Teaching Ethical Decision Making: Helping Students Reconcile Personal and Professional Values

Abstract

Because conflicts between personal and professional values can interfere with ethical decision making, a goal of counselor education must be helping students reconcile such conflicts. This article describes one counselor educator's experience teaching ethical decision making and the effects on student learning. Growth was observed in increased tolerance for ambiguity, awareness of how values influenced decision making, use of multiple factors in decision making, and emphasis on the welfare of clients. Implications for teaching and future research directions are discussed.

Faith, Race, and LGB Affirmation: Experiences of African American Counselors‐in‐Training

“…The introduction to counseling, counseling diverse populations, ethics, counseling techniques, practicum, and internship courses all provide ample occasions to assess progress and practice perspective taking and ethical decision making. As was the case for our participants, the process of becoming an LGB‐affirming counselor is not necessarily immediate and without struggle (Ametrano, ). Therefore, it is essential that supervisors continue to assess, support, and challenge supervisees throughout their professional preparation.…”

“…Counselor educators and supervisors can help students adopt a professional, ethical identity through case studies, role plays, dilemma discussions, guest speakers, and consultation with one another (Ametrano, ) and other professionals. The introduction to counseling, counseling diverse populations, ethics, counseling techniques, practicum, and internship courses all provide ample occasions to assess progress and practice perspective taking and ethical decision making.…”

The Importance of Ethical Standards in Psychiatry Research and Clinical Practice: Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Population

“…44 Bu doğrultuda lisansüstü eğitimler, APA standartlarını referans alınarak, çok kültürlü yapıda gelişti-rilmelidir. Öğrencilerin eğitimleri süresince LGBT bireylerle psikoterapötik müdahale ve bu alana özgü etik standartlarla ilişkili bilimsel ve mesleki değerlere dayanan bilgileri edinmelerinin zorunlu olduğu programlar önerilmektedir.…”

Student Counselors' Perceptions of Ethical Client Referrals

“…A growing number of researchers have explored professionalism, ethics, and value‐based conflicts in counseling. A recent special section (Volume 92, Issue 2) of the Journal of Counseling & Development featured nine topical articles, spanning the lessons and ethical implications of recent lawsuits (Dugger & Francis, ; Herlihy, Hermann, & Greden, ; Kaplan, ), ethical decision‐making models and training practices targeting value‐based conflicts (Ametrano, ; Kocet & Herlihy, ; Whitman & Bidell, ), and various faiths' perspectives on sexuality and gender (Balkin, Watts, & Ali, ; Bidell, ; Choudhuri & Kraus, ). In addition, Burkholder and Hall () examined 201 student counselors' perceptions of Ward v. Wilbanks .…”