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. ‘Being ethically mindful and willing to be accountable for the ethical basis of practice are essential requirements for counsellors .
An ethics framework is a critical foundation for any organisation. It expresses their purpose , values and principles – quite literally, what they believe in and what standards they’ll uphold.
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.
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.
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 .
Four broad categories of ethical theory include deontology, utilitarianism , rights, and virtues. The deontological class of ethical theories states that people should adhere to their obliga- tions and duties when engaged in decision making when ethics are in play.
Five Sources of Ethical Standards The Utilitarian Approach. The Rights Approach. The Fairness or Justice Approach. The Common Good Approach. The Virtue Approach. Recognize an Ethical Issue. Get the Facts. Evaluate Alternative Actions.
Principles 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. Non-maleficence: a commitment to avoiding harm to the client.
What are the three ethical decision criteria, and how do they differ? The three ethical decision criteria are utilitarianism, rights and justices. Utilitarianism criterion in decisions is on their outcomes, which has a goal such as efficiency , productivity, and high profits.
Counselors must deal with a variety of ethical issues and dilemmas. Six ethical principles underlie ethical counseling practice; they are autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, justice, fidelity, and veracity (Box 5.1).
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.
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 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.
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.
1 Quite often, a counsellor’s role is to assess and refer clients on to more appropriate help. Sometimes a client needs specialist counselling or a different approach and it is up to the counsellor to make this transition as smooth as possible for the client and to manage the process as sensitively as possible.