Professional Ethical Code - Essay Example

of Ethics Monika Module Module ID: Professional Ethical By critically examining the history of the world at large, it becomes evident that man has established norms, values, mores, and laws in order to observe peace and solidarity within social establishment. However, mere implementation of laws is not sufficient for the smooth running of the activities related to everyday human life. Instead, applying ethics and moral values is also essential in order to make society harmonious and prosperous. The need of introducing moral values and ethical code of is essential for the professionals, so that the privacy and prestige of the public could be assured in one way or the other. Ethical codes by and large refer to basic philosophical notions and professional norms about the morality of human conduct. (Weithorn & McCabe, 1987) The same is applied to counseling profession too. Being a professional psychiatrist, I am determined to create an amiable and pleasant environment at my work place, where the clients could express their problems and feelings without any hesitation or fear altogether. Since clients always consult the counselors at the eve of some distress, they require proper attention and consideration in order to obtain mental relief from the worries they are undergoing. I look for listening to their problems in detail without taking my personal engagements into account, so that the people suffering from psychological disorder can be helped at distress. A responsible counselor makes arrangements for the sufficient and timely documentation of their client records to facilitate the delivery and continuity of needed services (ACA, 2005), which turns out to be supportive in comprehending with the nature and intensity of their situation. I also look for observing unconditional equality and impartiality as a professional without displaying any discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, gender and sexual orientation of my clients. Since I have developed gregarious nature since my childhood, I aptly look for working in a group; consequently, I uphold Association for Specialists in Group Work (ASGW) methodology, where my professional ethics force me to render my services in an organization while working in the company of my associates. Since the ASGW Professional Standards for the training of group workers (Thomas & Pender, 2008:112-113), I will apply my skills in order to convince my co-workers that age, gender and skin color of the people maintain no significance in personal and professional life. I will turn down narrow-sightedness and ethno-racial prejudice for the sake of humanity. I will apply the best of my skills in order to convince my white colleagues, that considering the blacks as the descendents of their African slaves, is really against the religious and moral teachings and ethical principles. I will also try to eliminate the hatred from the minds of the blacks for the white Anglo Saxon population as well. I tend to follow absolute confidentiality regarding the problems and mental or physical conditions of the patients and clients that approach me for the solution of their psychological and emotional problems. I will apply the best of my abilities and skills for the speedy convalescence of the patients, and will treat all and sundry on the foundation of humanity and equality. I am determined to provide consultation to the adolescents and children. While doing so, I require obtaining their consent in this regards. ACA (2005) also suggests that the counselors have an obligation to review in writing and verbally with clients the rights and responsibilities of both the counselor and the client. However, since children seldom agree on receiving therapeutic counseling, it may invite great concern in respect of the ethical values I tend to follow. Consequently, I will convince the children, taken to me for counseling, the significance of the therapy for their mental and physical health. I will assure them that I am not going to disclose anything even to their parents, siblings and teachers, unless it is inevitable for their future, life protection and safety at large. Another concern related to the children may be their inability to make distinction between right and wrong. For instance, they justify their indulgence into chemical dependency and sexual intercourse even before reaching the age of majority. At such a precarious state of affairs, I am determined to enforce strict ways, including disclosure of such habits and activities to their parents, along with the measures necessary to keep them away from smoking, alcohol and drug consumption etc. Hence, I fulfill my ethical obligations in a sonorous manner in order to serve my people and society as a professional counselor. Bartering Ethical Dilemma The concept of barter system is considered to be as old as human life on the face of the earth. The notion seeks its roots in the Paleolithic and Neolithic eras, when there was no concept of gold, silver, coins and currency altogether, and people used to exchange goods and services against commodities and services etc while entering into commercial activities with one another. As a result, the entire trade and commerce system used to be dependent of bartering in all known human societies of the globe. Although the advent of metal, currency, money and coins etc replaced the barter system altogether, and people pay through money against the goods or services or both in their everyday transactions, yet the contemporary era has witnessed the resurgence of the ancient barter system even in the most modern societies of the contemporary era. The same has also been being practiced in the counseling profession, though it has been declared as alarming, unethical and unpleasant one in the eyes of the theorists and moralists at large. (Doverspike, 1999) An overwhelming majority of the theorists declares barter system as the exploitation of the helpless clients at the hands of the counselors. It is partly due to the very reality that only poor and downtrodden clients are forced to enter into such barter relationships with the therapists against the services they look for receiving from the counselor. Since the poor and needy clients are not in a position to pay the high fees demanded by the counselors, they in return offer some commodity or service in order to obtain the professional services of the therapists and counselors in return. The things or articles, they can usually offer in return includes the material they have prepared in order to sell it in the market. For instance, a computer typist can offer free of cost typing services in order to compensate the services of the counselor. Similarly, poet and painter can exchange various pieces of their poetry and paintings respectively as barter against the sessions they would attend for the psychological treatments. Similarly, a laborer can offer getting involved into construction work at the house of the counselor, so that he could be treated by him at clinic or hospital etc. However, it is not looked at with appreciation or admiration altogether. On the contrary, the ethical moralists view it the way of exploiting the helpless masses in the sacred name of treatment. Zur (2011) is of the opinion that many of those opposed to bartering view it as the first step on the slippery slope towards harm, hurt or sexual relationships between clients and therapists; ASPPB (2003) also looks into the matter in the same views, where it vehemently condemns and discourages the practicing of the same while dealing with the customers and clients in general. The most concerning issue behind practicing of the barter system is the sexual exploitation of the hapless clients by the nasty and obnoxious members of society, which include the governmental, health, education, marketing and legal professionals at large. The famous journal of psychotherapy New Therapy (2008:10-12) also criticizes and condemns the professional counselor’s involvement into such type of barter agreement, which may turn the noble profession of health providing services into dubious and exploiting one. Although the associations including ACA, ACWG and others display their abhorrence towards the prevailing barter system in counseling, they do not provide a comprehensive alternative for the same. In other words, these associations do not recommend the substitutes to be demanded from the poor stratum of society, which is unable to make payments to the therapists and counselors against their services. Somehow, California Department of Consumer Affairs (1990) and the California Board of Psychology, along with the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB), (2003) even include the mandate to avoid bartering in their official brochure, "Professional Therapy Never Includes Sex" (Quoted in Zur, 2011). Hence, they manifestly reject the possibility of affiliating sexual gratifications with professional medical services, and strongly prohibit any slightest signs of demands from the clients related to their sexual harassment and exploitations. Hence, barter system is widely censured by all psychological associations, as they do not allow the counselors, therapists and other medical and paramedical staff to take advantage of the helplessness of the poor people at any cost. References Thomas, Valorie. & Pender, Debra A. (2008) Association for Specialists in Group Work: Best Practice Guidelines 2007 Revisions The Journal For Specialists In Group Work, Vol. 33 No. 2 111–117 Trachtman, Richard (2008). The Money Taboo in Psychotherapy and Everyday Life New Therapist 58 November/ December http://www.moneyworkandlove.com/pdf/NT58e.pdf Weithorn, L. A. & McCabe, M. A. (1987) Legal and Ethical Problems in Pediatric Psychology in Routh, D. K. (Ed.) the Handbook of Pediatric Psychology New York: Guilford 567-606 Zur, Ofer. (2011). Bartering in Psychotherapy & Counseling: Complexities, Case Studies and Guidelines Retrieved on 03/09/2012 from http://www.zurinstitute.com/bartertherapy.html American Counseling Association (2005) ACA Code of Ethics As approved by the ACA Governing Council Accessed on 03-06-2012 http://www.ncblpc.org/Laws_and_Codes/ACA_Code_of_Ethics.pdf Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) (2003) Consumers. www.asppb.org/Consumers/sexintro.htm. Retrieved 6/10/03. Read More