of Ethics Standard of Practice of the American
Counseling Associations (2005).
ii. Kod etika kaunselor ( Malaysia)

Social worker rely on the :

i. code of ethics of the national association of Social
Workers (2008).
 These codes represent the official statements of the
profession about what is expected of members, and
all members are held accountable for actions that
violate the code.

 Each national professional association has

established an ethics committee and empowered it to
enforce its code.
 The intend of the code is to guide the professional through the most
common pitfalls practice and to identify the ethical goals and values of the
profession.
 Ethical
Principles
Ethical Principles (Corey et al.,2003)
refers to counselors
acknowledging the right
of clients to choose and
act in accordance with
Autonomy their own wishes, and
behaving in such a way
that enables this right of
clients
Ethical Principles (Corey et al.,2003)
refers to professionals’
responsibility to avoid
engaging in practices
Nonmaleficence that cause harm or
have the potential to
result in harm to
clients.
Ethical Principles (Corey et al.,2003)
refers to promoting
good and contributing
to the growth and
Beneficence development of
clients within their
cultural context
Ethical Principles (Corey et al.,2003)
refers to providing treatment
to all people regardless of
such demographics as age,
Justice gender, race, cultural
background, disability,
socioeconomic status,
religious background, or
sexual orientation
Ethical Principles (Corey et al.,2003)
refers to making
honest promises
Fidelity and honoring
commitments to
clients
Ethical Principles (Corey et al.,2003)
refers to being
truthful with
Veracity clients.( bersifat
telus dan jujur
dengan klien)
 Ethical standards written by professional
associations represent a consensus of member’s
beliefs and concerns about ethical behavior.

 Kitchener (1984), addressing the issues of ethical

principles in counseling, noted that when our
ordinary moral judgment fails us, as professionals
we must move to a more systematic and
evaluative level in our ethical thinking.
 Tennyson and Strom (1986) suggest two conditions are
necessary in the moral reasoning of counselors who
exercise responsibleness.

 One is a commitment to rational thinking and the other

an orientation to moral principles.

 They suggest professional ethical standards can be

viewed as an attempt at the formation of ethical sense
(responsibleness).
 The codes of ethics of professional organizations
are not static; rather, there are living documents
that reflect movement and growth within the
profession.

 The American Counseling Association (ACA)

code of ethics was adopted in 1961 and has also
undergone several minor as well as major
revisions (i.e., 1974, 1981, 1988, 1995). Most
codes of ethics of professional organizations
undergo revisions as the profession grows.
Purposes of Codes of Ethics

1. They protect consumers

and further the professional
stance of the organizations.
Purposes of Codes of Ethics

2. They denote the fact that a particular

profession has a body of knowledge and skills
that it can proclaim and that a set of standards
can be established that reflect this knowledge.
Purposes of Codes of Ethics

3. They are a vehicle for

professional identity and
provide an indication of the
maturity of a profession.
Purposes of Codes of Ethics
4. They profess a belief that the professional
should exhibit certain types of behaviors that
reflect the underlying values considered
desirable in the professional.
Purposes of Codes of Ethics

5. They offer the professional a

framework in the sometimes
difficult ethical and professional
decision-making process.
Purposes of Codes of Ethics
6. They represent, in case of
litigation, some measure of defense
for professionals who conscientiously
practice in accordance with accepted
professional codes (pp. 48-49).
Steps in making ethical decisision
 When making ethical decision, ask yourself these questions:

1. Which values do I rely on and why?

2. How do my values affect my work with clients?
 The American Counseling Associations states that when counselors
encounter an ethical dilemma they are expected to carefully consider an
ethical decision making process.

 In the process of making the best ethical decisions, it is also important

to involve clients whenever possible.

 Because counselor are making decisions, about what is best for the welfare
of clients, it is good to strive to discuss with them the nature of ethical
dilemma that pertains to them. For doing so increases the chances of
making the best possible decision.
Steps that may help professional to think
through ethical problem
1. Identify the problem or dilemma
 Determine whether a situation truly involves ethics.
 Gather all the information that sheds light on the situation.
 Clarify whether conflict is ethical. Legal or morale.
 Look problem from many perspective.
2. Identify potential issues involved.
 List and describe the critical issues and discard the irrelevant ones.
 Evaluate the rights, responsibilities and welfare of all those who are affected
by the situation.
 Consider the cultural context of the situation , including any relevant
cultural dimensions of the clients situations.

3. review the relevant ethics codes.

 Consult available guidelines that could apply in your situation.
 Consider whether your own values and ethics are consistent with, or in
conflict with the relevant codes.
 Can seek guidance from proffesional organization on any specific concern
relating to an ethical or legal situation.
-
4. Know the applicable laws and regulations.

Keep up to date on relevant, state and federal laws that might apply
to ethical dilemmas.
Be sure understand the current rules and regulation of the agency
or organization where your work.
This especially critical in matters of keeping or breaching
confidentiality , reporting child in matters of keeping or breaching
confidentiality, reporting child or elder abuse, dealing with issues
pertaining to danger to self or others, parental rights record keeping
, assesment , diagnosis and the ground for malpractice.
5. Obtain consultation

 One reason for poor ethical decision stem form our inability to view a
situation objectively because of our prejudices, biases, personal needs or
emotional investment ( 2008).
 It is generally helpful to consult with one or more trusted colleagues to
obtain different perspectives on the area of concern and to arrive at the
best possible decision.
 If there is a legal question, seek legal counsel. If the ethical dilemma involves
working with a client from a different culture it is prudent to consult with a
person who has expertise in this culture.
 If there is a clinical issues involved , seek
consultation from a professional with clinical
expertise in the situation.
Limitation of codes and ethics
 Members of professional organization typically work with diverse
populations in a variety of setting and engage in different activities. This
variability means that a code must be written broadly and its application
to any one setting is limited.

 Because the professional change rapidly with new forms of practice

and new populations, parts of the codes are outdated .
 Kebanyakkan isu atau dilema etika tidak boleh ditantangani
dengan hanya berpandukan kod etika.

 Kebanyakkan kod etika juga tidak jelas dalam

menghuraikan sesuatu garis panduan.

 Nilai peribadi ahli profesional mungkin boleh bercanggah

dengan piawai yang telah digariskan di d alam kod etika.
Contohnya jika melibatkan isu gay, lesbian biseksual dan
trangender yang terang bercanggah dengan ajaran agama
islam.
THANK YOU