Importance Of Ethics In Counselling

In my opinion, one of the values a counsellor should possess is to be ethical, adhering to professional standards for the benefit of both the counsellor and the client. When clients seek guidance from a counsellor, they are most likely vulnerable and easily misguided by unethical counsellors since they view the counsellor as an authoritative figure. Hence, some guidelines have been outlined to ensure ethical practice in the counselling profession. An ethical counsellor should do no harm to the client and be responsible for their clients’ wellbeing within the social context of helping (Ivey & Ivey, 2007). These guidelines are linked to important issues such as the competence of the counsellor, in which counsellors should practice within their knowledge, skills and competency boundaries, referring clients to another counsellor or seeking supervision when they lack the competence to handle a client’s case. Should a counsellor attempt to practice beyond his limits, the good intentions might in fact pose negative effects on the client’s physical, mental, social and legal wellbeing. Besides that, an ethical counsellor should also ensure confidentiality according to the cultural context. To illustrate, a counsellor should protect the client’s mental condition that has not been de-identified from disclosure. Such efforts to maintain the client’s confidentiality builds trust and avoids severe consequences such as rejection by the society and public humiliation if the public were to