PSYC FPX 4900 Assessment 2 An Ethical Analysis of a Case Study:
Ethics and Counseling Culturally Diverse Students
Hannah, a 36-year-old counselor, is assisting Adara, a 15-year-old Muslim-American girl who has been experiencing considerable difficulties with her friends. Adara feels increasingly dissatisfied and disconnected, battling her emotions and unsure where to turn for help. She told Hannah that she doesn’t think her parents would approve of her attending a counselor, which contributes to her feelings of loneliness. During a recent session, Adara admitted to Hannah that she wished she were dead. Hannah found herself in a tough ethical situation after making this important confession.
Hannah’s ethical responsibilities as a counselor force her to take action when a client discloses thoughts of suicide. As a result, she told Adara’s parents about the problem, prioritizing Adara’s safety and well-being. However, this conduct had a tremendous impact on the dynamics of their relationship. Adara now feels deceived and believes she can no longer trust Hannah, which has damaged their counseling relationship.
Hannah must handle this sensitive situation while remaining loyal to the ethical standards that govern her career. These recommendations include clearly defining the nature of the counselor-client relationship and ensuring Adara knows that it is professional rather than personal or friendship-based. Hannah will need to work carefully to re-establish trust with Adara while continuing to give the necessary assistance.
The American Psychological Association’s (APA) Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct is a comprehensive reference that details the professional requirements of psychology professionals, including school counselors (American Psychological Association, 2017). These ethical principles and guidelines are intended to safeguard both clients and professionals while ensuring that clients receive high-quality service. The purpose of this assessment is to look at Hannah and Adara’s case study to identify the ethical issues that arise. Additionally, a strategy for school counselors to follow these ethical guidelines and standards will be described.
Related Assessments:
Applied Ethical Principles and Standards
The American Psychological Association’s (APA) mission is to provide psychology professionals with principles and guidelines that will help them make ethical decisions while working with clients. Professionals can make sure that their decisions are informed and ethical by referencing the APA’s Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct. Hannah and other school counselors feel confident that they are giving their clients the best possible care when they follow these guidelines and standards.
Hannah is responsible for strictly following the APA’s Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct, particularly Principle E: Respect for People’s Rights and Dignity. This concept is important in the situation of Hannah and Adara because it requires Hannah to respect Adara’s rights and dignity, including maintaining privacy and secrecy during their conversations. Psychology practitioners must also be aware of and respect all clients’ cultural, individual, and professional differences to reduce unintentional disadvantage (American Psychological Association 2017).
In this case, Hannah must recognize her own cultural competency and actively try to reduce any potential presumption. For example, Hannah must ensure that her prior interactions with other Muslim Americans do not impact how she handles Adara. The situation is especially difficult because of Adara’s threats of self-harm and the abuse she remains, which can lead to actual violence. Hannah feels morally required to violate confidentially over Adara’s threats of self-harm and notify Adara’s parents to ensure her safety.
The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) sets ethical guidelines for counselors working in schools. Standard A stresses the responsibility that school counselors have for their students. Standard A.1 specifically states that counselors must assist students’ intellectual, social, and emotional growth (American School Counselor Association, 2022). This involves recognizing and appreciating the importance of kids’ parents and families in their development.
In Adara’s example, she is now experiencing major difficulties in her emotional and social development, including indicators of depression and a wish to die. Hannah, as Adara’s counselor, must develop ways to promote her social and emotional well-being. These strategies could involve assisting Adara in improving her interactions with fellow students while ensuring that her actions are sensitive to and respectful of her cultural, religious, and familial beliefs. Additionally, Standard A.2 highlights the need for confidentiality in the counselor-student relationship (American School Counselor Association, 2022).
PSYC FPX 4900 Assessment 2 An Ethical Analysis of a Case Study
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School counselors are required to respect the confidentiality of student information and conversations. However, this confidentiality must be damaged if a student is in significant danger or if there is a threat of damage to the student (American School Counselor Association, 2022b). In situations of self-harm or suicide thoughts, such as Adara’s, the counselor must disclose these concerns. Hannah is consequently forced to disclose Adara’s suicide ideas to secure her safety. Hannah could develop strategies to assist Adara deal with bullying and better her position. However, because a suicide attempt offers an immediate and substantial danger of harm, it must be reported right once.
In addition to self-harm issues, Section A.11 of the ASCA ethical standards covers bullying, harassment, and child abuse. School counselors must report any occurrences of bullying and create a safety plan for both the victim and the perpetrator (Myklestad & Straiton, 2021). This means Hannah must report the bullying Adara is receiving from other students and ensure that both Adara and the bullies are provided with proper safety strategies.
While reporting these concerns is important for Adara’s safety, it could risk Hannah’s connection with Adara and perhaps harm Adara’s contact with her fellow students. Hannah’s primary responsibility is to protect Adara’s safety and well-being, even if it means putting their counseling relationship under stress.
The National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ) publishes a code of ethics that defines the roles and duties that guide professional behavior (NAHQ, 2018). According to Ethical Code number two, healthcare quality professionals are accountable to a variety of stakeholders, including themselves, colleagues, employers, providers, purchasers, researchers, and, most crucially, healthcare beneficiaries (NAHQ, 2018). Healthcare receivers are among the most vulnerable stakeholders, and practitioners must treat them with respect and understanding while also respecting their independence and privacy.
As a school counselor, Hannah must comprehend Adara’s specific issues. She needs to show respect and understanding for Adara’s cultural and religious culture while also providing quality services that support Adara’s social and emotional development. However, meeting these ethical standards could influence Hannah and Adara’s relationship. Adara, for example, could go to a different counselor because of the pressure on their relationship, particularly if Hannah informs her parents of Adara’s suicidal intentions. Despite these difficulties, Hannah eventually works in Adara’s best interests by following moral standards, protecting her safety and well-being, and creating an atmosphere that promotes her development.
Alternative Solutions
Many professions could discover it more difficult to uphold and maintain ethical standards than they realize. Professionals can sometimes, consciously or unintentionally, break ethical standards and values. One of the issues is that certain ethical standards could not include strategies to successfully support clients from different cultures (Resnik, 2020). As educational systems become more varied, it is important to develop solutions and ethical standards that address the needs of varied populations.
Professionals could think about several different approaches to solve these issues. First, enrolling in intercultural educational training could provide professionals with the information and skills they need to appreciate and respect cultural differences, boosting their capacity to serve customers from different cultural backgrounds. Second, employing a multicultural ethical decision-making model helps professionals take cultural considerations into account when making client-related decisions. Lastly, utilizing the moral foundations theory can assist professionals in managing ethical dilemmas by taking into account the underlying ethical principles that could be at work in various cultural situations (Lai et al., 2023).
These strategies can assist bridge the gap between common ethical principles and the complexity of working in a multicultural environment, allowing professionals to provide more effective and ethical support to their clients.
Providing chances for school professionals, such as school counselors, to broaden their knowledge and understanding of diverse families and children could benefit both clients and professionals in education. Specialized training can provide school counselors with unique insights and abilities that they can apply immediately when dealing with students from varied cultural backgrounds (Sharma et al., 2023).
PSYC FPX 4900 Assessment 2 An Ethical Analysis of a Case Study
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These professionals will be more prepared to handle the particular requirements and difficulties that students from different backgrounds could face if they include intercultural training ideas and concepts in their work. This training not only improves counselors’ ability to provide culturally sensitive and competent treatment but also creates a more inclusive and supportive school climate for all children (Sharma et al., 2023).
The ethical decision-making theory divides two approaches: rationalist and non-rationalist. According to the rationalist perspective, when people encounter ethical dilemmas, they try to answer them using logical, reasonable, and planned cognitive processes (Schwartz & Kusyk, 2019). This technique entails carefully analyzing and evaluating multiple ethical principles, even if they conflict with one another. According to the moral foundation’s theory, humans have a set of feelings and ethics that implicitly impact how they understand human behavior (G.C & Corrias, 2023). This idea highlights that feeling ethics can vary significantly between cultures, which contributes to a better understanding of moral diversity.
Hannah and other school counselors could provide better educated and culturally sensitive recommendations by combining these two strategies. The rationalist method allows her to analytically analyze the various alternatives, but the moral foundations theory enables her to comprehend and respect her customers’ cultural and moral beliefs. Together, these concepts allow counselors to deliver the most effective and supportive possible treatment, customized to the specific needs of students like Adara.
Hannah could develop an action plan to successfully help Adara by including diversity training and a multicultural ethical decision-making framework. First, Hannah must comprehend the cultural differences between herself and Adara. This includes considering her own racial identity and any personal experiences with racism that could affect her attitude.
Nagy et al. (2023) underline the need for professionals to be open to investigating new solutions that stray from established procedures, particularly when working with clients who are significantly tied to their culture and religion. This approach ensures that the treatment is respectful and culturally appropriate. Second, Hannah should seek guidance from colleagues who have dealt with similar situations. These colleagues can offer significant insights and ideas to improve Hannah’s therapeutic approach with Adara. Lastly, Hannah must be prepared to discuss the potential that Adara will no longer want to keep going to therapy. Given Adara’s suicide threats, Hannah must give continuing support and ensure that she continues to participate in treatment for her own well-being.
Research
Antón-Solanas et al. (2020) did research to explore and explain the complex nature of cultural principles, as well as to improve knowledge of cultural competency and its fundamental elements in multicultural education in the United States. Kwong underlined the significance of including multicultural issues in future counselors’ programs to ensure they are well-prepared to interact with clients from varied backgrounds.
The study had 10 participants, including multicultural counselors, academic instructors, and university researchers. These participants conducted interviews to determine the key components that should be included in multicultural education to better prepare counselors for employment in a varied culture (Antón-Solanas et al., 2020).
Antón-Solanas et al. (2020) revealed that many respondents believed curriculums should be extensively assessed before implementation. The study also suggested that a multicultural curriculum should have three components: cultural knowledge development, classroom learning centered on dealing with various students, and integrated practical experience during supervision hours. This study emphasizes the relevance of intercultural education and training for psychology professionals, as it can better equip them to deal effectively with clients from various backgrounds.
Multicultural competency requires a thorough understanding of one’s own beliefs and expertise (Stubbe, 2020). According to Nilsson et al. (2020), utilizing the moral foundation theory can help a counselor understand moral diversity more effectively. Their case study method illustrated how the moral foundation’s theory can be used in a culturally appropriate manner.
The researchers discovered that counselors who used this approach to ethical or moral quandaries were more likely to widen their understanding of morality and values. Furthermore, these counselors tended to be more culturally competent, having obtained additional information and experience. According to Nilsson et al. (2020), counselors who are educated by the moral foundation theory are more prepared to understand and address their client’s needs, as well as make ethical judgments that are consistent with their client’s cultural and moral frameworks.
PSYC FPX 4900 Assessment 2 An Ethical Analysis of a Case Study
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Conclusion
School counselors can acquire ethical standards and guidelines from organizations such as the American Psychological Association (APA), the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), and the National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ). While these resources are important for helping professionals safeguard their clients and themselves, research indicates that counselors who have higher cultural competency are more effective in assisting clients from varied backgrounds.
Professionals can achieve this by continuing their education on diversity, utilizing ethical decision-making and moral foundations theories, and implementing these strategies into their practice. This approach allows counselors to make ethical decisions that reflect respect for their clients’ cultural, family, and religious beliefs. In complicated cases like Hannah and Adara’s, when concerns of self-harm and bullying are present, a counselor’s cultural competency is important for making ethically and culturally appropriate decisions. Developing cultural humility alongside competency further strengthens the counselor’s ability to build trust and rapport with diverse clients.
References
American Psychological Association. (2017). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/ethics/code
American School Counselor Association. (2022a). ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors. ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/About-School-Counseling/Ethical-Responsibilities/ASCA-Ethical-Standards-for-School-Counselors-(1)
American School Counselor Association. (2022b). The School Counselor and Confidentiality – American School Counselor Association (ASCA). Www.schoolcounselor.org. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/Standards-Positions/Position-Statements/ASCA-Position-Statements/The-School-Counselor-and-Confidentiality
Antón-Solanas, I., Coelho, M., Huércanos-Esparza, I., Vanceulebroeck, V., Kalkan, I., Cordeiro, R., Kömürkü, N., Soares-Coelho, T., Hamam-Alcober, N., Dehaes, S., Casa-Nova, A., & Sagarra-Romero, L. (2020). The Teaching and Learning Cultural Competence in a Multicultural Environment (CCMEn) Model. Nursing Reports, 10(2), 154–163. https://doi.org/10.3390/nursrep10020019
G.C, T., & Corrias, L. (2023). Moral foundations theory and the narrative self: towards an improved concept of moral selfhood for the empirical study of morality. Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences, articles. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11097-023-09918-x
Lai, D. W. L., Lee, V. W. P., & Ruan, Y. X. (2023). Perspectives towards cultural competence and receptivity to cultural competence training: a qualitative study on healthcare professionals. Primary Health Care Research & Development, 24(PMC10227466), e40. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1463423623000245
Myklestad, I., & Straiton, M. (2021). The relationship between self-harm and bullying behaviour: results from a population based study of adolescents. BMC Public Health, 21(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-10555-9
Nagy, S., Pelser, A.-M., & Vaiman, V. (2023, March). The improvement of Skills & Talents in the workplace. ResearchGate . https://www.researchgate.net/publication/369661218_The_improvement_of_Skills_Talents_in_the_workplace
NAHQ. (2018). Code of Ethics – NAHQ. Https://Nahq.org/. https://nahq.org/about-nahq/code-of-ethics/
Nilsson, A., Erlandsson, A., & Västfjäll, D. (2020). Moral Foundations Theory and the Psychology of Charitable Giving. European Journal of Personality, 34(3), 431–447. https://doi.org/10.1002/per.2256
Resnik, D. (2020, December 23). What Is Ethics in Research & Why Is It important? National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. https://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/resources/bioethics/whatis
Schwartz, M., & Kusyk, S. M. (2019). Ethical Decision-Making Theory: Revisiting the Moral Intensity Construct. Academy of Management Proceedings, 2017(1), 16266. https://doi.org/10.5465/ambpp.2017.16266abstract
Sharma, G., Yukhymenko-Lescroart, M., & Bernal-Arevalo, K. (2023). Counseling students’ experiences and interpretations of purpose development. Heliyon, 9(3), e13760. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13760
Stubbe, D. E. (2020). Practicing cultural competence and cultural humility in the care of diverse patients. Focus, 18(1), 49–51. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.focus.20190041
PSYC FPX 4900 Assessment 2 An Ethical Analysis of a Case Study
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