Issues on Client Rights in Psychotherapy

Running head: ISSUES ON CLIENT RIGHTS IN PSYCHOTHERAPY
Issues on client rights in psychotherapy
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ISSUES ON CLIENT RIGHTS IN PSYCHOTHERAPY
Psychotherapy defined as treatment by psychological means where psychologist
addresses emotional and psychological problem of an individual by building a professional
relationship (Corey, 2015). In most of therapies, psychologist verbally communicate with
individual with intention of removing exist signs and symptoms of problem or modify the pattern
of disturbance by providing positive strategies to overcome problem (Laska, Gurman &
Wampold, 2014). However, like every treatment psychotherapies also have some uncertainties
where patient or disturbed individuals have to experience negative outcome. Regardless of all the
protocols of therapy institutions and wide range of approaches suggested by both the parties,
there are few essential ethical issues about individuality that arising question on approaches of
psychotherapies. Therefore, the purpose of this report is to provide a framework of ethical issues
faced by most of the individuals and guideline to overcome these issues
1) Response to first question:
Psychotherapy of disturbed individual is one of the delicate treatment processes that
medical expertise has come across in recent era. In order to provide best treatment therapy for
betterment of patient, many practitioner cross boundaries that sometimes are justified but in most
of the scenario individuals feel offended (Sharf,2015). Subsequently, question arises on morality
of expertise along with ethical protocol of reputated establishment. A significant number of
patients generally take legal action against the expertise and institutions, few simply terminate
the therapy session.
Most important client rights that documented in codes of ethics are as follows:

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ISSUES ON CLIENT RIGHTS IN PSYCHOTHERAPY
 Competent therapist:
Competence of a therapist defined as finest skills, knowledge and qualification possessed
by expertise in order to provide best therapy. This also includes expertise also well aware of
emotional state of disturbed individuals while verbally communicating with individuals
(Hatcher, 2015). It is also responsibility of therapist to give the detailed information about the
disturbed pattern and emotional state of the individual and implementation plan to cure the
problem. In case of physically disable individuals, it is responsibility of expertise to
communicate with written paper for the sake of the therapy (Waller & Turner, 2016)
 Informed consent:
Informed consent defined as the important part of therapy where it ensures the conscious
decision of patient to involve in the therapy. It is presumed generally that when individual
seeking helps from expertise they already involve themselves consciously in the session.
However, every time this scenario does not happen (Lamont- Mills, Christensen& Moses, 2018).
Therefore, this is rights of client and responsibility from the end of the therapist to take informed
consent in the form of declaration form, which clearly emphasize the reason behind therapy, role
of patient and expertise in the therapy, and protocols need to follow to complete therapy
(Trachsel & Gaab, 2015)
 Confidentiality of patients:
As a part of one of the crucial profession, medical expertises are expected to maintain
confidentiality of client such as any embarrassing incident, traumatized experiences and
information of treatment setting by any means. However, in certain exceptional cases,
practitioners cross their boundary of ethics in order to provide best treatment for betterment of
patient (Pepper, 2015). In those exceptional cases, medical expert should inform client about the