The Significance of Ethics in Counseling
In the practice of psychology, ethics of conduct constitute a crucial part of professional competence. Counselors and other specialists in psychology interact with diverse individuals on the everyday basis, and the universal ethical values, as well as the specifically formulated professional standards introduced by such prominent organizations as the American Psychological Association (APA), help them to control their actions and provide them with guidance in the context of a difficult decision making.
The ethical conduct in psychology implies the ability to show respect to diversity and dignity of patients or clients, research participants, and other individuals with whom a psychologist interrelates in the professional environment. Since counseling is one of the major activities in the profession, like all other professional practices, it should be performed in compliance with the applicable ethical standards and principles.
As stated by Bosede, “counselors are committed to increasing scientific and professional knowledge of behavior and people’s understanding of themselves and others and to the use of such knowledge to prove the condition of individuals, organizations, and society” (50). It means that one of the important psychologists’ professional goals is the promotion of individual and social welfare which can be achieved only in case a specialist is aware of his/her role and its significance, and if he/she is well-equipped with sufficient knowledge and skills which allow the maintenance of objectivity and proficiency. The ethical codes, theories, and models of decision making take an important part in the formation of counselors’ professionalism. The specific standards and principles introduced in these codes inspire psychologists and guide them “toward the very highest ethical ideals of the profession” (Bosede 50). These principles are beneficence and nonmaleficence, fidelity and responsibility, integrity, justice, and respect for human rights and dignity (Bosede 51).
According to the ethical principle of beneficence and nonmaleficence, “Psychologists strive to benefit those with whom they work and take care to not harm” (APA 3). The terms of beneficence and nonmaleficence are used to define a set of actions aimed to promote the welfare of others. This principle implies an appropriate balance between negative and positive influences. It means that the counselors’ actions should aim at the enhancement of well-being and should minimize the chance of any harm to patients. Thus, to achieve better outcomes in counseling and therapy, psychologists should not merely know the technical side of their practice but should be aware of more subtle aspects of individual well-being such as cultural, racial, and gender identity.
The protection of client welfare and respect for human dignity is the primary responsibility of any psychology counselor. When considering the rights of individuals for privacy, confidentiality, and self-determination, it is as important for a practitioner to be aware of differences in people (Bosede 51). It is possible to say that cultural, social, or religious identities are deeply interrelated with the individual psycho-emotional state. Culture and religion, as well as the associations with race or gender, can provide psychological and emotional support in life and during psychological treatment, and these factors thus may be considered the elements of individuals’ welfare. Because many people perceive their cultural identity as a value, the expressed disrespect or neglect towards one’s cultural background may significantly decrease the quality of communication and provoke conflicts between a counselor and a client.
According to Bosede, ethical standards and principles help psychologists to develop necessary personal moral qualities without which their work would be less efficient (51). These qualities are empathy, sincerity, resilience, fairness, wisdom, integrity, competence, courage, etc. However, it is possible to say that the development of these important individual features cannot be enforced by some external authorities, and require a personal commitment and continual engagement in self-education and knowledge-building process (Bosede 51).
Like many other people-oriented professions, the work of psychology counselors is regulated by both legal and ethical requirements, and specialists should be aware that their misconduct and non-compliance with ethical and professional code may lead to license denial and proscription (Bosede 52). For example, discrimination may be regarded as a critical form of professional misconduct as it is interrelated with violation of multiple ethical standards. The discrimination based on any social or cultural factors is prohibited by all ethical codes created for psychologists. Moreover, in the professional community, discriminatory attitudes expressed by a specialist during communication with clients are perceived as the violation of the law.
However, a person may behave disrespectfully even not being aware of the psychological discomfort caused to others. Since many prejudices and cultural biases are implicit, they can be expressed indirectly, and the recipient’s reaction to the latent prejudices can be hidden as well. It is possible to say that the hidden prejudices belong to the most common type of ethical misconduct. Although such biases are unconscious and unintentional, they still damage relationships by developing miscommunication and mistrust. In counseling, trust is a vital element of professional communication with clients, and the failure to communicate adequately and respectfully decreases psychologists’ proficiency. Thus, the awareness of ethical standards can foster objectivity and attentiveness to diversity and significantly increase psychologists’ professionalism.
The professional competence of a counselor is based on the sensitivity towards individual differences in patients and co-workers. The investigation of ethical codes and compliance with the essential principles of moral behavior in counseling practice supports the development of professional and cultural competence which are meant to eliminate all types of disparities within the healthcare system and to ensure the availability of equal and high-quality professional services for the diverse populations.
Works Cited
American Psychological Association. Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct. APA Ethics Office, 2010. Web.
Bosede, Alokan Funmilola. “Ethical Principles of Guidance and Counselling.” International Journal of Tropical Medicine, vol. 5, no. 2, 2010. Web.