Professional Ethics – Do unto others ….
One of the many joys of being a licensed counselor and certified addiction counselor is that I sometimes have the privilege of being invited to supervise and/or mentor someone who is attempting to be licensed and/or certified. I do not do this often these days on a formal basis, but, at the moment, I have the honor of working with an exceptional young woman who is meeting the requirements of a supervised practicum. This morning, one of the topics we discussed after I observed her very expertly facilitating a group therapy session was ethics. We discussed the fact that it seems that in both the addiction and the counseling fields it is easy to fall into the trap of allowing fear of being accused of doing something inappropriate to be the primary guide in dealing with clients. While we are suggesting to clients that they change their relationship with fear so that it is not in charge of one’s life, we allow fear to be the chief guide in many of our professional dealing with clients. It seems that this has become particularly true in this era of social media and the era of being particularly sensitive to the temptation to be lax in how we use our position of power as counselors, teachers and others who are dependent on our help in healing or to learn. Just the other day I was talking with a good friend whose high school daughter’s teacher seemed to be expecting the student to meet his emotional needs rather than his focus being on meeting the needs of the student. That is clearly inappropriate and not helpful to the student or the teacher. Certainly, the teacher deserves to have his or her emotional needs met, but the student cannot and should not be expected to do that. The teacher needs to clearly identify his or her emotional needs and figure out a healthy plan to get them met without violating the contract with the student thereby staying in the teacher role.
Not confusing our needs with the needs of the students, clients or patients is very important for many professionals. Professional services are often sought when someone is young or otherwise in a vulnerable place in life. It is easy for a professional who does not consistently fill up their emotional, spiritual, and other personal care gas tanks to fall into the trap of attempting to get their needs met by the student, patient or client. This is often unconscious. When one does not intentionally fill up one’s personal gas tanks one will ALWAYS be vulnerable to reversing the roles with clients, students or patients.
Keeping the needs of the client, student, and patient as a priority is thus one of the primary ethical goals of the teacher or clinician.
On the other hand, in our role as teachers and clinicians we want to establish a trusting human relationship with those we teach, mentor or counsel. We want them to know that often it is not easy to do what we need to do to take care of ourselves. Some of us can be very creative in lying to ourselves and others about why we have done something or why we have not done something. This morning the person I was supervising noticed she was giving herself an excuse to not do something she had committed to do. If she noticed a client doing this she would appropriately help him or her see how they were making decisions which could easily lead to a relapse. She shared with the clients what she had discovered herself doing and in so doing earned another level of trust with the clients. She also provided a mirror for the clients who saw their own behavior reflected in her. Allowing them to see that even the counselors have to be vigilant was very helpful. Clearly the need of the clients was being served with this modeling behavior. It will be easy for her to document this decision in her clinical notes.
The counselor brought up another issue when I was meeting with her privately. Is it ever ethical to accept the friendship request of clients on Facebook. I maintain that it is. This then limits what the teacher or clinician can put on Facebook. In my case I have a professional and personal Facebook page but I treat them both as professional meaning I do not post anything personal on them that would be inappropriate to share with clients or students. I do post a copy of my daily blog which is also available on my professional web page. If clients or students choose to use personal messaging on Facebook I remind them that even the Pentagon or White house can be hacked. Thus, I suggest that they do not put anything on Facebook or other social media that they would not want published on the front page of the local newspaper. Of course, the same applies to the professional.
I do not think it is helpful to have pages and pages of ethical guidelines for any professional. I remind myself and those I mentor, teach or supervise of the following:
1. Remember that the professional has the position of power and the client, patient, student is vulnerable.
2. Treat clients, students, patients the way you want to be treated when you are in that position. If one is seeing a doctor, counselor or teacher one is not engaging a prostitute or even hired companion.
3. If in doubt about some behavior, do not do it.
4. Have a trusted colleague who is your mentor or supervisor to whom you give the power to have the final say regarding a potential behavior/action.
5. Listen to clients, students, patients who will generally let you know if some behavior feels inappropriate. Remember that what feels inappropriate for one person may not for another. Some individuals will feel exceptionally vulnerable and need very clear and solid boundaries. (I recall a woman who felt so vulnerable that she needed to think the psychiatrist she was seeing was rock solid. When the doctor sneezed the patient almost fell apart. I am not suggesting that the professional refrain from sneezing but it is a good example of how vulnerable a person can feel.)
6. If one is uncomfortable with a written record of one’s behavior with a client, student, patient than refrain from doing that behavior.
7. Do not be afraid to own one’s behavior and apologize when some behavior crosses a line for a particular student, patient, client.
These are the essentials of ethical guidelines. Of course, one also needs to be aware of local and state laws and to be sure that the student, client, or patient is aware of them. For example, if one knows or suspects that a child is being abused one is, in most places, legally require to report it.
I am reminded of one of the oft quoted maxims of the 12-step program – “Keep it simple stupid.” We may want to just use the first part – “Keep it simple.” and forget the “stupid” but one says this in a way that one is always talking to oneself. After all, the student is the teacher and the teacher is the student.
Written January 3, 2016
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One of the many joys of being a licensed counselor and certified addiction counselor is that I sometimes have the privilege of being invited to supervise and/or mentor someone who is attempting to be licensed and/or certified. I do not do this often these days on a formal basis, but, at the moment, I have the honor of working with an exceptional young woman who is meeting the requirements of a supervised practicum. This morning, one of the topics we discussed after I observed her very expertly facilitating a group therapy session was ethics. We discussed the fact that it seems that in both the addiction and the counseling fields it is easy to fall into the trap of allowing fear of being accused of doing something inappropriate to be the primary guide in dealing with clients. While we are suggesting to clients that they change their relationship with fear so that it is not in charge of one’s life, we allow fear to be the chief guide in many of our professional dealing with clients. It seems that this has become particularly true in this era of social media and the era of being particularly sensitive to the temptation to be lax in how we use our position of power as counselors, teachers and others who are dependent on our help in healing or to learn. Just the other day I was talking with a good friend whose high school daughter’s teacher seemed to be expecting the student to meet his emotional needs rather than his focus being on meeting the needs of the student. That is clearly inappropriate and not helpful to the student or the teacher. Certainly, the teacher deserves to have his or her emotional needs met, but the student cannot and should not be expected to do that. The teacher needs to clearly identify his or her emotional needs and figure out a healthy plan to get them met without violating the contract with the student thereby staying in the teacher role.
Not confusing our needs with the needs of the students, clients or patients is very important for many professionals. Professional services are often sought when someone is young or otherwise in a vulnerable place in life. It is easy for a professional who does not consistently fill up their emotional, spiritual, and other personal care gas tanks to fall into the trap of attempting to get their needs met by the student, patient or client. This is often unconscious. When one does not intentionally fill up one’s personal gas tanks one will ALWAYS be vulnerable to reversing the roles with clients, students or patients.
Keeping the needs of the client, student, and patient as a priority is thus one of the primary ethical goals of the teacher or clinician.
On the other hand, in our role as teachers and clinicians we want to establish a trusting human relationship with those we teach, mentor or counsel. We want them to know that often it is not easy to do what we need to do to take care of ourselves. Some of us can be very creative in lying to ourselves and others about why we have done something or why we have not done something. This morning the person I was supervising noticed she was giving herself an excuse to not do something she had committed to do. If she noticed a client doing this she would appropriately help him or her see how they were making decisions which could easily lead to a relapse. She shared with the clients what she had discovered herself doing and in so doing earned another level of trust with the clients. She also provided a mirror for the clients who saw their own behavior reflected in her. Allowing them to see that even the counselors have to be vigilant was very helpful. Clearly the need of the clients was being served with this modeling behavior. It will be easy for her to document this decision in her clinical notes.
The counselor brought up another issue when I was meeting with her privately. Is it ever ethical to accept the friendship request of clients on Facebook. I maintain that it is. This then limits what the teacher or clinician can put on Facebook. In my case I have a professional and personal Facebook page but I treat them both as professional meaning I do not post anything personal on them that would be inappropriate to share with clients or students. I do post a copy of my daily blog which is also available on my professional web page. If clients or students choose to use personal messaging on Facebook I remind them that even the Pentagon or White house can be hacked. Thus, I suggest that they do not put anything on Facebook or other social media that they would not want published on the front page of the local newspaper. Of course, the same applies to the professional.
I do not think it is helpful to have pages and pages of ethical guidelines for any professional. I remind myself and those I mentor, teach or supervise of the following:
1. Remember that the professional has the position of power and the client, patient, student is vulnerable.
2. Treat clients, students, patients the way you want to be treated when you are in that position. If one is seeing a doctor, counselor or teacher one is not engaging a prostitute or even hired companion.
3. If in doubt about some behavior, do not do it.
4. Have a trusted colleague who is your mentor or supervisor to whom you give the power to have the final say regarding a potential behavior/action.
5. Listen to clients, students, patients who will generally let you know if some behavior feels inappropriate. Remember that what feels inappropriate for one person may not for another. Some individuals will feel exceptionally vulnerable and need very clear and solid boundaries. (I recall a woman who felt so vulnerable that she needed to think the psychiatrist she was seeing was rock solid. When the doctor sneezed the patient almost fell apart. I am not suggesting that the professional refrain from sneezing but it is a good example of how vulnerable a person can feel.)
6. If one is uncomfortable with a written record of one’s behavior with a client, student, patient than refrain from doing that behavior.
7. Do not be afraid to own one’s behavior and apologize when some behavior crosses a line for a particular student, patient, client.
These are the essentials of ethical guidelines. Of course, one also needs to be aware of local and state laws and to be sure that the student, client, or patient is aware of them. For example, if one knows or suspects that a child is being abused one is, in most places, legally require to report it.
I am reminded of one of the oft quoted maxims of the 12-step program – “Keep it simple stupid.” We may want to just use the first part – “Keep it simple.” and forget the “stupid” but one says this in a way that one is always talking to oneself. After all, the student is the teacher and the teacher is the student.
Written January 3, 2016
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