RIGHTS, RESPONSIBILITIES, AND
ACCOUNTABILITIES OF
COUNSELORS
Counselors play an
indispensable role in the
development of individuals and
in shaping communities. In their
role, they are often responsible
for cultivating and maintaining
relationships, monitoring client’s
well-being, and working with
different cultural values and
confidential information.
As registered and licensed
professionals, counselors are protected.
They are governed by scientific
theories, practices, and processes as
well as professional standards and
ethics.
They are responsible for the
practice of their profession in
accordance with their mandates and
professional guidelines and ethics. They
are accountable to their clients, the
professional body, and the government.
Code of ethics help counselors to remind them of
their rights, responsibilities, and accountabilities in
the counseling profession. The rights,
responsibilities and accountabilities of the
counselors are based on the counselor’s
associations of Code of Conduct. The code of ethics
of the counselors is divided into seven sections,
namely;
1) counseling relationship
2) confidentiality
3) professional responsibility
4) relationships
with other professional
5) evaluation, assessment, and interpretation
6) teaching, training and supervision
7) research and publication. (Gladding, 2000).
However, three (3) of the seven areas
will be presented namely: counseling
relationships, confidentiality, and
professional responsibility. The
following descriptions provide a sample
code of ethics of the American
Counseling Association
The Counseling
Relationships.
Counselors always seek the clients’
rights and welfare, respect their
diversity, and must be aware of their
values, attitudes and needs. Also,
counselors do not accept as superiors
or subordinates’ clients.
Counselors should not have any type of
sexual intimacies with clients and not
to counsel persons with whom they
have a sexual relationship. They should
not engage with sexual intimacies with
their former clients within a minimum
of two years.
They can also work with multiple
clients or do group counselling but
must take precautions to protect
clients. Prior to entering the
counselling relationship, the counselors
should clearly explain to the clients all
the financial arrangements related to
professional fees
Confidentiality
Counselors respect the client’s rights to
privacyand avoid illegal and unwarranted
disclosures of unwarranted information. The
right to privacy may be waived by the client
or their legally recognized representative.
The general requirement that the counselors
keep the information confidential does not
apply when disclosure is required to prevent
clear and imminent danger to the client or
others or when legal requirements demand
their confidential information be revealed.
Confidentiality
In group work, counselors clearly define
confidentiality and parameters, explain its
importance and discuss difficulties related
to confidentiality. Moreover, when clients
are minor or individuals who are unable to
give voluntary informed consent, parents or
guardians may be included in the
counselling process as appropriate.
Counselors are also responsible for
securing safety and confidentiality of any
counselling record.
Professional
Responsibility.
Counselors have a responsibility to
read, understand and follow the Code
of Ethics and Standards of Practice.
They practice only within the
boundaries of their competence
FOUR ETHICAL
PRINCIPLES
Principle 1. Respect for the rights
and dignity of the client
Principle 2: Competence
Principle 3: Responsibility
Principle 4: Integrity
Principle 1. Respect for the
rights and dignity of the client
Guidance counselors honor and promote
the fundamental rights, moral and cultural
values, dignity, and worth of clients.
They respect clients’ rights to privacy,
confidentiality, self-determination and
autonomy, consistent with the law. As far
as possible, they ensure that the client
understands and consents to whatever
professional action they propose.
Principle 2: Competence
Guidance counselors maintain and
update their professional skills. They
recognize the limits of their expertise,
engage in self-care, and seek support
and
supervision to maintain the standard of
their work. They offer only those services
for
which they are qualified by education,
training, and experience
Principle 3: Responsibility
Guidance counselors are aware of their
professional responsibility to act in a
trustworthy, reputable, and accountable
manner toward clients, colleagues, and
the community in which they work and
live. They avoid doing harm, take
responsibility for their professional
actions, and adopt a systematic approach
to resolving ethical
dilemmas
Principle 4: Integrity
Guidance counselors seek to promote
integrity in their practice. They represent
themselves accurately and treat others
with honesty, straightforwardness, and
fairness.
They deal actively with conflicts of
interest, avoid exploiting others, and are
alert to
inappropriate behavior on the part of
colleagues.
Many other similar codes exist with the same
expectations for ethical conduct.
The fundamental principles include the following:
• Respecting human rights and dignity
• Respect for the client’s right to be self-governing
• A commitment to promoting the client’s well-being
• Fostering responsible caring
• Fair treatment of all clients and the provision of adequate
services
• Equal opportunity to clients availing counseling services
• Ensuring the integrity of a practitioner-client relationship
• Fostering the practitioner’s self-knowledge and care for
self
• Enhancing the quality of professional knowledge and its
application
• Responsibility to the society
The Code of Ethics serves as a guideline
for professional counselors, as well as
basis on which to process complaints and
ethical concerns against counselors.
Ethics
are important in counselling, as they are
a means to protect the welfare of the
client and counselors by clearly outlining
what is appropriate.
Using the given situations below,
complete the chart by CHOOSING
whether to Quit the Job, or Stay on the
Job. Explain the reason/s why you chose
to quit or stay on the job. Which is more
ETHICAL? Why is it
more ETHICAL?
In the area of counseling relationships of
Code of Ethics, it states that,
“Counselors should not have any
serious relationship with clients and
do not counsel
person with whom they have
intimate relationship. Counselor
should not also engage in any form
of intimacies with former client
within a minimum of two years.”
SITUATION: What if you are a counselor
and you have fallen in love with your
client and your client also fallen in love
with you. Since, it is unethical to pursue
on the relationship; you have to quit your
job. Your job is also important to you.
Now, what will
be your decision?
Will I Report My Client or
Not?
In the area of confidentiality of the Code
of Ethics, there is a portion on client’s
right to privacy. What if the counselor, in
his/her conversationwith the client, found
out that the client accidentally killed a
person, will you report the client to police
or not? Explain your answer. Use the
space provided below
for your answer.
If given a chance to work as a
counselor, do you think it will
be easy for you to follow and
distinguish between the ethical
and unethical behaviours
of a counselor?
