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ethics_research-reference_paper_2015-9.docxRunning head: ETHICS WITHIN GROUPS 1
ETHICS WITHIN GROUPS 11
Ethics within Groups
Name
Institution
Abstract
Many studies on the effectiveness of group counselling and its effectiveness compared to individual counselling have been carried out with favorable positive results. Group counselling cannot run without factoring ethics in these groups. In this paper, the term ‘client’ is used to mean the recipients of the counselors’ services. They can be a group, family, couple, organization or an individual. The term ‘therapist’ means guide. This research paper is designed to expound on the comparison between individual counseling and group counseling. To better the understanding, I shall discuss components such as ethics within groups.
Ethics within Groups
Once a group is formed, the group has to get its team leader. Candidates are selected following the American Counseling Association’s regulations and the Association for Specialists in Group Work. The leader ought to possess the right education and experience because of the different functions and mandates he has to do as the group leader for the benefit of the group members. The team leader’s first role is collecting information about the groups concerning size, names of group members, frequency and duration of the therapy program.
Normally, a group has eight to twelve members. The small number is to ensure intimacy and increase interactions. A group with more members increase the meeting time to ensure participation from each member(Redfern, 2004). After that, the group leader decides on whether to run the organization as an open group or a closed group. Normally, most groups are closed- they cannot admit a new member to join the group after that. Once a group is formed, the counselor seeks to respond to any questions or concerns or concerns that the group members might have. It is the counselor’s responsibility to train the clients about the group process before the group commences on its operations. He is also obliged to teach on how members are expected to behave during the group process.
The counselor also has to introduce his clients to professional ethics. More to this, he is supposed to define the purpose and goals of the group and expectations of what the group can accomplish. He outlines what everyone role is and their obligation in a bid to achieve those objectives. Through this, the group members understand the risks and values of group participation(Farmer, 2002). After that, he outlines the procedures and the rules that govern the group including its values and limitations. He must seek to explain the psychological risks and measures to minimize them e.g. how privacy may be invaded, dealing with group pressure and disruption of their lives. The counselor works to win the confidence and trust of his clients by assuring them that the group is appropriate for their needs. He explains to them about confidentiality and its limits(Testa, 2013). Group leaders have the ultimate role to protect and lead the group members.
Importance of Groups
Relations are established. Groups offer a vast pool of relationships through which an Individual can grow and become a better person. Within the groups, persons with similar interests and attitudes and goals tend to have an infinity towards each other. Due to this attraction, they form a group. This is more rewarding and easier. It tends to simplify bureaucracies that would arise if universal relations were not established(Stroebe, Stroebe, & Schut, 2003).
Groups can grow their own dynamic processes i.e. norms, roles of each team member, establish relations, and accomplish theindividual development and social influence that separate them from a random group. This is what makes it exceptional and dissimilar.They can cultivate a sturdy sense of belonging to the group because a group creates room for individuals to support and assist each other. Group members can share predicaments they are facing amongst each other and try to find solutions to them. This creates a strong bond and a sense of belonging(McLeod, 2011).
These groups functions to standard towards achieving universal motives. Therapists scrutinize the counseling participants first. From this, they select a team whose needs and goals are similar to the groups’. This makes group counseling quite sufficient. This convenience in problem solving enables individuals to discuss predicaments facing them openly and honestly with each other. In the long run, the clients are protected from physical, mental and psychological trauma(Cooper & McLeod, 2007). This gives group counseling approach an upper hand over individual counseling.
Unlike individual approach to counseling, groups offer an environment where multiple relations can be established. Through these groups, individuals are advised to cultivate love and understanding. They are free to discuss issues affecting openly and honestly. This is successful because the therapist ensures there is room for trust and confidentiality(Chester & Glass, 2006).Counselors who understand the dynamics of working in a group teach and explain to the group members the importance of confidentiality. Confidentiality can be counselor-client confidentiality or client-client confidentiality(Arvay, 2001). They also give limits exceptions as to when confidentiality should be maintained. Eventually, relations are established where group members support each other.
Ethical Issues
Research has shown that group counseling can be very beneficial. Groups offer an environment where the members not only benefit from the therapist but also from fellow group members. To the therapist, it saves on time that he would use in attending to clients one by one. He can use a collaborative approach to teaching his clients in multitudes simultaneously. This saves much time in reality. Group usually have a leader who protects and provide direction to other group members. He ensures that the acceptable code of behavior is observed. This way, groups offer convenience. Away from this, there are several ethical issues that come handy with group counseling(Testa, 2013).
Since therapy is carried behind closed doors, there is very minimal supervision from outsiders and the public(Sekerka, 2013). Therapists are therefore required to maintain the highest ethical standards to ensure client’s safety and comfort within the counseling period. They are expected to be well acquitted with the right training and willingness to apply ethics in their counseling practice.
There are ethical standards documented by professional organizations. Examples of these are stipulated in the American Psychological Association guidelines that guide relations during the therapy period(Sharf, 2015). State boards and local systems have in the past created policies, procedures, and regulations that supervisors can use. A school counselor is bound to the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) and the American Counseling Association (ACA) codes. They promise to abide the ethical standards duly(Sekerka, 2013). By law, he must be licensed by his counseling licensure board to operate. All these help therapists and their clients during the training and how to overcome shortcomings hindering group counseling. More so they guide relations between therapists and Clients.
Group counseling, unlike individual counseling, has some firmly laid rules and procedures governing its operations. To attain active participation from the group members, it is the counselor’s responsibility to train the clients. Before the group commences on its operations, there are basic concepts he has to bring to their attention(Pope & Vasquez, 2010).
The counselor must define the purpose and goals of the group. He outlines what everyone role is and their obligation in a bid to achieve those objectives. After that, he describes the procedures and the rules that govern the group. The counselor works to win the confidence and trust of his clients by assuring them that the group is appropriate for their needs(Nagy, 2011). He explains to them about confidentiality and its limits. If the group’s rule and operations conflict with values and cultural beliefs of a group member, the counselor is obliged to sort that.
Ethically, the counselor ought to inform all the clients of their rights in addition to their respective responsibilities. They also should make the consequences one will face in the event that they chose not to follow the code. Clients have a right to leave the group if it appears to them that the group is not the kind of group they would want. No client should be forced to stay in a group when he/she is not comfortable(Knapp & VandeCreek, 2006). Group members are obliged to and dedicated to the therapy process.
During orientation, the therapists are bound to teach all the necessary ethical standards to the group members to make them grasp the need to maintain healthy relations between them and also with the therapists. This information plays a significant role in assisting the group members know their obligations and how to behave. Issues such as explaining the need for members to discuss predicaments facing them openly and honestly with each other and the need to uphold confidentiality(Helms & Rogers, 2015). Orientation in group counseling is more detailed and concise unlike in individual counseling.
Code of Ethics
Kitchenerin, his ACA's Code of Ethics, focuses on the importance of having the five moral principles that guide relations. He stressed the need for beneficence, fidelity, autonomy, non-maleficence and justice. Beneficence refers to devoting oneself to doing good or what brings good to the clients. Fidelity entails honoring commitments, faithfulness and staying true to oneself. Non-maleficence refers to doing right to other people not to harm them. Justice involves fairness(Forsyth, 2009).
The ACA’s Code of Ethics defines roles and responsibilities of chancellors during the therapy period concerning their clients, within themselves and the workplace(Dewey, Hickman, & Alexander, 1998). All ACA members are obliged to follow the code to the latter. The contents of the system address confidentiality and privacy, counseling relationships, relationship with other professionals, resolving ethical issues, supervision and training, evaluation assessment among other factors. ACA’s Code of Ethics governs both group and individual counseling.
Confidentiality is a very crucial in a group setting. Members of the groups are expected to exercise the highest level of trust and privacy. Being in groups can be more rewarding and easier unlike individual counseling but quite inappropriate when confidentiality is not observed. Confidentialityis considered as the cornerstone of counseling(Francis, 2010). It can be informed of counselor-client confidentiality or client-client confidentiality.
Unlike the case of group counseling, individual counseling players only need to worry about counselor-client confidentiality, unlike group counseling where both counselor-client confidentiality and client-client confidentiality matter. Group leaders give exceptions as to when confidentiality should be maintained(Day, 2014). This is when the client is dangerous to other clients and even himself. A group member should report such incidence as soon as he learns it.
Counselors are required to have absolute Knowledge of standards and codes governing therapy. Examples of these are American Psychological Association guidelines that guide relations during the therapy period. The American School Counselor Association (ASCA), as well as the American Counseling Association (ACA), also contain these codes. They are bound by these regulations to act professionally and improve their competencies. Usually, they should monitor theeffectiveness of their services and make reasonable improvements when need be. During advertisements, they are advised to keep the ads strictly accurate(Bersoff, 2003; Corey, Corey, Corey, & Callanan, 2014). They should avoid giving misleading or false information. More to this, counselors should prevent any form of discrimination when handling clients in groups. Due to differences in age, sex, race, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, disability or marital status, counselors can be discriminatory.
References
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Bersoff, D. N. (2003). Ethical conflicts in psychology. American Psychological Association. Retrieved from http://psycnet.apa.org/psycinfo/2003-06664-000
Chester, A., & Glass, C. A. (2006). Online counseling: A descriptive analysis of therapy services on the Internet. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 34(2), 145–160.
Cooper, M., & McLeod, J. (2007). A pluralistic framework for counseling and psychotherapy: Implications for research. Counseling and Psychotherapy Research, 7(3), 135–143.
Corey, G., Corey, M., Corey, C., & Callanan, P. (2014). Issues and Ethics in the Helping Professions with 2014 ACA Codes. Cengage Learning. Retrieved from https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=nyOWBAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=.+Issues+and+ethics+in+the+helping+professions.+&ots=-5MbmKPE7B&sig=rOEXx624Jzs739iLRH9l0YNmvx4
Day, D. (2014). The Oxford Handbook of Leadership and Organizations. Oxford University Press.
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Running head:
ETHICS WITHIN GROUPS
1
Ethics within Groups
Name
Institution
