● Counselors are expected to advocate to promote changes at the individual, group, institutional, and societal levels that improve the quality of life for individuals and groups and remove potential barriers to the provision or access of appropriate services being offered. ● Counselors have a responsibility to the public to engage in counseling practices that are based on rigorous research methodologies.
● Counselors are encouraged to contribute to society by devoting a portion of their professional activity to services for which there is little or no financial return (pro bono publico). ● Counselors have a responsibility to read, understand, and follow the ACA Code of Ethics and adhere to applicable laws and regulations.
American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) The aspirational core values of AAMFT inform the therapists practice and provide the foundation for therapeutic services to attain the highest level of quality practice. They are included in the Preamble. The core values of AAMFT embody (AAMFT, 2015): 1. Acceptance, appreciation, and inclusion of a diverse membership
6. Technology-assisted professional services : Therapy, supervision, and other professional services engaged in by marriage and family therapists take place over an increasing number of technological platforms. There are great benefits and responsibilities inherent in both the traditional therapeutic and supervision contexts, as well as in the utilization of technologically assisted professional services. These standards address basic ethical requirements of offering therapy, supervision, and related professional services using electronic means. 7. Professional evaluations: Marriage and family therapists aspire to the highest of standards in providing testimony in various contexts within the legal system. 8. Financial arrangements: Marriage and family therapists make financial arrangements with clients, third-party payors, and supervisees that are reasonably understandable and conform to accepted professional practices. 9. Advertising: Marriage and family therapists engage in appropriate informational activities, including those that enable the public, referral sources, or others to choose professional services on an informed basis. The American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy Code of Ethics addresses the professional responsibility of the counselor using many of the same components as that of the ACA. The AAMFT professional responsibilities includes responsibilities to clients and the community, and commitment to service, advocacy, and public participation as follows (AAMFT, 2015): Marriage and family therapists are defined by an enduring dedication to professional and ethical excellence, as well as the commitment to service, advocacy, and public participation. The areas of service, advocacy, and public participation are recognized as responsibilities to the profession equal in importance to all other aspects. Marriage and family therapists embody these aspirations by participating in activities that contribute to a better community and society, including devoting a portion of their professional activity to services for which there is little or no financial return. Additionally, marriage and family therapists are concerned with developing laws and regulations pertaining to marriage and family therapy that serve the public interest, and with altering such laws and regulations that are not in the public interest. Marriage and family therapists also encourage public participation in the design and delivery of professional services and in the regulation of practitioners. Professional competence in these areas is essential to the character of the field, and to the well-being of clients and their communities. represent beliefs counselors hold in common. Mindset standards correspond to behaviors and competencies that can be measured. Mindset standards (ASCA, 2019) are described as follows: The mindset standards include beliefs school counselors hold about student achievement and success. Although it may be possible to measure these beliefs, the mindsets are more readily recognized through the behaviors a school counselor demonstrates as a result of the implementation of a school counseling program. Therefore, the mindset standards do not have correlating competencies.
2. Distinctiveness and excellence in training of marriage and family therapists and those desiring to advance their skills, knowledge, and expertise in systemic and relational therapies 3. Responsiveness and excellence in service to members 4. Diversity, equity and excellence in clinical practice, research, education, and administration 5. Integrity evidenced by a high threshold of ethical and honest behavior within Association governance and by members 6. Innovation and the advancement of knowledge of systemic and relational therapies. The AAMFT Ethical Standards, in contrast to the core values, are the rules that therapists are obligated to follow and set the parameters by which their practice will be judged. The AAMFT (2015) states, “Ethical standards are rules of practice upon which the marriage and family therapist is obliged and judged. The introductory paragraph to each standard in the AAMFT Code of Ethics is an aspirational/explanatory orientation to the enforceable standards that follow.” The nine AAMFT standards are listed and explained as follows and will be detailed in forthcoming sections of the course. 1. Responsibility to clients: Marriage and family therapists advance the welfare of families and individuals and make reasonable efforts to find the appropriate balance between conflicting goals within the family system. 2. Confidentiality : Marriage and family therapists have unique confidentiality concerns because the client in a therapeutic relationship may be more than one person. Therapists respect and guard the confidences of each individual client. 3. Professional competence and integrity : Marriage and family therapists maintain high standards of professional competence and integrity. 4. Responsibility to students and supervisees : Marriage and family therapists do not exploit the trust and dependency of students and supervisees. 5. Research and publication : Marriage and family therapists respect the dignity and protect the welfare of research participants, and are aware of applicable laws, regulations, and professional standards governing the conduct of research. American School Counselor Association (ASCA) Referring to the stated purpose in ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors (2022) a reference to values can be found: “ Inform all educational stakeholders, including but not limited to students, parents/guardians, teachers/staff, administrators, community members, legal professionals, and courts of justice, regarding the ethical practices, values and expected behaviors of the school counseling professional .” Though the ASCA does not specifically list professional values in their document School Counselor Professional Standards & Competencies, they do include mindset standards that
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