ETHICAL FRAMEWORK, LIMITS OF PROFICIENCY AND THE LIMITATIONS ON COUNSELLORS COMPARED TO OTHER PROFESSIONS THAT USE COUNSELLING SKILLS. The Ethical Framework is made up of rules and regulations within which Counsellors and Psychotherapists strive to achieve in order to attain a high professional standard. It protects client and counsellor and compounds values, principles and personal moral qualities for counsellors to work alongside in order to achieve the highest standard of counselling for clients. These include safety, record keeping, confidentiality and issues such as prejudice, transference. It also requires that at the start of every new counselling relationship a clear contract is set up between the counsellor and the client. …show more content…
Counsellors are required to have adequate training and supervision to help maintain them throughout their professional lives. Counsellor must be respectful of their professional position and remain loyal to their clients. Although someone who uses counselling skills will utilise the same key concepts and principles, such as empathy and unconditional positive regard, they are less likely to belong to, and be bound by, a professional body such as the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). When we look at other professions like social workers, housing officers, the emergency services, the police and priests who utilise counselling skills we realise that some of the key concepts that are fundamental to the counselling profession are not their main priority. If such people were to introduce themselves as counsellors their clients may be under the impression that such things as confidentiality will be upheld. An example is the work of doctors, social workers, nurses and carers, in these types of professions advise is given to the client as to what to do and what not to do, medication is administered to the client whereas in the case of counselling especially with
This is supervised and checked regularly by an accredited member of the BACP to ensure that the requirements of the BACP are being met. A person using counselling skills in other occupations may use similar methods but will not be formally using the guidelines and being assessed in such a way as that of a qualified counsellor. The intention of the use of the skills is also different. The counsellor and client relationship is a therapeutic one and both parties understand the potential or intended result of it, whereas using counselling skills may used for other purposes. For example, a person in a professional setting such as a people-management role may use listening, reflective and paraphrasing in a similar way to a counsellor yet the objective is different. The use of the counselling skills facilitates the relationship of the manager and the employee but there isn’t the intention behind it that there is between a counsellor and their client.
The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) define counselling, along with psychotherapy, as being “umbrella terms that cover a range of talking therapies” (BACP, 2012: 1). In addition, counselling is provided by practitioners who “work with people over a short or long term to help them bring about effective change or enhance their wellbeing” (BACP, 2012: 1). Those who practice counselling in a professional manner undergo intensive training and personal development, the latter of which has been “defined in terms of self-awareness and change” (Wheeler, 1996: 75). These changes, according to Johns, “influence the
as a therapist with at least one professional counselling body. The counsellor must ensure they
At the start of each new counselling session it is important that a contract is set out between the client and
I intend to show an understanding of the ethical framework for good practice in counselling, relating it to practice and also my own beliefs and opinions, how this influences the counselling relationship, I will also show the need for protection of self and client.
This essay discusses: why a counsellor will need supervision, definition of supervision, peer feedback and a case study related to supervising. In order for you to continuously be getting the correct amount of supervision you need so that you’re working within the legal framework of counselling.
Using analysis of counselling and psychotherapy contexts and settings, discuss how practitioners can develop skills and maintain standards.
The term counselling facilitates personal and interpersonal functioning across the lifespan with the main focus on emotional, vocational, social, educational, health related and developmental concerns this encompasses a broad range of practices that help people to improve their well being, alleviate stress and maladjustment, reslove crisis and increases their ability to live more fully functioning lives. Counselling is unique in its attention to both normal developmental issues as well as the problems associated with physical, emotional and mental disorders. The BACP states that “counselling takes place when a counsellor see a client in a private and confidential
This essay aims to address a number of aspects of counselling that I have found particularly interesting since starting the introductory course in Counselling in October 2012. This will include a brief history of counselling; what it means to help in a “counselling way” from both a client and counsellor’s perspective and what the course has taught me as an individual.
This paper will discuss a fictitious case vignette that encompasses ethical issues associated within the Clinical counseling profession. There will be at least four of the nine sections of the ACA Code of Ethics that will be covered within the context of this case. In consideration of each of these ethical breaches there will be dialog on the nature of the ethical issue or violation, where the ACA ethical code applies, ramifications of the ethical issue or violation of both parties, and with supplementary support of Kitchener?s five primary ethical principles that were involved or violated. Additionally, application and consideration of the AMHCA Code of Ethics to the situation in the setting of Clinical Mental Health counseling, and indication of personal response to the situation presented. Furthermore, the use of the ten step model (Welfel, 2016) from the text of this course in an approach to aid the thought process of the individual problem being addressed. Unequivocally, these codes and principles are valuable tools in helping a counseling practitioner in working with clients to make comprehensive decisions that will not create conflict within personal ethical parameters, more importantly, are aligned within the laws and regulations of the counseling practice.
Counselling is a process of assisting individuals go through worries and difficulties, (Geldard and Geldard 2012). Consequently, many people strive for counselling help when they cannot handle issues or sometimes when they require expert support to provide
Confidentiality is paramount in the counselling profession and is essential in order to be trusted with private matters and for clients to feel they have a safe environment in which to open up. There are times however when confidentiality may be broken. These include acts of terrorism, suspected child abuse, suicide prevention or preventing harm to others. In some cases the breach may not be clear cut. For example if a client is talking about suicide and then later succeeds the counsellor may be subpoenaed as a witness in court.
For counsellors to have a mutually trusting and therapeutic relationship with their client they must be able to address these issues in order to refrain from creating a harmful or negative relationship with their client. Counsellors need to explore these differences with their clients and find a mutual understanding of each other.
All counselors should abide by the ethical guidelines and standards throughout their profession. For example, an ethical task will be the counselor putting the client needs before their own. The importance of allowing the client needs to be met on a professional level is not harmful and non-avoiding to the client. As a counselor taking the extra step to any mean necessary to refrain from personal relationships interfering with clients. Most importantly, as a counselor not to meet their personal needs at the client expense since it is not permitted in the profession of psychotherapy.
Most good counsellors have gone through many themselves and they have the wisdom from their situations. Also, counsellors have to love people and they need to want to help them with their struggles. In addition, they need to know how to give advice in many ways that certain people will understand. Furthermore, this requires them to know how to read people. These all require people skills. They have to be patient and loving with everyone. Everyone has their own problems. There just needs to be people to help others appreciate