Attitudes & Beliefs Page 2
Attitudes and Beliefs Reflection Paper Assignment
Abstract
A counseling career involves putting aside personal biases to establish rapport with
patients. As clinicians, we acknowledge that our perceptions, values, and morals can influence
the therapeutic relationship we have with our patients. As such, it is equally important that we
conduct a self-evaluation before the start of therapy to identify potential conflicts that could
affect the client-counselor relationship. This report identifies three areas that were thought-
provoking for me while completing the Attitude & Beliefs Inventory. These scenarios caused me
to be uncomfortable and identify areas of bias within my worldview. In addition to providing an
overview of my thoughts and feelings, I will also discuss how I have changed my perspective on
this topic.
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Introduction
The Code of Ethics of the ACA has a wide range of rules that apply to counselors.
Specifically speaking, Section A.4.b of the ACA code of ethics states, Counselors must be aware
not to impose their personal beliefs or attitudes onto their clients (American Counseling
Association (2014). Besides being able to put aside their own biases, counselors must respect
their diverse clients and develop a good relationship with them. This rule is important to the
success of a therapeutic relationship. If a counselor's beliefs are not aligned with the goals and
beliefs of their clients, this could negatively affect the quality of their interaction. Furthermore, if
their morals or values are discriminatory, this could lead to a lack of rapport (American
Counseling Association (2014).
Reaction
The questions about the convicted pedophile, the domestic violence incident, and the
recently released rapist made me feel uneasy. I found it difficult to answer these questions due to
the abusive actions that these individuals have carried out against children and women. I have a
strong personal belief in the importance of protecting children from abuse. Although I have
sought professional help and am currently a victim’s advocate, I still find it hard to hear stories
from others that are reminiscent of the abusive actions that occurred against me. These
experiences have caused me to feel anxious in certain environments as well as bouts of insomnia.
In 1992, Smith and Priest stated that pedophilia is not a sexual perversion but rather a sexual
deviation. This explains why sex offenders who have committed crimes against children should
undergo therapy.
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Response
As children, we are taught to respect others, not to bring harm to anyone, practice kindness,
love, etc. Many of us can attest that, although we were taught these things, there were instances
within our environment that made those lessons appear insignificant. I have always maintained the
Golden Rule Matthew 7:12, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Contrary to my
belief, it left me confused as a child when I experienced hurt. I was not able to connect that
experience with any negative actions that I inflicted on anyone else who was deserving of such a
traumatic experience. As an adult, I now understand the cycle of abuse, its effects on families, and
how it leads to learned behavior. But I have yet to fully heal my inner child, as that was not an
acceptable excuse for the damage it caused me physically, mentally, or emotionally. This is why I
pursued a career in counseling. I wanted to be a voice for those who felt they did not have one and a
change agent for those who were victims of their own traumatic experiences. In addition to being
able to provide a safe environment for victims to heal, I also know that I can make a difference in
the lives of offenders by identifying my own biases and being a contributor to their rehabilitation.
The reason I harbor prejudice against offenders is due to my apprehension of being
victimized again. Identifying this within the exercise has allowed me to shift my perspective on
rehabilitation. I believe in the root cause of any experience/event. Today, offenders are appearing
younger and committing heinous acts like adult criminals. So much so that adolescents are being
charged as adults and being labeled as pedophiles or sex offenders at a much younger age, with a
documented history of family violence as well. In a study conducted by Cano and Contreras, they
noted that adolescents tend to abuse their parents for various reasons, such as financial damage and
power. It is good to note that these acts of harm are not preferential to any age anymore.
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I think that it is necessary to not only rehabilitate victims, so they can reconcile their past
and avoid a future of them becoming a potential abuser, but I also believe in rehabilitation for the
abuser, so they can explore their past and reconcile their experiences, to decrease the likelihood of
them offending again
Action
Personal reflection is required to put my biases against sex offenders aside. The first step
is to acknowledge that counseling pedophiles and sex offenders can help in their rehabilitation.
Through therapy and exploration of the offender’s past, preventative measures for their
community can be adopted. Providing therapeutic services to this population can help decrease
the stigma attached to sex offenders. The steps I can take to reverse the stigma attached to this
group would be to remove my prejudices against these individuals, secondly, develop my skills
by attending training sessions focused on treating offenders, as well as training focused on victim
support. By providing these services and becoming knowledgeable of the offender, I can help
reduce the recidivism rate surrounding this population.
As a society, we must inform others about the harmful consequences of sexual abuse. We
must also teach the offenders in advance, as this can prevent them from committing further
crimes. As counselors, we bear a responsibility to recognize and reverse the stigma that these
individuals are associated with, which often prevents them from seeking treatment. It is also
important that sex offenders, as well as those at risk of abuse, have resources available to them to
receive the necessary treatment.
Conclusion
I believe that writing this paper provided me with an opportunity to reflect on my
thoughts as both a survivor and a future therapist. I know that many individuals in the therapy
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field are drawn to help people due to their traumatic experiences. They desire to give hope to
those struggling to resolve their personal experiences with trauma. To provide effective and
innovative strategies that can help victims and perpetrators, we must constantly develop new
approaches and work diligently to remove personal biases. Before we can start offering therapy
to sex offenders and pedophiles, we must first ensure we are creating a safe zone for the offender
as well. This can be done through the removal of the bias and judgment attached to being a sex
offender.
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References
American Counseling Association. (2014). 2014 ACA Code of Ethics. ACA Governing Council.
Contreras, L., & Cano, C. (2014). Family profile of young offenders who abuse their parents: A
comparison with general offenders and non-offenders. Journal of Family Violence, 29(8),
901–910. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-014-9637-y
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. (2001). Crossway.
Jahnke, S., Philipp, K., & Hoyer, J. (2015). Stigmatizing attitudes towards people with
pedophilia and their malleability among psychotherapists in training. Child Abuse &
Neglect, 40, 93–102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2014.07.008
Levenson, J. S., & Grady, M. D. (2019). “I could never work with those people . . .”: Secondary
prevention of child sexual abuse via a brief training for therapists about pedophilia.
Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 34(20), 4281–4302.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260519869238
Priest, R., & Smith, A. (1992). Counseling Adult Sex Offenders: Unique Challenges and
Treatment Paradigms. Journal of Counseling & Development, 71: 27-32, 27.
https://doi.org/https://doi-org.ezproxy.liberty.edu/10.1002/j.1556-6676.1992.tb02166.x
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