Ethics In Group Counseling Essay Example for Free

morality In baseing Counseling EssayAbstractThis essay provides information about unassail fits, as defined and adjust in the practice of counseling or therapy sessions. Further more(prenominal), this essay looks closely at the intricacies of ethical issues in counseling and chemical ag crowd therapies and how these compargon to the ethical issues in individual therapies. It in any case touches on the importance of co- attractionship in group therapies and the dynamics of the relationship between the leader and the co-leader. This essay withal covers in great detail, the reasons why therapists cull to conduct group therapies over individual therapies and vice versa. Ethics in Group CounselingEthics DefinedEthics has motley meanings. Many counselors see ethics as a code of conduct or a raise of honorableistic values. Some counselors emphasize the legal principles and ramifications of certain demeanor during counseling sessions, go differents put a utmost prio rity on the cultural norms or societal standards brought forth within the counseling practice (Hill, 2004).Code of conduct and set of moral values go hand in hand (Hill, 2004). These argon guidelines of the dos and donts in counseling. Just as God has given us guidelines for effective and joyful leading through the ten commandments Exodus 201-20 (New International Version) and the examples of Christ in the New Testament, along with the epistles and letters of apostles and disciples like Paul, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, so should the majority of the professional groups or sub-groups such as the counseling industry to a fault nurse moral codes of conducts, procedures and laws. These behavioral conduct principles argon geargond towards counselors for high efficiency and success rates in therapy sessions (Hill, 2004).They help maintain the integrity of the counselor which helps maintain the trust between the therapist and the patient. There are inconsistencies and discrepancies wit h these moral values or code of conducts (Jennings et al., 2005).Many professionals put precedence overrules and regulations, just as many Christians dejection be overly zealous with Gods commands that they miss out in creating and maintaining meaningful relationships. Many counselors potful also miss out on the strengths of relationships as they focus on just the foundational moral values they bring into their professions (Jennings et al., 2005) In other words, it is not merely enough to go by the codes in ones profession. These codes substructure be to a fault broad. Ones beliefs, interpersonal and intrapersonal skills, justice and sound mind should also be a direct and large part in the ethical behavior of a counselor. Each profession, including the counseling profession moldiness bring forth a balance or equilibrium for such rules. Legal principles, on the other hand, are governing standards that are defined to make out safety nets around the counselor and around the clien t. Legal principles not only define the boundaries between the client and the counselor, they also define the legal consequences if such boundaries are neglected or abused (Hill, 2004).Legal principles for psychological counseling include the stringent process of handling complaints from clients. As in any law-governing body or group, complaints must be handled efficiently and efficiencies depend on the protocols and guidelines constituted by specific bodies such as the Ameri batch Psychological Association or the APA. Legal principles also include the issuance and the renewal of counseling or affectionate work licenses. Each state has a governing body that overlooks the issuance and the renewals of licenses, as well as the insurance procedures including liability claims for counseling professionals Cultural norms or societal standards are highly regulated principles set forth by a certain group within a profession. For instance, the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Rela ted Educational Programs regulate the principles and procedures within the counseling profession.The principles set forth are guidance procedures that keep the professionals professional, and the clients protected. Such accrediting bodies or regulatory agencies also set forth educational and professional backgrounds for counselors to adhere to or rattling by. In other words, counseling groups require their professionals to attain certain amount of education, training and experience to ensure that their professionals are skilled and prepared to counsel clients from various diversities and cultural and emotional backgrounds (Hill, 2004). The counselors competence is a priority. The mainissue, when it comes to competence, is the fact that the counselor has built ample set of skills, through education and experience, in order to effectively, successfully and ethically counsel others comparatively (Jennings et al., 2005) After all, psychologists are professionals who use most of their time observing human behavior and experiences and interpreting these into progressive theories that posterior benefit others mentally and emotionally in their physical, social and environmental relationships.The professional must know how to deal with people and this includes listening, suggesting, advising and creating plans for individuals. These plans can highly affect the individuals conceit and progress. Ethical issues in social work group settings are challenging (Gumpert Black, 2006). Its far more complex than what the general public knows about. One of the ethical standards is that the group leader must have ample amount of experience in incompatible types of group settings must have a very lengthened perspective and must be equipped to face the obstacles and complexities that rise more commonly in group settings (Gumpert Black, 2006).Therapists must be able to overcome conflicts and set about crises (Amato, Blase, Paley, 2000). Therefore, the therapist must be skill ed in screening potential group members (Amato et al., 2000, p. 12) Conflicts are inevitable in any group setting because individuals are made up of different personalities, educational and socio-economic backgrounds and mental, physical and emotional capabilities. Ethical issues are grand because they help the therapists understand their clients and embrace the diversity at hand. ghostly background should also be considered because ethical issues also take into status the spiritual backgrounds, values and beliefs of the individuals.Ethical Issues Unique to Group SettingsSome of the ethical issues in professional group counseling include the highly confidential nature of group sessions and the challenges counselors have in refraining members from communicating with individually other outside the group settings. As simple as these guidelines sound, it is uncontrollable for the counselor to ensure these principles. After all human beings are relational beings. (Gumpert Black, 20 06). We are all inclined to create relationships as we understand ourselves and each other. These relationships have defined boundaries. In group counseling, one of the most important boundaries toremember is to refrain from sharing private or confidential information gathered in the group outside the group.Additionally, the demand for confidentiality in the counseling profession is one that can be neglected and can inevitably cause detrimental effects not just for the group but for individual as well (Gumpert Black, 2006). With this confidentiality at hand, the trust issues are at stake and one that should be monitored closely and on a regular basis. The consequences of violating the confidentiality clause in any group therapy must be introduced and must eternally be re-visited on a regular basis. It is that important. Communication with other members of the group also propels another problem in ethics amongst counseling professionals.It creates a part of contract among the grou p members (Gumpert Black, 2006). Once this breach of contract is violated, the professionalism and the integrity of the counseling group is in a dangerous and delicate stage and one that can keep the group from progressing and the individual members from succeeding in their therapy goals. One of the ethical issues in group counseling is of control, or the lack thereof. According to Haeseler, group therapists have lesser amount of control over what happens in group counseling sessions compared to individual therapy sessions (Amato, Blase, Paley, 2000). Haesler has conducted both group and individual art therapies. She concluded that although group sessions can encourage member interactions, certain members can affect other members in a negative way (Amato et al., 2000).Not only are human beings relational beings, we are also influential beings. We strive to persuade others as much as we strive to encourage one another. In group therapies, this need to mold others can be too strong that it creates a sense of peer pressure. (Amato et al., 2000) Although not all peer pressures are bad (because we can pressure others into doing what is virtuously correct) it is one that should be highly monitored in the groups. Every member of the group should be comfortable to freely state their feelings, thoughts and ideas and not be pressured or be influenced by other members to do or say what doesnt come sincerely from our hearts. (Amato et al., 2000)Choosing Group Therapy over Individual TherapyGroup therapies are as important as individual therapies. Many therapistschoose to conduct group therapies because in groups, members tend to feel a sense of equality (Banks, 2005) with other members, as hostile to having one authority (the counselor) and one individual (client or subject). Additionally, some people actually thrive better in groups because they like to share with others and may not feel very comfortable with having to talk to just one person. Group therapies can be the better therapy for people who dislike being by themselves. Group therapies also encourage respect for others (Banks, 2005). Since members are required to actively participate in the group, they are also required to respect other members with their opinions multi-cultural diversities and various personalities. They are required to allow others to share their experiences with the other members. Members who have learned to adapt to listening to others and learning from them can get better results in their emotional and social levels. Group therapies are also preferred by leaders because of the exhilarating aspect of being more vigilant with members (Banks, 2005) when it comes to conflicts or negative outlooks of certain members.Therefore, group leaders have a stronger sense of keeping things more imaginative and livelier. There is nothing complacent and dull with a group because there are always different dynamics that the leader can face from one moment to the next. Group therapie s can keep counselors on their toes, watching out for that dominant allele talker, or the negative influence in the group. They also try to find more ways for the groups to be more exciting and challenging through different exercises. Interpersonal learning also has a natural way of allowing members to reflect on a topic of issue, based on experiences of other members. Reflections can create thought-provoking questions that invite members to work even harder in probing how they feel or how they see things from another members background and experience.Group therapies can create the perfect environment for observation on how we can each impact the lives of others. The members of the group can witness right away the effects of good communication and right attitudes and perceptions in real time within real relationships (Vandenberghe, 2009). There are no hypothetical discussions in group therapies. There are always experiential discussions and narratives in groups. This dynamic is idea l for learning by observation. The more opportunities are given to members for observation and feedback for sharing and relating, the more progress the group can have as a whole. As the groupprogresses as a whole, each individual member can also progress in his or her own level and within his or her own sets of goals.Choosing Individual Therapy Over Group TherapyIt is important to look at both sides of therapy. Many therapists prefer group therapies over individual therapies, and vice versa. Therapists who embrace individual therapies believe that group therapies reduce the sense of individualism for the patients (Piper, 2007). In other words, the patient is more likely to be influenced by other members of the group, regarding feedback and participation, rather than be encouraged to be themselves. Sharing is an necessary part of therapy and some members are just not adapted to sharing how they feel with others. Therefore, the trust level also diminishes. With one on one therapy, th e trust level can be gained in each session, and sometimes almost instantaneously. Many therapists also claim that group therapies are more likely to expose the therapists to personal attacks or criticisms (Piper, 2007). In other words, the observations of other members on how the therapist reacts to another member can create different perceptions of favoritism, inclusion or lack thereof, and can lead other members compelled to attack or even rebuke the therapist.This of course, can take the group therapy to another level which can keep other members from progressing. For many therapists, group therapies are more difficult to plan for or to organize (Piper, 2007). There are more challenges to face. These include the logistics of the group sessions assembling members as well as generating referrals to keep up or maintain the groups (Piper, 2007). The therapist must be diligent in screening his or potential group members must take into consideration the different personalities of the members and must highly prioritize the goals set forth in each session. These goals must be aligned to the goals that the members have in joining a group. A couple in the goals can create a disaster for all members involved, not to mention misunderstandings and conflicts. Conducting group therapies also requires more training and experience that only a few therapists are equipped with. The therapist must possess leadership and group communications skills and experience.Supplemental skills of forming, maintaining and ending a group must also be present, as well as working stage skills such as keeping the focus, creating dyads, andhandling negative members should also be taken into consideration (Jacobs, Masson, Harvill, 2009). This is where co-leadership can come into play. Before conducting groups, counselors must be experienced in co-leadership. The experience can give them better ways of handling conflicts and prepare them in communicating with the members as a whole. Finally, i t is always difficult to avoid the subject of budget even in counseling therapies.Many therapists prefer individual therapies because group therapies are still not considered as a common treatment (Piper, 2007) and therefore, many healthcare management systems do not consider them as an essential in the overall well-being of the patient. With the reduction of health care benefits by the health care management companies, the acceptance of group therapy as part of a rigorous treatment plan is still in its minimal level and many group therapy claims are continuously being denied (Piper, 2007).ConclusionBeing able to counsel others as a group is a rewarding and fulfilling experience. A good group counselor must be experienced in both group and individual counseling therapies, and must know his or her strengths as well as his or her weaknesses. Most importantly, a good group therapy leader must be well-informed about the ethical practices, issues and limitations of his or her profession. Having an extensive education, well-balanced experience and background, self-awareness and broad knowledge of the ethical issues of group counseling, along with dearest to make a difference and good and sound wisdom can help a group therapist succeed and therefore make a tremendous difference in peoples lives.ReferencesAmato, L., Blase, C., Paley, S. (2000). Ethics. American Journal of Art Therapy, 39, 12. Banks, R. (2005). Solution-Focused Group Therapy. Journal of Family Psychotherapy, 16, 17-21. Freeman, S. J., Engels, D. W., Altekruse, M. (2004). Foundations for Ethical Standards and Codes The Role of Moral Philosophy and system in Ethics. Counseling Values, 48, 163-173. Gumpert, J., Black, P. N. (2006). Ethical Issues in Group Work What are They? How Are They Managed?. Social Work with Groups, 29, 61-74. Hill, A. L. (2004). Ethical Analysis in Counseling A Case for Narrative Ethics, MoralVisions and Virtue Ethics. Counseling Values, 48, 131-148. Jacobs, E. E., Masson, R . L., Harvill, R. L. (2009). Group Counseling Strategies and Skills (6th ed.). Belmont, CA Brooks/Cole. Jennings, L., Sovereign, A., Bottorff, N., Mussell, N., Pederson, M., Vye, C. (2005). Nine Ethical Values of Master Therapists. Journal of genial Health Counseling, 27, 32-47. Luke, M., Hackney, H. (2007). Group Coleadership A Critical Review. Counselor Education Supervision, 46, 280-293. Piper, W. E. (2007). Underutilization of Short-term Group Therapy Enigmatic or Understandable?. Psychotherapy Research, 18, 127-138. Urofsky, R. I., Engels, D. W. (2003). Philosophy, Moral Philosophy, and Counseling Ethics Not an Abstraction. Counseling Values, 47, 118. Vandenberghe, L. (2009). A Functional Analytic approach to Group Psychotherapy. Behavioral Analyst Today, 10, 71-82.