Ethical Decision Challenges Written Laws

Running head: Ethical Decision Challenges
6.






Ethical Decision Challenges Interpersonal Cultural/Religious Beliefs
Gregory Nabel
University of Rockies














Ethical Decision Challenges
6.

Abstract
Competence can be challenging when there are differences stemming from core
beliefs in light of cultural and religious ideologies. A psychologist is
respected by others as someone who can help overcome personal conflicting
ideas. For example, when personal concerns inhibit job performance or
socialization, going to a psychologist can bring new views for
understanding and finding resolutions to these concerns for the
enhancement of self and those around. When in the course of discovering
that personal beliefs (psychologist) differ from another (client), the
mission of the psychologist is to resolve the clients concerns solely based
on the clients beliefs and not of the psychologists personal beliefs. Here
lies the challenge of the psychologist in their performance of their duties
to be; competent, responsible and accountable to their own profession and
the ethical guidelines subscribed too.











Ethical Decision Challenges
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Ethical Decision Challenges Interpersonal Cultural/Religious Beliefs
Being objective to problems from others is the role of the
psychologist. The ability to have the client feel comfortable (in
discussing their concerns) is exhibited by the reinsurance of the
psychologist's knowledge, ethics, trust and confidentiality. When during
the course of treatments, the client reveals their inner feelings (that are
suppressed from others due to personal reasons) the psychologist is there
to help find resolution in peace of mind for the client. The psychologist's
main responsibility is to protect and serve the rights of their client from
any manner of harm. The ethical principle of being beneficent and being non-
maleficence is one of the tenants or doctrines the psychologist adheres to
in accordance with APA codes 3.04, "Avoiding Harm" (Decoding the Ethics
Code, Fisher, 2009, p.95). During the session, a clients personal beliefs
may contradict the psychologist's personal belief due to cultural or
religious beliefs. The psychologist objectivity can maintain competence for
the clients resolutions to their problems. However, if the psychologist
becomes offended by their clients beliefs and is not objective, the
differences will mainstream as subjective counseling techniques (which are
anterior to the clients well-being) based on the psychologist's own
beliefs. The client's beliefs are to be acknowledged and respected -unless
there is imminent harm to self or others, according to APA, "Providing
Services in Emergencies"; 3.09. In the scenario of different beliefs
inhibit proper objective counseling, problems can cause the client to think
the counselors therapy was correct . Afterward more problems occur from the
original issues additional to the contradictory counseling from the
counselors contrary to the client's beliefs. In APA standards, 2.01(b)
"Boundaries of Competence", familiarization is vital to differences of;
"[...] age, gender, gender identity, race, ethnicity, culture, national
origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, language, or
socioeconomic status"( Fisher. C., 2009, p.71).
Ethical Decision Challenges
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Observations and knowledge (of laws made for and by the people) are
reflective that people want to live happily. Psychological principles
evolve from societal bonding with legislative laws reflecting beliefs
streaming from experiences and visions of the propensity to live happy.
Within these laws include tools responsible in the continuous matrix
interwoven for progressing society and the individual. Six guiding
principles make a foundation of values and morals that individuals consort
in their endeavor of providing progressive harmony of others and self
simultaneously. A synergistic societal relationship, built upon vision and
expertise adaptively create a proactive society concerned with presiding
issues, problems and differences of each other. These values and morals are
basic to social interaction and resolution of differences forming ethical
standards and codes to be guided by. Corey, G., Corey M., and Callahan,
P., discuss these concerns as; autonomy, non-maleficence, beneficence,
justice, fidelity and veracity, as basic "[…] principles and the related
ethical standards […] dealing with culturally diverse populations" (Issues
& Ethics, 2011, p.19). The ability to understand and find resolutions are
from training the professional to help their client understand their
abilities and instill awareness and confidence. Differences of cultures
impede this process but ethical guidelines can find resolution to these
problems. In an article from, "Identification and Measurement of Core
Competencies in Professional Psychology", the authors write that training
to know other cultures is by first being aware of self to help others. They
state:
[…] training, such as reflection and awareness [...]self-care,
development of a professional identity, […] effective interpersonal
and relationship-building skills. Moreover, […] including performing
[…] with individually and culturally diverse populations (foundational
competencies), and possessing consultation and management-
administration knowledge (functional competencies). (Donovan, R., &
Ponce, A. (2009).
Ethical Decision Challenges
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The codes and guidelines psychologist subscribe to enlist various
options that benchmark scenarios a counselor needs to be familial with. APA
standards code; 1.04 "Informal Resolution of Ethical Violations, 2.01(b),
"Familiarity with Professional and Scientific Knowledge", instills the
appropriate skills and knowing when to refrain and to refer to others for
the betterment of client and counselor respectively. That when in doubt it
would be best for the counselor to refrain from any further counseling and
refer their client to another with due speed but with being empathetic to
their clients needs and anxieties of changes as necessary. The APA codes of
3.01 "Unfair Discrimination"; 3.03 "Other Harassment"; and 3.04 "Avoiding
Harm", assist and help the psychologist to guide themselves to enable their
client and avoid any problems due to unprofessional or negligent services.
During the course of interaction with a client who subscribes to
different beliefs, it's not the counselors role to alter those beliefs but
to enable the client to see the differences from others as well as being
fair that all persons have their own beliefs and the rights to act
accommodatingly unless harm is imminent. Whether the client has issues or
the counselor has issues, both need to understand that the differences are
part of the growth incorporated in the maturing of basic fundamentals of
living together harmoniously. That the instilling of foreign doctrines and
beliefs that are not conducive to societal harmony is being negatively to
each other in the forms of bigotries, segregation and prejudicial ways.
Implications are interrelation between counseling techniques, client
reactions and integration of those techniques to others. What is learn from
the psychologist and put into practice by the client can be rewarding or
defeating in their behavioral actions of self to others. The interactions
between professional and client can administer overwhelming scenarios
causing unhealthy or harmful actions from the client by the counseling. The
counselor needs to be objective and understanding from the clients
perspective. Although the
Ethical Decision Challenges
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client may be singularly biased in their views or if the counselor is
biased in their views it is the counselor who is accountable to the
organizational standards and licensing directives that were prescribed to.
The client has the ability to file a complaint of incompetence, neglect or
dereliction/conscious neglect of responsibilities of the APA standards
administer to.



















Ethical Decision Challenges
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References
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