Incorporating Professional Standards in Counseling
Incorporating Professional Standards in Counseling
Introduction
As an aspiring professional counselor, I am fully aware that my success in the practice totally depends on my ability to implement the profession’s standards for ethical behavior. The successful implementation of the standards depends on the incorporation of models for ethical behavior into counseling and psychotherapy, for example, Kitchener’s principle ethics model (Urofsky, Engels, & Engebretson, 2008, p. 67). The model was developed by Childress and Beauchamp, and it acts as the cornerstone for the development of the professional ethical codes for practicing counselors. The Psychotherapy and Counseling Federation of Australia (PACFA) and the Counselors and Psychotherapists Association of NSW adopt Kitchener’s framework to provide a proper guideline for Australian counselors (PCFA, 2011, p. 4). Therefore, as an aspiring counselor, I will strive to integrate the profession’s standards for ethical behavior. This paper discusses how I will incorporate my profession’s standards for ethical behavior in my counseling practice.
In my practice as a counselor, I will maintain a trusting relationship with my clients. In the field of study, counseling practitioners are required by the principle of fidelity to honor the trusts of their clients during counseling sessions (Candlin, 2008, p. 2). In this regard, I will incorporate fidelity into my practice in the following manner. Firstly, I will always ensure that my clients are aware of the principle of fidelity by informing them about it during counseling sessions. In this regard, I will inform my clients of the appropriate protocol to be followed during counseling sessions and seek informed consent where necessary (Corey, Corey, & Callanan, 2011, p. 155). The principle of fidelity between a counselor and a client is also concerned with the issue of integrity. In this regard, I will ensure integrity between my clients and me by maintaining the confidentiality of the former and handling all the sensitive information regarding them in a professional manner (Geldard & Geldard, 2009, p. 9). Despite the call to maintain confidentiality, I will be informing my clients on the limitations of maintaining confidentiality in the counseling process. This is because there are those instances that a counselor is required to share the information that he has with other health care practitioners, for example, when it is in the best interest of the broader population (Geldard & Geldard, 2012, p. 72).
Autonomy is another professional ethical standard that I will strictly adhere to in my practice as a counselor. A successful counseling process requires that the counselor gives the client a sense of independence during the counseling process. This is because having a sense of self-sufficiency allows the client to be an active participant in the counseling process, which then enables them to share vital information that will lead to the success of the entire process (Clark, 2010, p. 348). I will observe the principle of autonomy, especially among my young clients who may still have the fear of opening up inside them. The fear to provide sensitive information by clients is a major stumbling block to a successful counseling process. I will allow my clients to make independent decisions, for example, if they are willing to continue with or stop the counseling process.
Another important professional ethical standard that I will observe is the principle of non-maleficence. According to Neukrug (2013), non-maleficence refers to the promotion of the well-being of clients (p. 61). To achieve this, I will always engage in an accurate assessment of the needs of my clients to make sure that I am adequately informed to deal with the problems they bring to my attention in an effective manner. This will help ensure that the services I will be providing are client-centered and satisfactory. Just like any other field, adequate research is vital for the successful achievement of my goals and objectives. In this regard, I will engage in an in-depth research of bio-psychosocial issues to keep myself updated on any developments in the field of practice. Doing so will also help me continue to develop professionally. Researching bio-psychosocial issues will also help me to advance in psycho-therapy and, therefore, I will be able to provide top-notch psycho-therapeutic services to my clients.
In my daily practices as a counselor, I will adhere to the principle of justice when dealing with my clients. According to Capuzzi and Gross (2011), all practicing counselors should give equal treatment to all patients (p. 29). Discriminating them based on their social, religious or cultural background in unprofessional and unacceptable. In this regard, the professional standards of counseling require that all practicing counselors be acquainted with the various legal obligations and requirements involved in the counseling process. In addition, the professionals should try their best to be sensitive to the various needs of their patients (Balkin, Schlosser, & Levitt, 2009, p. 420). All practicing counselors should also be informed of the conflicts that could emerge in the process. In this regard, I will take it as my personal responsibility to learn all my legal and other obligations as a practicing counselor. I will always observe the dignity and respect, as well as the human and civil rights of all my clients. In addition, I will strive to be well versed in the various cultural beliefs and practices of the clients that I will serve to ensure that I remain sensitive to the same.
Another important professional standard of professional counseling that I will observe is the principle of self-respect. According to Capuzzi and Gross (2011), the principle of self-respects requires that a practicing counselor observes respect for self and other fellow professionals (p. 3). Teamwork and effective collaboration among practitioners in the counseling profession are vital for the successful counseling process. There can never be effective collaboration in an environment without respect for self as well as other individuals. Consequently, I will stick to the principle by respecting other counselors regardless of the position that they hold. The respect for oneself and others requires that one possesses self-awareness and knowledge of others. In this regard, I will engage in positive interaction with the people I will encounter in my counseling practices, to not only learn about them but also treat them with respect. This will enable me to uphold ethical behavior and remain emotionally competent when dealing with my clients. I will also ask my fellow professionals to evaluate my character and performance to enable me to learn my strengths and weaknesses. This will enable me to harness my strengths and improve on my weaknesses, which will help me become a better counselor.
Conclusion
In summary, successful counseling requires one to uphold the professional standards of counseling practice. The successful implementation of professional standards in the practice depends on the incorporation of models of ethical behavior in counseling and psychotherapy. As an aspiring professional counselor, I will incorporate professional standards when dealing with my clients to ensure I provide them with high-quality services. I will build a good relationship with my clients to win their trust. I will also observe the principle of autonomy and non-maleficence, which will ensure that I prioritize the well-being of my patients. The respect for self and that of others will also help me to serve my clients and deliver justice during the counseling processes that I will engage in. Lastly, the incorporation of the outlined professional standards will enable me to grow and develop to a competent counselor.
References
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