Question

For case Review #3, you should rely heavily on Section F of the ACA Code of Ethics. There are a few other potential aspects in other section(s), But Section F is important. Please read the case and answer the questions:

Case Review # 3 Counseling Role-playing

In a graduate counseling pre-practicum laboratory class, graduate students practice their skills by role-playing as “counselor” and “client”. The instructions are for the student who is serving as the client to either make-up a situation and role play it or use a real situation in their life. No one is to ask if the situation is real or not. The assumption is the “problem” is made up. Students are encouraged to make the situation as authentic as possible so their fellow-students get the best possible training opportunity. Other students in the practicum class and the professor observe the role-play live and provide feedback to the student who is serving as the “counselor”.

In a session early in the semester, a student serving as the “client” begins to discuss issues regarding a divorce, which are extremely painful for her. She is soon in tears, and it seems clear that the student is not role-playing. The other students and the professor do not comment on the situation to the “client” and do provide feedback to her student/“counselor” concerning how to handle the situation in the next session. No one suggests that the issue should not be discussed further by the “client”. Plans are formulated regarding the next counseling session to further explore this issue with the “client”.

Answer the Following Questions:

1. Identify 3 major moral principles that are involved in the case? Briefly describe how they are involved.

2. Identify 7 to 10 standards of the ACA ethical code (Use the ACA 2014 Code of Ethics) that are involved in the case? Give the ACA Code Standard number and a brief description of how it is involved.

3. What practices or procedures, which if in place, might eliminate or mitigate the ethical dilemma?

4. Given the current situation, what course of action would you recommend for the counselor to implement?

Answer 1

1. The 3 major moral principles that are involved in the given case are:

• Confidentiality: As per the rules in the role play any issue that is showcase is assumed as a made up "problem". So in this case though the "client" seemed to be conveying a real issue,they are masked my saying it is made up issue thus protecting the client"s confidentiality about the issue.
• Respect for the 'client' : The client was not asked any further questions or comment upon by the 'supervisors' so as to respect the 'client' emotions and situation.
• Supporting the' counselor' : the student or the 'counselor' is helped by the 'supervisors' to how to handle the case in the other session. They gave feedback for handling such type of cases without hurting anyone's sentiments.

2. The ACA Ethical Code that are involved in this case are

• F.2.a - Supervisor Preparation- Before the supervision process the supervisor is provided with training and ethics so that they can guide the supervisee. In this case the other students in the practicum class and the professors is involved . They are already trained so that they can guide the pre-praticulum students.
• F.5.a - Ethical Responsibilities - The Students and the supervisee are understood with the ACA code of ethics before providing the service to the clients. In this case the students have been trained with their ethical roles and they are here to practice their skills.
• F.6.a - Evaluation - Supervisors documents and provide the feedback based on the performance of the counselor. The students and the professors understood the performance of the 'counselor' and provided feedback so as to deal with the issue.
• F.7.a - Counselor Educators - These are the individual who implement, develop and help the supervisee to provide their duty in a responsible manner and make them understand their ethical responsibility. Here the students and the professors of the praticulum class is playing the role of supervisors. They are educated properly so that they are able to provide a meaningful feedback to the 'counselor' .
• F.7.f - Use of Case Examples - The client,student or supervisee can use any case example to convey any concepts in a a classroom setting or a lecture. In this case the students are allowed to use a made up story or a real life story only if they agree with it without hurting the sentiments of others.
• F.7.d - Integration of study and practise - An improved education and training programs are establishes to improve the integrity of the academic study. Tn the given case the role play is a part of the academic study so as to understand the skills of the students and to give them a seek peek to the real life counselor-client situation.
• F.7.g - Student-to-Student Supervision and Instruction - The students play role of the counselor educators or the supervisors so as to provide feedback to the other students who are playing the role of the counselor or the client. The students understand their responsibility as a counselor educator. Here the students of the praticulum class act as the counselor educator without compromising the rights of a students with their peers are playing the role play.

3. The practices that helps to eliminate or migrate the ethical dilemma in the case is to consult with the counselor educator for a feedback when they are in the crisis. Try to maintain the confidentiality to protect the sentiments of the 'client' and try to understand more about the concerning situation when the 'client' is willing to open up. The practices are advocated in the next counselling section so that the 'counselor' can study further about the issue as well as the' client' will be in better state of mind.

4. The practices will be advocated in the next session. The counselor should maintain the confidentiality of the issue. The 'client' should be allowed to cry it out because that can help to maintain the emotional balance. More details regrading the case will be asked to understand it in a deep way. The' client' should be provided with the confidence that the counselor is here to solve their mental issue and can help the person out of this. So the counselor should be friendly and gentle with the 'client'.As this is a issue related with a relationship it can highly effect the mental statement of the individual and her/his behaviour with the other future relationships.