Blog Post #8

I find ethics as it relates to the field of counseling to be very interesting. A code of ethics strikes me as this invisible umbrella of job duties that no one talks about until someone has broken the code. Growing up with counselors and teachers in my family, being a part of a community of “mandated reporters” and people who had to conduct themselves in an ethical manner at all times seemed like an exclusive club. I always loved overhearing the coded conversations between my parents at the dinner table about what should be done in different situations. When I read the short paragraph about Principle 1: Above All, Do No Harm, it got me thinking how serious the field of counseling is and how it is not something to ever take lightly or mistreat. People will be coming to us (whether of their own volition or because they were referred by someone else) for guidance, a support system, etc. Every client deserves the utmost respect and consideration, no matter the circumstance.

 

Brown defines Principle 1 of the ACA Code of Ethics as requiring “competence in the use of counseling techniques, coaching strategies, and assessment devices. It also requires counselors to provide up-to-date, accurate information about educational and occupational options. Furthermore, doing no harm requires that counselors develop knowledge of the cultural backgrounds and worldviews of their clients…” (Brown, 2012, p. 82). Thinking about this concept in reference to my current position had me wondering if I follow this principle every single time I meet with a prospective student. Do I give every single person who comes into my office 100% of my attention? I know sometimes I am very busy and people catch me off guard or they want to talk for more time than I can devote to them at that moment. It got me thinking of what would happen if your intention was not to do any harm, but you mistakenly gave someone misinformation and did not find out about it until after the fact? Should you go back to that person and tell them you were wrong? Have we completely blown the Code of Ethics if we inadvertently misconduct ourselves? As much training as one could ever have in the field of counseling, this first principle seems to me to be the one that has overarching themes into all the other principles and the one that we need to have at the forefront of our brains at all times.

  

Brown, D. (2012). Career Information, career counseling, and career development (10^th ed.). New York: Pearson Education, Inc.