This week we are looking at ethics in counselling, in particular, how to apply an understanding of an ethical framework to counselling practise sessions. This combines the two aspects of counselling that I feel are my weak areas: ethics and skills practises. Seeing as we are still in lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, we cannot actually do skills practise, so I will endeavour to do what I can in this piece of work, and then transfer what I have learnt into a roleplay if or when we do meet up as a class once again. Actually, Reginald was thinking of doing the recorded roleplay session over Skype, so I could apply an understanding of an ethical framework in that skills practise.
Ethics are what people use to distinguish from right and wrong in the ways that they interact with the world. Defining good and evil is a tricky matter, and can be incredibly subjective – what one person sees as noble can seem cowardly to another. An ethical framework is a set of codes that an individual uses to guide his or her behaviour. For today’s work, I will be referencing the Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions that is written and published by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (or the BACP for short). This ethical framework informs professional counselling practise by essentially being a guide book on how to conduct yourself as a counsellor if you want to be a member of the BACP. It is intended to assist practitioners by directing attention to the variety of ethical factors that may need to be taken into consideration as a counsellor, and to identify alternative ways of approaching ethics that may prove more useful. The BACP states that it is better to work the ethical framework into your practise, which will help you face challenges and issues, rather than just turning to it if something goes wrong.
I think it’s good to have an ethical framework like this, as it really helps define what a professional counsellor should be, how they should behave with clients, and what standards they should strive to hold themselves to. I also like how the BACP has an ethics hotline for their members if they are experiencing an ethical quandary – they have also just launched an ethics hub on their website as well. They also have a wide range of resources called “Good Practise in Action”, which are based on the latest research and evidence, and they are reviewed by member-led focus groups and experts in the field. These resources range from e—learning modules about how to make ethical decisions using the 12-step method, to pamphlets describing best practise with subjects like suicide and substance abuse, and fact sheets about ethics. These are only available for members of the BACP.
The BACP’s Ethical Framework is very comprehensive. In terms of what is required and what is recommended, I don’t think anything is merely recommended. It all strikes me as being required, especially as in the introduction it states:
All BACP members must work in accordance with the Ethical Framework. You commit to complying with the Framework when you join or renew your membership and it is the main point of reference for decisions in professional conduct hearings.
Taking that quote into consideration, if you want to be a member of the BACP, you are required to follow the ethical framework. I don’t necessarily think this is a bad thing, as the framework is robust but flexible, and any counsellor would do well to allow it to inform their practise.
I think that one way to demonstrate an understanding of how ethical practise is evident in a roleplay session would be to lean into the thirteen personal qualities to which members are strongly encouraged to aspire to (Page 10 > Ethics > Personal moral qualities > 12). I think that these qualities (candour, care, courage, diligence, empathy, fairness, humility, identity, integrity, resilience, respect, sincerity and wisdom) would greatly influence the therapeutic relationship and its development because they represent a good, moral energy. I would feel safe in a therapy room with a counsellor that demonstrated these traits, even if I only picked up on them unconsciously. Endeavouring to embody these qualities in your day to day life and being mindful of them helps them become a more natural and congruent part of your way of being.
Robust, comprehensive contracting and the setting of expectations at the start of the counselling relationship is also a way of demonstrating this understanding, as is safeguarding. It is mentioned that in exceptional circumstances the need to safeguard a client or others from serious harm may require a counsellor to over-ride their commitment to making their clients wishes and confidentiality their primary concern (Page 13 > Good Practise > Putting clients first > 10). This makes sense, as the physical and psychological safety of humans must come first.
Another way is to be appropriate with communication between sessions – maintaining a professional relationship means keeping the discussion of the client’s issues to the counselling room. It may be tempting to reply to a lengthy email that a client sent to you, but it would be more professional to wait until your next session and use it as a jumping on point. Expressing other boundaries such as limits of proficiency is also very important, as it maintains the integrity of the therapeutic relationship.
I will make a note to demonstrate these understandings in my recorded roleplay session.
