Deck 3: Ethical Issues in Counseling Practice

Question 1

Which of the following statements is not true about guidelines for ethical practice in counseling and psychotherapy?

A)Most professional organizations provide broad guidelines.
B)Therapists ultimately have to discover their own guidelines for reasonable practice.
C)Practitioners are free to formulate any ethics they choose.
D)Ethical issues should be periodically reexamined throughout your professional life.
E)There are differences of opinion among practitioners about how ethical guidelines apply to certain situations.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Assessment is a useful method of:

A)evaluating a client's current level of functioning.
B)forming a case conceptualization.
C)involving the client as an active participant in treatment.
D)gaining insight into the client's subjective world.
E)all of these.

Answer 2

E

Question 3

Under what circumstances should a therapist consult with colleagues or specialists?

A)when a client complains of physical symptoms
B)when facing an ethical problem
C)when working with a client for an extended period of time and losing objectivity
D)all of these

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Marcus,a therapist in a community agency,recently divorced his wife and seems to be harboring anger towards women in general.His colleagues,who have noticed a change in his attitude and behavior lately,have encouraged him to seek personal counseling to work through his issues.They are:

A)overreacting to his anger and are overstepping the boundaries by suggesting he go to counseling.
B)unwise to suggest counseling since he will not benefit from it because he is a therapist and already knows how to deal with his problems.
C)acting ethically by recommending counseling for Marcus; as counselors,they recognize that personal issues that have not been worked through are likely to be projected onto clients.
D)being unsupportive colleagues; since they are aware of his situation,they should offer to provide counseling to him and not refer him to a professional outside of the agency.

Question 5

Confidentiality must be breached and information must be reported by practitioners when:

A)clients pose a danger to others.
B)a child under the age of 16 is the victim of incest,rape,or child abuse.
C)an older adult is being abused.
D)the therapist determines that the client needs immediate,involuntary hospitalization.
E)all of these

Question 6

Contemporary therapy approaches are grounded on a core set of values,which are neither value-neutral nor applicable to all cultures.

Question 7

Privileged communication does not apply to

A)group counseling
B)couples counseling
C)family therapy
D)child and adolescent therapy
E)all of these.

Question 8

Many ethical codes state that dual or multiple relationships:

A)should be avoided whenever possible.
B)are clearly grounds for revocation of one's professional license.
C)are helpful in case of counseling one's friends or relatives.
D)are impossible to avoid.
E)always result in serious harm to the client.

Question 9

A diagnosis provides a working hypothesis that guides the practitioner in understanding the client.

Question 10

During her sessions,Justine questions whether she is trying to meet her clients' needs or her own needs.Justine is:

A)being overly analytical.
B)engaging in meaningful self-reflection and self-assessment as a professional.
C)self-absorbed and insecure.
D)behaving unethically since she is preoccupied during her clients' sessions.

Question 11

Overemphasizing cultural differences is always appropriate in a counseling context.

Question 12

According to the text,the challenge of providing informed consent consists of:

A)telling clients about the nature of confidentiality.
B)striking a balance between giving clients too much and too little information about the therapeutic process.
C)convincing clients that counselors know what they are doing.
D)teaching clients about state laws that pertain to counseling.
E)getting clients to read the ethical codes of the profession.

Question 13

Clients have a right to be informed about:

A)their therapist's qualifications.
B)the general goals of counseling.
C)the approximate length of the therapeutic process.
D)all of these

Question 14

It is optional for therapists to inform their clients that they may discuss certain details of the relationship with a supervisor or a colleague.

Question 15

Both feminist therapists and postmodern therapists tend to view diagnosis as it is traditionally done:

A)as an appropriate part of counseling sessions.
B)as generally helpful to women clients.
C)as an essential part of the medical model they follow.
D)as often oppressive and ignoring of societal contexts.

Question 16

According to the text,positive ethics is a practice in which counselors:

A)do what is mandated by professional standards.
B)base their ethical decisions on what is best for their clients rather than minimum standards of care.
C)strive for the highest level of ethical practice.
D)strictly adhere to lengthy ethics codes,even if this is not in the client's best interest.

Question 17

In becoming an ethical practitioner,a crucial task is to:

A)learn how to arrive at clear-cut answers for difficult situations.
B)identify a specific ethical code as the source of answers to ethical dilemmas.
C)learn how to interpret and apply ethical codes to an ethical dilemma.
D)avoid making any mistakes in counseling practice.
E)discover the correct solution for every ethical dilemma that might arise.

Question 18

Confidentiality can be considered an absolute.

Question 19

__________________ is the view of ethical practice that deals with the minimum level of professional practice.

A)Mandatory ethics
B)Minimal ethics
C)Positive ethics
D)Aspirational ethics

Question 20

Evidenced-based practices are not:

A)based on psychodynamic principles.
B)tailored to address specific problems and symptoms.
C)founded on empirical research.
D)generally time limited.

Question 21

The only setting in which one might be forced to manage multiple roles is in community mental health centers.

Question 22

If you are successful in establishing boundaries in various aspects of your personal life,you have a good foundation for creating sound boundaries with clients.

Question 23

Clinicians who work in community mental health agencies,private practice,and other human service settings are generally expected to assess client problems within the framework of the National Association of Social Workers' Diagnostic and Assessment Protocol Manual (3^rd ed.)

Question 24

The American Counseling Association uses the term "nonprofessional relationships" when referring to dual or multiple relationships.

Question 25

Evidence-based practice is a potent force in psychotherapeutic practice today,and it may mandate the types of treatments therapists can offer in the future.

Question 26

Becoming an ethical practitioner is not a final destination but a journey that will continue throughout your career.

Question 27

A boundary crossing could potentially benefit a client.

Question 28

Multiple relationship issues can be resolved with ethics codes alone.

Question 29

The ethics codes mandate avoidance of all dual or multiple relationships.

Question 30

Practice-based evidence involves using data generated during treatment to inform the process and outcome of treatment.