1. Is a counseling professional who offers conversion therapy practicing ethically? 2. Since ACA has taken the position that it does not endorse reparative therapy as a viable treatment option, is it ethical to refer a client to someone who does engage in conversion therapy? 3. If the client insists on obtaining a referral, what guidelines can a counselor follow? 4. What are the conditions that allow the professional counselor to refer this case to another counselor? ACA committee members agreed that it is of primary importance to respect the client’s autonomy to request a referral for services which are not offered by the counselor. If counselors determine an inability to be of professional assistance to clients, they avoid entering or continuing the counseling relationship. Counselors act to avoid harming their clients, trainees, and research participants and to minimize or to remedy unavoidable or unanticipated harm (ACA, 2014). Referring a client to a counselor who engages in a treatment modality not endorsed by the profession may in fact cause harm, does not promote the welfare of clients, and opposes the basic purpose of the code. There is no professional training condoned by ACA, ACA, AAMFT, APA, or other prominent mental health association that would prepare counselors and therapists to provide Self-Assessment Question 5 Concerning reparative/conversion therapy, “Referring a client to a counselor who engages in a treatment modality not endorsed by the profession may in fact cause harm, does not promote the welfare of clients, and opposes the basic values, principles, and standards of the _________ codes.” a. APA, ACA
conversion therapy. Additionally, all professional associations and related mental health agencies have spoken out against any form of conversion therapy or counseling. The counselor or therapist would be practicing outside the boundaries of their expertise because there is no professional training for conversion therapy. This would violate the ethics code. The ACA Code (2014) requires counselors to “recognize history and social prejudices in the misdiagnosis and determination of pathology of certain individuals and groups and the role of mental health professionals in perpetuating these prejudices through diagnosis and treatment.” Today, some religions and segments of the population in the United States continue to view same-sex relationships as immoral sexual behavior that is pathological, sinful, and in need of therapy and counseling. In the past decade, increasing acceptance of same-sex lifestyle choices has been noted, including the number of states that recognize marriages between same-sex partners. Referring a client to someone who engages in conversion therapy signifies to the client that same-sex attraction and behaviors are deviant and need to be changed. This would violate the ACA Code of Ethics, The AAMFT Code of Ethics, the NBCC Code of Ethics, and the APA Diagnostic and Statistical Manual; therefore, the ethical decision would be to refuse the referral request.
b. HIPAA, APA c. ACA, NBCC d. NBCC, ACA, AAMFT, APA
DUAL RELATIONSHIPS
● Guidelines also govern a promise or an agreement to enter into another relationship in the future with the client, or a person associated with the client. ● The mental health practitioner should not take on a dual role with the client if it would impair the practitioner’s assessment, objectivity, competence, effectiveness, communication, or confidentiality as a therapist. ● The mental health practitioner should not enter into a dual relationship if the possibility exists that it could exploit or harm the client. ● Mental health practitioners are responsible for establishing clear, appropriate, sensitive, and ethical boundaries prior to entering into any dual relationship with the client. ● If the mental health practitioner becomes aware that potential harm may occur, or if unintentional harm has already occurred due to a multiple relationship, the practitioner must take immediate action and present evidence that they have attempted to remediate the harm. ● Clients may be harmed in counseling relationships if professional boundaries are crossed, and sexual conduct with clients is strictly prohibited.
When reviewing revised codes of ethics, considerable information addresses dual relationships that counselors may have with the client. Mental health professionals must have guidelines, often referred to as boundaries, which are designed to minimize the opportunity for therapists to use clients for their own gain and to ensure the welfare of clients who disclosed confidential information to the therapist. Dual relationships are sometimes referred to as “multiple-role relationships,” which occur when the counselor assumes two or more concurrent or sequential roles that involve the client in and out of the professional relationship. The dual relationship may include a second role that could be social, financial, educational, or professional. In all codes of ethics, there are key elements in the guidelines that relate to dual relationships. These key elements are summarized as follows: ● A dual relationship exists when a mental health practitioner is in a counseling relationship at the same time that they are in a relationship with the client outside of counseling. Ethics Case Study: Dual Relationships A professional artist complained to an ethics committee that his therapist’s actions caused him stress and anxiety when she did not carry out her promises. The therapist had
treated the artist for over one year, during which time the therapist complimented the client’s artwork, attended art shows with him, and promised to introduce her art gallery
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Book Code: PCUS1525
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