Interview of Counseling Professional regarding an Ethical Dilemma
“Working with clients requires recognition of the intricate and ambiguous nature of the counseling relationship. Achieving ethical awareness is a dynamic and evolving process. Ethical dilemmas are complex and multifaceted. Direct exposure to people working in the field may enhance your understanding of actual ethical dilemmas.
This paper requires contacting a counseling professional in your community and conducting a face-to-face interview about an ethical dilemma they have faced, writing a summary of the interview, and evaluating the ethical dilemma as if you were faced with the situation yourself.
To locate an interviewee, contact a licensed professional in a hospital psychiatric unit, a community mental health center, a university counseling service, a private practice, or another professional mental health agency.
After arranging the interview, prepare a list of questions to ask the interviewee. Open your interview by asking “What is the most difficult ethical dilemma you have faced in your work with clients?” Direct the remainder of the interview questions toward understanding the interviewee’s perceptions and experiences of this specific ethical situation.
Writing the reports:
For each report, write a six to eight page paper including the following elements:
1. A list of your interview questions
2. A brief description of the interviewee and your reasons for selecting him/her
3. A summary of the ethical dilemma/situation(s).
4. A reference to the relevant standard(s) of practice from the ACA Code of Ethics.
5. An integration of the personal and professional relevance of the ethical situation by placing yourself in the situation and applying an approved ethical decision-making model.
6. Reference page.