British Association for Counseling and Psychotherapy
A. An ethical framework is a set of moral principles that provide guidelines for carrying out work with other people – in this context, the counselling relationship with clients.
Beneficence: a commitment to promoting the client’s wellbeing. Non-maleficence: a commitment to avoiding harm to the client. Justice: the fair and impartial treatment of all clients and the provision of adequate services. Self-respect: fostering the practitioner’s self-knowledge, integrity and care for self.
Our core principles are: Being trustworthy: honouring the trust placed in the practitioner. Autonomy: respect for the client’s right to be self-governing. Beneficence: a commitment to promoting the client’s wellbeing.
An ethical framework informs professional counselling practice by creating a shared structure within which all counsellors work but with the flexibility to respond to the needs of different contexts and client groups.
The Ethical Framework is designed to help counselling professionals provide clients with a secure base for their work together.
Based upon the three -part division of traditional normative ethical theories discussed above, it makes sense to suggest three broad frameworks to guide ethical decision making: The Consequentialist Framework ; The Duty Framework ; and the Virtue Framework .
The Ethical Framework is a set of principles and values that provide a solid foundation for safe and ethical practice within the counselling professions. It’s also a living framework , which can constantly respond to changes affecting the counselling professions, such as new legislation or research.
This overview of ethical issues in school counseling explores some common situations school counselors might face. Confidentiality and Its Limits. Keep a Professional Distance. Respect Differences in Cultural Values and Traditions. Provide Equal Access to Opportunities and Support. Be Aware of Dual Relationships.
Psychotherapy theories provide a framework for therapists and counselors to interpret a client’s behavior, thoughts, and feelings and help them navigate a client’s journey from diagnosis to post-treatment. Theoretical approaches are an understandably integral part of the therapeutic process.
Sincerity: a personal commitment to consistency between what is professed and what is done. Integrity: commitment to being moral in dealings with others, personal straightforwardness, honesty and coherence. Resilience: the capacity to work with the client’s concerns without being personally diminished.
The five bedrock principles of autonomy , justice , beneficence , nonmaleficence , and fidelity are each vital in and of themselves to a healthy counseling relationship.
Good practice involves clarifying and agreeing the rights and responsibilities of both the practitioner and client at appropriate points in their working relationship.
Occasionally, a client’s particular needs or issues exceed the scope of a counselor’s ability . Usually in these cases when a client needs additional counseling, that counselor may become a member of a treatment team rather than end the relationship.
The BACP definition of counselling / psychotherapy states that “ Counselling and psychotherapy are umbrella terms that cover a range of talking therapies. They are delivered by trained practitioners who work with people over a short or long term to help them bring about effective change and/or enhance their wellbeing”.
Ethics including ethical codes and principles aim to balance the power and ensure that the counsellor operates for the good of the client and not for self. Primarily, counsellors ‘ duty of care is to their clients. A complete awareness of the ethics of a situation can occur when all are taken into consideration.