Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Should a counselor remain value-objective about controversial issues presented by a client (such as abortion, suicide, adultery, drug use, domestic violence, child abuse)? Some counselors might argue that they should not self-disclose their values or criticize their clients for these behaviors, while others would say that expressing moral judgment is appropriate. Consider the information above, Chapter 3 of the textbook, and the articles focused on ethical decision-making models. This paper should be written in the third person. Write a 1,000-1,250-word paper addressing the following:
Analyze the ethical implications of a counselor expressing their values to a client.
Identify actions a counselor might take when confronted with clients they find difficult to treat due to differences in values/beliefs regarding one or more of the following issues: abortion, suicide, adultery, drug use, domestic violence, and child abuse.
Identify some of the legislation and government policies related to clinical mental health counseling or school counseling.
Identify factors that might lead a counselor to consider referring a client to another counselor.
Describe steps a counselor should take if a referral is not an option and discuss a specific ethical decision-making model that would be used to ensure best practices.
Be sure to use the ACA or ASCA Code of Ethics as guidelines when constructing your paper.
Include three additional scholarly resources in your paper in addition to the course textbook.
Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.
This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. A link to the LopesWrite technical support articles is located in Class Resources if you need assistance.
GCU Benchmark Information
This benchmark assignment assesses the following programmatic competency and professional standards:
MS Clinical Mental Health Counseling; MEd School Counseling
2.3: Analyze ethical issues in the practice of professional counseling. [CACREP 2.F.1.i, 2.F.6.g; MC5]
This assignment is informed by the following CACREP Standard:
5.C.2.j. Cultural factors relevant to clinical mental health counseling.
Also her is a copy of chapter 3
vv 92 / CHAPTER 3• How would you describe the inuence of religion or spirituality in your life?What relevance might this have to the way you practice counseling?• How would you manage situations in which your beliefs about religion orspirituality conict with those of your client?• Are therapists forcing their values on their clients when they decide what top-ics can be discussed? Explain.• If you have no religious or spiritual convictions, how would you work withclients who hold strong views in these areas?• Is there an ethical issue when a counseling agency that is attached to a churchimposes the church’s teachings or religious dogma as part of their counselingpractices? Explain.• To what degree are you willing to collaborate with clergy or indigenous heal-ers if it appears that clients have questions you are not qualied to answer?• How does a counselor in a public school deal with spiritual or religious issuesthat students may bring up? Do parents need to be informed that spiritualissues may be discussed in counseling?An Ethical Decision-Making Process ModelBarnett and Johnson (2011) describe an ethical decision-making process model todetermine whether religious or spiritual beliefs may be clinically salient, and if so, toidentify ethical principles and standards in determining how to proceed. These keypoints of their model can be applied when dealing with ethical dilemmas pertainingto a client’s religious or spiritual beliefs and concerns in the therapeutic context:• Respectfully assess a client’s religious or spiritual beliefs at the beginning ofthe counseling relationship. Tailor this assessment to the individual client,the psychotherapy context, and the client’s preference for considering theseconcerns.• Carefully assess any connection between a client’s presenting problem andreligious or spiritual beliefs. Be aware of the wide range of religious andspiritual beliefs and practices in various cultural groups by engaging in bothdidactic and experiential learning.• Weave the results of an initial assessment into the informed consent process. Ifreligious or spiritual concerns will be explicitly addressed in therapy, developa treatment plan that incorporates this focus and obtain your client’s informedconsent.• Honestly consider your potential countertransference to a client’s religiousbeliefs and practices. If your countertransference might undermine the thera-peutic endeavor or harm the client, seek consultation.• Evaluate your competence in a given case by reviewing the professional litera-ture, practice guidelines, laws, and ethics standards pertinent in working witha client’s religious concerns.• Consult with experts in the area of religion and spirituality in the practiceof psychotherapy. Colleagues with expertise in religion and spirituality canhelp you explore your countertransference involving a client’s spirituality orreligion.Copyright 2019 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.Values and the Helping Relationship / 93• If appropriate and clinically indicated, and with a client’s consent, considerconsulting with a client’s own clergy.• Evaluate the potential benets and risks of integrating religious or spiritualinterventions into treatment and decide whether to treat a client or make areferral. If you are making a referral, document the reasoning and steps youtook to enhance your own knowledge and experience.• Assess outcomes and make necessary adjustments to a client’s treatment plan.Training in Dealing With Spiritual and Religious ConcernsSpiritual and religious aspects of living may be as much a part of the context ofthe presenting problem as are issues of gender, race, or culture. In one survey, 73%of therapists reported that it was important to address spiritual issues in ther-apy, but most did not believe they possessed the necessary competence to do so(Hickson, Housley, & Wages, 2011). Practitioners should reach out to members ofthe religious community and indigenous healers with whom they can collaborateon behalf of the client when it is appropriate and when written consent is given.The Association for Spiritual, Ethical, and Religious Values in Counseling(ASERVIC, 2009) developed a set of competencies in spirituality. These compe-tencies outline the knowledge and skills counselors need to master to effectivelyengage clients in the exploration of their spiritual and religious lives (Robertson& Young, 2011).In a national survey of student perceptions, 84% of the interns indicated theywere introduced to spirituality and religion in their CACREP-accredited programthrough their coursework (Dobmeier & Reiner, 2012). Most of these counselinginterns believed they were prepared to deal with spiritual issues in their practice.More than half of the respondents identied wellness, meaning, faith, hope, andforgiveness as topics addressed in their coursework. Dobmeier and Reiner con-clude that counselor education programs need to inform students of the ASERVICcompetencies so students have a framework for evaluating their readiness to applythese competencies in their work with clients.Educational programs can encourage students to look at what they believeand how their beliefs and values might inuence their work. Just as it is not possi-ble to know every aspect of all cultures, the same is true of religion. Even thoughcounselors cannot know about all religions or all aspects of spirituality, they canwork effectively when clients introduce religious or spiritual concerns. Therapistscan invite clients to explain and explore the areas of spiritual or religious concernsthat are problematic for them.The Case of RoryRory, who has been in counseling for some time with Fiona, sees himself as a failure and cannotmove past his guilt. He insists that he cannot forgive himself for his past. He is in great turmoiland berates himself for his aberrant ways.Fiona is an atheist, but she knows that Rory is aprofoundly religious man and asks during one of the sessions, “How would you view and reactto a person with a struggle similar to yours? What kind ofGod do you believe in? Does yourGod offer judgments or grace? What does your religion teach you about forgiveness?” FionaCopyright 2019 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.94 / CHAPTER 3is attempting to use Rory’s convictions to reframe his thinking. Once he begins to look at hisbehavior through the eyes of his religious beliefs, his attitudes toward his own behavior changedramatically. Because Rory believes in a loving God, he finally learns to be more forgiving ofhimself.• How do you react to howFiona worked with Rory?• Would you useRory’s religious beliefs as an intervention? Why or why not?• Do you see Fiona’s interventions as inauthentic or culturally sensitive? Explain.Commentary.Fiona noticed a discrepancy between Rory’s religious beliefs and his assessmentof his behaviors.By using the client’s own belief system, she assisted him in reframing hisself-assessment and in the process helped him to be true to his own belief system.•Value Conflicts Regarding End-of-Life DecisionsMany aspects must be considered when it comes to end-of-life care, not just deci-sions that may affect the timing of death. As the U.S. population ages, many coun-selors will assist clients in making end-of-life decisions, including decisions abouttaking active steps toward hastening death. With growing public support andcontinuing efforts by states to legalize physician-assisted suicide, it is very likelythat an increasing number of clients will seek professional assistance in makingend-of-life decisions.Bevacqua and Kurpius (2013) believe counselors in training should be pre-pared to deal professionally with value-laden end-of-life decisions. Their study ofcounseling students showed interesting results with regard to age of clients, clinicalexperience, and religious afliation of student trainees. There was much more sup-port for a 77-year-old client seeking active euthanasia than for a 25-year-old clientdoing so. Students’ clinical experience was positively related to their support ofclient autonomy. A negative relationship was found between a trainee’s religiosityand respecting a client’s right to consider euthanasia. These ndings suggest thatcounselors’ personal religious values may affect their therapeutic work with cli-ents, either directly or indirectly. Bevacqua and Kurpius recommend close clinicalsupervision as a way to ensure that counseling students foster a client’s autonomyrather than allowing their own values to inuence a client’s end-of-life decision.Withholding and withdrawing treatment is legal in all 50 states, so all of ushave some choices regarding our own death. End-of-life decisions that involvephysician-assisted suicide have become an increasingly controversial issue sincethe Death With Dignity Act became law in Oregon in 1997. Washington’s voterreferendum in 2008 was similar to the Oregon act and became law in 2009, andin 2013 Vermont became the rst state to pass a Death With Dignity act throughlegislation. Montana has physician-assisted suicide by way of a court ruling(Baxter v. State of Montana, 2009). More than 30 states have specic laws prohib-iting physician-assisted suicide, and 4 states have no specic laws regardingphysician-assisted suicide (Kristen Dickens, personal communication, October 15,2016). Other states are considering legislation as well. Signed into law October 5,2015, and in effect from June 9, 2016, the California End-of-Life Option Act is a LO11Copyright 2019 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it. © Cengage