Ethical Decision-Making Process

Ethical Decision Making Process
Ethics and Legal Issues in Counseling
CNSL 5307–VC07
Dr. Simmons
October 27, 2013

Introduction
While every job and every position is considered important in their own right, certain professions have greater direct impacts on individual’s well beings than others. One such profession is that of a counselor. Counselors serve in a variety of settings, to a variety of clients and to meet a variety of different goals. As a result, the nature of the counselor to client relationship can become complex. Within these complexities, and because of the nature in which the counselor is called to serve, it is imperative that the counselor be well equipped to make decisions that positively impact the
Arguments include the use or misuse of certain steps in the process to bring about unfavorable outcomes, or the decrease in positive intrinsic thoughts or feelings when specified processes are required (Chen-Bo, 2011). However, despite these studies, the vast majority of research indicates that ethical decision making processes greatly serve the counselor and the client. Models for ethical decision making serve many purposes. Primarily, they serve to build upon a foundation that is greater than the counselor’s intuition or knowledgebase alone. Models also give clear demonstrations of methods that have worked in the past, as well as indicate where differences between the client’s situation and other’s situation may exist. They also expand give clear illustrations of key aspects thay a counselor alone may have overlooked or failed to consider, such as all the individuals which would be affected by the decision to be made, or the legal considerations that must be met before a decision is made. Failing to use models and processes to guide ethical decision making may severely hamper the ability of the counselor to come to the best resolution (Richard,
Failure to construct the precise issue will have a significant impact on the final outcome, regardless of how well each of the following steps are executed. Following this step is utilizing existing resources to expand our knowledge of the situation, considerations that should be made, and predetermined rules that should be followed. Predetermined rules can be found in many locations including existing ethical codes within the operating organization or even state or federal law. Other resources may not be as official, such as cohorts or consultants with greater experience. Though they may not define clear rules, policy or law they add the benefit of providing unique perspectives, viewpoints and potentially decrease bias the original counselor may not have been aware of or considered. The final steps of ethical decision making include compiling multiple avenues of action, fully evaluating how each decision will affect the client and relevant parties, then deciding the best course of action. During these final stages cohorts and outside resources may continue to be beneficial parts of the process, however the client may be integrated more heavily. Self determination, when applicable, again becomes a factor and can both increase the likelihood of a successful