Masters of Counselling Psychology Case Study 2022

Masters of Counselling Psychology
Masters of Counselling Psychology
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Masters of Counselling Psychology
Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Identification of ethical issues....................................................................................................2
Ethical trap possibilities.............................................................................................................3
Preliminary response..................................................................................................................5
Possible consequences...............................................................................................................7
Ethical resolution.......................................................................................................................9
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................9
References................................................................................................................................10
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Masters of Counselling Psychology
Introduction
This study reveals the standard of behaviours; a counsellor should be engaged to his
professional practice which reflects his concern for the accountability of service, patient’s
welfare, recognition of ethical practices and the best practices. This paper deals with a special
case as the patient is an adolescent boy. The counsellor would apply the following decision-
making model for the case study in a systematic manner.
Identification of ethical issues
The term ‘Ethical issue’ defines a situation when a professional has to make a
decision between unacceptable choices (Werema, 2014). The professional, encountering this
situation, has to undergo a conflict of mind which is called ‘ethical dilemma’. As the person
becomes puzzled in decision making and the decision may vary from person to person,
professional organizations like American Counselling Association or Australian Counselling
Association Code of Ethics, set an ethical codes or standard of behaviours. This ethical code
does not include behavioural standard based upon any specific situational description, rather
it is a generalized content expecting aspirational behaviour from the professionals (Rosenthal,
2010). Being a practitioner of the mental health issues, the counsellor in the case study of Joe
has to be complying with certain ethical codes of practices which ensure the wellbeing of the
patient and professional self-regulation of the counsellor himself.
In Joe’s case the counsellor would identify the following ethical issues:
 Family counselling
The counsellor can face an ethical dilemma in family counselling as his parents are
separated and none of the patent and his father wants to involve the mother of the
patient. The counselling of Joe’s biological mother is important for his case study
(Shiroka- Pula, Dedaj & Aliu, 2014). In this case, the counsellor could not avail
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