Identifying the Problem
Kassi is a 38-year-old mother of a daughter who is seeking drug misuse therapy because of the adverse effects alcohol has had on her career, parenting, and personal relationships. The ethical issue here is that Kassi is unwilling to admit the true extent of her alcohol use problems and that her primary motive for seeking help is the need for it from her job.
ACA Code of Ethics
Applying the ACA Code of Ethics, the primary responsibility of a counselor is to look out for the interests of their clients while also valuing and protecting their client’s right to make their own decisions. The counselor’s ethical obligation, in Kassi’s instance, is to strike a balance between her right to self-determination in treatment and the need to look out for her safety and address her alcoholism.
Nature and Dimensions of the Dilemma
Respecting Kassi’s autonomy while also managing her alcohol use problem presents a difficult challenge. The counselor has a problematic option between the mentioned issue and intervening to prevent damage to Kassi, the child, and the relationships as a result of her continued denial.
Potential Courses of Action
The counselor may use this approach to elicit Mixed feelings about her drinking and help her talk through them. This method respects her independence while shedding light on her reasons for and roadblocks to change.
Kassi will be better able to make an educated choice about her treatment if she is aware of the physical, emotional, and relational repercussions of alcohol use disorder. This is consistent with the counselor’s duty to encourage client satisfaction and sound decision-making.
Kassi’s worries about work may be addressed, and her participation in treatment can be facilitated by collaborating with her employer to develop a treatment plan that works around her work schedule and supports her recovery.
Potential Consequences
There are good and bad aspects to every choice. Kassi’s happiness and autonomy should serve as the guiding concepts. She may learn her motivations for change via motivational interviewing, gain the ability to make educated decisions through education, strengthen her connection with her daughter, and lower obstacles to treatment involvement through collaboration with her workplace.
Evaluating Suggested Course of Action
A well-rounded strategy would contain a mix of motivational interviewing, informing Kassi of the repercussions of her drinking, and getting her daughter into counseling. These approaches emphasize her well-being, informed decision-making, and autonomy, essential ACA Code of Ethics tenets.
Implementing the Course of Action
It is critical to build trust in the therapeutic collaboration. The counselor may utilize motivational interviewing methods to establish a safe space for Kassi to talk about how she feels and what drives her to drink. She will have more agency over her life if she is given accurate information regarding the outcomes of her alcohol use disorder (Forester-Miller & Davis, 2016). If counseling is indicated, including her daughter might help her see the full scope of her actions’ consequences.
Assessing the Clinician’s Diagnosis and Rationale
Kassi’s diagnosis of severe alcohol consumption disorder is supported by the clinician’s careful evaluation of her symptoms and their unity with DSM-5 criteria. Her health will benefit significantly from this diagnosis since it will help direct care, raise awareness, and improve outcomes.
First, there is now a systematic method for evaluating and diagnosing mental health issues like alcohol use disorders according to the DSM-5 criteria. Kassi meets the following criteria, according to the clinician: A.1 (impaired control), A.3 (withdrawal symptoms), A.5 (time spent on activities related to alcohol use), A.6 (reduction in essential activities), A.10a (recurrent use in hazardous situations), and A.11a (continued use despite social problems) (American Psychiatric Association, 2022). Kassi’s alcohol-related difficulties are severe, as shown by the fact that she cannot regulate her drinking, is experiencing withdrawal, is performing poorly, and is hurting her personal and professional life.
Second, the diagnosis directs the course of therapy and any necessary interventions. Kassi’s illness is established as severe, and the requirement of treatment is emphasized by the clinician’s diagnosis of severe alcohol use disorder. With this knowledge, the counselor can provide Kassi with the most excellent chance of recovery by developing individualized care plans specifically designed to address her unique set of problems. In addition to treating any underlying emotional problems that may be contributing to her drinking, the treatment plan may also include psychoeducation regarding alcohol use disorder, coping methods, relapse prevention tactics, and more.
Notably, the diagnosis takes into account the possible future effects of alcoholism if it is not addressed. It shows how her drinking has affected her productivity at work, her children, and her relationships. This all-encompassing viewpoint stresses the need for a multifaceted solution to the problem. The physician may lose out on giving Kassi the amount of treatment and assistance she needs if she cannot accurately diagnose her condition.
The therapist has an ethical obligation to prioritize Kassi’s well-being, further reinforced by the diagnosis. Counselors are expected to put their client’s interests first; therefore, the clinician’s decision to highlight the seriousness of her alcohol use issue is consistent with the ACA Code of Ethics. This moral stance highlights the clinician’s responsibility to promote Kassi’s health and wellness and guarantee that she gets effective care.
Ethical Consideration of Diagnosis Use
Kassi’s health, autonomy, and total treatment experience must be correctly balanced if the diagnosis of severe alcohol use disorder is to be used for her. Accurate diagnosis to guide successful therapy and improve client welfare is emphasized by the American Counseling Association (ACA) and the American Psychological Association (APA) codes of ethics.
According to the ACA, she is doing what’s proper, which means meeting the needs of patients and helping them make educated choices in all professional interactions. The counselor has acted ethically by providing Kassi with the finest treatment available by making the correct diagnosis of alcohol use disorder. The success rate of Kassi’s therapy will increase if it is based on correctly identifying the root cause. By providing her with all the data she needs, this method gives her the agency she deserves in determining her course of therapy.
It should be stressed that the ACA’s focus on client autonomy and engagement in the therapeutic process is mirrored in the fact that a correct diagnosis serves as the basis for collaborative treatment planning (American Counseling Association, 2014). Kassi is an integral part of her recovery process, which is recognized by her participation in developing a treatment plan tailored to her own needs. By including her in the decision-making process, you show that you value her input while building trust in your therapeutic relationship with her.
Utilizing the APA Code, it seems reasonable to state that the diagnosis is consistent with the “Beneficence and Nonmaleficence” concept, which emphasizes the psychologist’s duty to advance the well-being of the people and communities they serve (American Psychological Association, 2017). The therapist does the right thing for Kassi by correctly identifying her severe alcohol use disorder and so preventing any further misdiagnosis or underestimation of her illness. The diagnosis directs the delivery of measures that lessen the likelihood of adverse outcomes, boost her health, and speed up her recovery.
When dealing with Kassi’s resistance and denial about her alcohol use illness, a precise diagnosis is crucial. The diagnosis might serve as a neutral starting point for talking about her difficulties and help reduce her reluctance. This realization may give Kassi a greater appreciation for the gravity of her circumstances and increase her desire to make positive changes.
Conclusion
When looking at Kassi’s situation from an ethical perspective, it becomes clear how important it is to balance her right to autonomy and safety. Ethical principles are adhered to when motivational interviewing, education, and her daughter’s possible participation are used to help her make good decisions. Recognizing her denial while assisting her toward the correct diagnosis of severe alcohol use disorder is essential. With this diagnosis, the counselor has shown dedication to holistic treatment, teamwork, and their client’s best interests, Kassi, by the ACA and APA codes.
References
American Counseling Association. (2014). ACA code of ethics. Web.
American Psychological Association. (2017). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct. Web.
American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Web.
Forester-Miller, H., & Davis, T. E. (2016). Practitioner’s guide to ethical decision making. American Counseling Association. Web.