Abortion Ethical Dilemmas
Running head: WHAT COUNSELORS NEED TO ETHICALLY CONSIDER IN
What Counselors Need to Ethically Consider in Working with Clients Considering Abortion
Jenna Schmidt
St. Cloud State University
Abstract
Counselors have to deal with many important issues within their career. People dealing with abortion could be possible clients. It is important for counselors to keep their personal feelings and beliefs aside and relay all relevant information about abortion to their client. Abortion issues can be discussed within the framework of five ethical principles of autonomy, fidelity, justice, beneficence, and nonmaleficence. Various ethical decision-making models and self-examinations within the context of both personal …show more content…
Welfel (2006) defines fidelity as dealing “with faithfulness to promises made and to the truth” (p. 36), which in essence can be referred to as truthfulness within a relationship. Fidelity implies protections of the client’s interests. Section B regarding confidentiality in the ACA Code of Ethics (2005) specifies that the confidentiality of a client may be violated when there is believed to be a clear and imminent danger to the client or others. Counselors in the U.S. are required by Section B.2.a., in the ACA Code of Ethics, to only violate confidentiality of a client and warn an intended victim when a client poses a threat to self or another. A counselor can debate this and breech confidentiality to fulfill not only an ethical but moral obligation. Because this ethical reasoning is contradictory, one might apply the utilitarian principle, which is finding the greatest balance of good. If a counselor were to breech confidentiality in a case like this, there would be a number of serious and undesirable consequences. The client could experience increased distress; others involved intimately with her could also experience increased distress, possible legal action against the counselor for malpractice and even licensure …show more content…
Various ethical decision-making models are available as aids in resolving conflict situations. By using a decision-making model, a counselor should be better able to offer a professional explanation for the course of action that was taken. Self-examination within the context of both personal values and use of the principles of autonomy, fidelity, justice, beneficence, and nonmaleficence can generate discussion and problem solving abilities for counselors. Because universality, as identified by Yalom (2005), is seen to be healing, it is the hope that counselors will be encouraged to know that others struggle with abortion
What Counselors Need to Ethically Consider in Working with Clients Considering Abortion
Jenna Schmidt
St. Cloud State University
Abstract
Counselors have to deal with many important issues within their career. People dealing with abortion could be possible clients. It is important for counselors to keep their personal feelings and beliefs aside and relay all relevant information about abortion to their client. Abortion issues can be discussed within the framework of five ethical principles of autonomy, fidelity, justice, beneficence, and nonmaleficence. Various ethical decision-making models and self-examinations within the context of both personal …show more content…
Welfel (2006) defines fidelity as dealing “with faithfulness to promises made and to the truth” (p. 36), which in essence can be referred to as truthfulness within a relationship. Fidelity implies protections of the client’s interests. Section B regarding confidentiality in the ACA Code of Ethics (2005) specifies that the confidentiality of a client may be violated when there is believed to be a clear and imminent danger to the client or others. Counselors in the U.S. are required by Section B.2.a., in the ACA Code of Ethics, to only violate confidentiality of a client and warn an intended victim when a client poses a threat to self or another. A counselor can debate this and breech confidentiality to fulfill not only an ethical but moral obligation. Because this ethical reasoning is contradictory, one might apply the utilitarian principle, which is finding the greatest balance of good. If a counselor were to breech confidentiality in a case like this, there would be a number of serious and undesirable consequences. The client could experience increased distress; others involved intimately with her could also experience increased distress, possible legal action against the counselor for malpractice and even licensure …show more content…
Various ethical decision-making models are available as aids in resolving conflict situations. By using a decision-making model, a counselor should be better able to offer a professional explanation for the course of action that was taken. Self-examination within the context of both personal values and use of the principles of autonomy, fidelity, justice, beneficence, and nonmaleficence can generate discussion and problem solving abilities for counselors. Because universality, as identified by Yalom (2005), is seen to be healing, it is the hope that counselors will be encouraged to know that others struggle with abortion