ETHICAL ISSUES NEEDED IN PSYCHOTHERAPY

ETHICAL ISSUES NEEDED IN PSYCHOTHERAPY

SECTION ONE: INTRODUCTION

Psychotherapy is the use of psychological methods, where trained personnel establishes a personal relationship with his patient by using a range of treatment that helps with mental health problems, emotional and psychiatric disorders (Thompson, 1990). It aims to improve the well-being of an individual, from depression to family disputes and low self-esteem.

Ethical Issues in Psychotherapy is essential because it helps provide a guideline that determines the safest right course of action and not limited to personal advantage. It makes Professionals offer their clients with relevant information about procedures, goals, side effects, and alternatives (Barnett & Scheetz, Technological advances and telehealth: Ethics, law, and the practice of psychotherapy., 2003). It also makes the clients Knowledgeable about the therapy. It is because different therapists have different conflicting views, and the ethical stance of the therapist will influence their response rather than a standardized way of handling the issue. A foundation framework for each professional is necessary to create a clear groundwork on how the procedure is supposed to follow to the latter without emotional self-infliction — ethic foundations based on the experiences of performing psychologists facing real-world ethical dilemmas in the therapy room (Ragusea & VandeCreek, 2003).

Psychotherapy can be said to have been practiced through the ages, as medics, philosophers, spiritual practitioners, and people in general used psychological methods to heal others. Psychotherapy in history had different casts; to some, it’s an old method of healing; for others, it’s a way of describing personal experiences, and for some, it’s a form of religious practice camouflaged by the language of medical science. Most societies had various types of social services that were inbuilt in ordinary living. Cultural believes values and customs were induced depending on gender. Riddles, proverbs, and narratives were some of the methods to shape behavior. In place of Psychological counseling and guidance, the village elders or extended family helped in this. They are healing achieved through rituals, medicine, men, and religion, which is a bit twisted in contemporary society (Barnett, The ethical practice of psychotherapy: easily within our reach., 2008).  Ancient Greece back in 1977 Used analytic psychology and healing traditions by use of Isolation within the temple, and they promoted sleep to bring enlightening and therapeutic dreams (Barnett, 2008).

Ethics in Psychotherapy is vital because the character itself is the heart of effective psychotherapy. Having a good therapist with a lapse in keeping confidentiality, or getting one with poor boundary skills will make you not refer them to your loved one. As important as the therapist’s theoretical orientation might be, or their expertise in some therapeutic technique, or their approach to psychology-theology integration, ethics and character are foundational while choosing or looking for a good therapist. The therapist should also be of utmost discipline, honest, and genuinely concerned about the welfare of the patient and not only money-oriented (Fisher , 2009).

The proper framework of guidelines for a practical therapy session is vital. Character is of utmost importance. Respect, honesty, wisdom, confidence, and genuine concern for the client is also critical in this field. That said, the ethical maxim is not sufficient; therefore, knowledge and application of the guidelines will result in bright and clean results.

SECTION TWO

There is a long history of attempts to comprehend and regulate behavior that is thought to be unusual. There is a significant variance between psychological and biological explanations. Psychotherapy and examination divided into various categories that unify and consolidates codes for therapists. The process and the end goal of the counseling session are to enable the client to live a healthy or fulfilling life. Some standardized systems and trends are very vital in counseling sessions that protect both the client and the therapist. Approaches, skills, and techniques applied are of the utmost importance to the recovery of the patient. As professionals, the counselors are set to adhere to the set code of standards (Fisher , 2009).

Themes and Trends in the review

1. a) Confidentiality

Confidentiality continues to evolve because it’s essential for both the therapist and their associates.  It helps to know the code of conduct concerning the state of the laws. It offers blanket protection for both the therapist and the client. The client’s consent should also be topnotch concerning confidentiality. In a case where things are not bright, both the client and the therapist should seek help from colleagues or friends (Ragusea & VandeCreek, 2003).

1. b) Record Keeping

Record keeping has also evolved over the years. A new category for keeping records introduced, where adequate notes on diagnosis, history, methods employed for treatment, termination, and summary included in Psychotherapy Notes (Thompson, 1990). Other external factors like relationships, abuse, and arising factors involved in the report. It’s one of the most comprehensive guidelines in this profession for keeping records and retention.

1. c) Risk Management

It is defensive medicine. There are forces used to approach risk management, which includes conservative forces or legalistic forces that advocate for therapists to avoid any action that may not look good in court when presented to the ethics committee regardless of is efficiency. It should, however, not compromise the quality of the care or drive fear to the practitioner. This process must operate with integrity protecting both the client and those surrounding them using an effective decision-making process.

1. d) Therapeutic Boundaries:

It is a relationship between a therapist and the client that involves changing his/ her life for the better. The therapist should remain supportive and should keep self-disclosure to a minimum, avoid accepting gifts, non-sexual touch, but the use of senses. It is vital for therapeutic effectiveness.

1. e) Professional Issues

This category deals with professional issues with the delivery of Physical Therapy services. It involves reporting of misconduct by colleagues or interaction of therapists with other health professionals in handling various cases presented. The only challenge is misconduct by colleagues because it has a significant impact on the relationship with other organizations and professions.

Termination

A client might want to terminate or discontinue sessions with a particular therapist. He or she should communicate before the therapist within the course.  The clinician will then work towards the effective ending of the session but try to seek reasons for termination and advise best depending on the condition of the patient. Although when a client feels like they have personal reasons for terminations like lack of funds, lack of time, therapy not working or they have finally gotten a breakthrough, they can do it via the phone and not physically. The therapist is free to check on the patient from time to time, even though the contracts terminated.

SECTION THREE:

Professional ethics in Psychotherapy seals the baseline for respect, fairness, and integrity. It helps therapists navigate challenges related to ethical principles. It also helps the clinician to recognize and respond quickly to cases like suicidal attempts. Arising and common boundary issues associated with a sexual relationship with clients reduced, but the vast majority of the ethical issues related to incompetence and other hurts usually and probably do not reach the threshold of legal claims (Fisher , 2009).

Fine-tuning and focus on some special features can be very helpful, although guidelines and principles are some of the common forms of psychotherapy. Changes made have helped in giving the therapist some degree of autonomy in their practice. A combination of positive ethics and risk management are some of the ways that bring ethical practice. Ensures the provision of maximum benefit to the client and avoiding the exploitation of the patient. It also guarantees clients confidence over some time. The patient will have decreased dependence on the therapist through autonomy. Fair and equal treatment across the boards considered. It’s a vital therapist to know that they should consent from the client before obtaining information. Legal fees should also be communicated in advance to the client and family members if need be (Barnett & Scheetz, Technological advances and telehealth: Ethics, law, and the practice of psychotherapy., 2003).

Risk management, although it has the same goal as positive ethics for the clients, more specifically focuses on minimizing risks for the psychotherapist that may result in ethics complaints or malpractice claims, and it addresses the issues of informed consent, sufficient documentation, and consultation. The defensive practice focuses on the direct protection of the psychotherapist. It involves creating decisions based on minimizing the likelihood of hostile outcomes for the psychotherapist. For example, a practitioner may restrict the range of clients worked with and refuse to work with certain types of clients, such as those with suicidal issues (Ragusea & VandeCreek, 2003).

SECTION FOUR

However, the ethical standard point of Psychotherapy might not be one of the best practices as we think, because not all standpoints are alike. If moral thinking’s tied to one perspective, then those with different viewpoints will reason about ethics differently. How can we, therefore, judge the competing claims of different standpoints? They stress the danger of giving the perspective of a particular group as being more similar than it is. The unfortunate reality is that we often never know the precise standpoint of the person who takes their own life (Barnett & Scheetz, Technological advances and telehealth: Ethics, law, and the practice of psychotherapy., 2003).

Ethical codes are not enough; grey zones where answers are not self-evident and cannot be categorized.  Indeed, at times, rationality may even interfere with the ability to make the best ethical decisions, especially if psychologists—intentionally or unintentionally. Sometimes the patient and the therapist can easily define their goals and agree on them but have difficulty in reaching them. It tends to be a challenge in practical life.  Therapists sometimes are unable to balance their professional values and end up dealing with their own emotions, such as anger, fear, and compassion (Fisher , 2009).

Documenting in therapy can be both good and dangerous at the same time. It is a big dilemma that ought to be handled with utmost care. The medical logic aspect of documentation can put the therapist in danger and can lead to a lot of damage to the client. The problems portray itself when the said documents are assessed by someone else, but from the ethical point of view, not documenting anything is intolerable. Therefore, documentation will vary from session to session and will be determined by the kind of psychotherapy. Hence, the extent of literature may vary from course to sitting and also will be heavily influenced by the type and of the psychotherapy (Barnett, The ethical practice of psychotherapy: easily within our reach., 2008).  Although confidentiality is the utmost foundation of Psychotherapy, the ethical requirement of confidentiality overlaps the law, and certain exceptions allow privacy to be maintained. It can be a set-back when the psychiatrist seeks professional help from colleagues.
CONCLUSION

Deliberating on our personal and moral ethics is somehow beyond us. Although a standard ethical paper is vital to protect both the patient and the therapist, some committed issues are not practical to therapists. They prefer those that are familiar and acceptable to them. They should be allowed to use a variety of range of solutions, not limited to a standard point. Therapists should be heard, respected, challenged, and valued for taking that risk, to create an environment that can foster a culture of ethical thinking which would support analysis and synthesis, without the need to always arrive at clear cut answers.

It’s known that professional ethics codes replicate the perspectives of humans within a specific club or association. It usually reflects the opinions and cultural biases of people who come up with it. In the mental health profession, the codes and principles generally built from within the business, which limits valuable input of other disciplines like life sciences, sociology, medicine, theology and religion, anthropology, philosophy inadequately considered. Considering the ethics of both the client and the therapist is very vital. Fiasco to ignore this useful information might be a risky affair that can put the life of both at risk. Others have stated out ways in which techniques and values can be dreadful as well as important to the client.

Various external ways available to a person experiencing emotional distress like supportive friends, peers, family members, healthy habits, research, clergy, and independent coping can go a long way in the recovery process of the client. Study shows that human beings have an idea of coping up with the crisis. It goes way back where dealing with predicaments, piloting social problems, and finding solutions to lifelong problems existed before Psychotherapy discovered.

On the flip side of it, ethical standard codes have their advantages. The field tends to attract people with a strong desire to assist others. It is as an exceptional situation, especially in our background, where there is no much difference between psychotherapy and psychiatrist is seen. The challenge of working ethically in psychotherapy means that practitioners will inevitably encounter situations where there are competing obligations. In such circumstances, it is tempting to retreat from all ethical analysis to escape a sense of what may appear to be unresolvable moral tension. These ethics are intended to be of assistance in such circumstances by directing attention to the variety of ethical factors that may need to be taken into consideration and to alternative ways of approaching ethics that may prove more useful. No statement of ethics can alleviate the difficulty of making professional judgments in circumstances that may be constantly changing and full of uncertainties.

Confidentiality is also another advantage of ethical psychotherapy. It’s used to clear and imminent danger. It also gives a guide on how to respond to specific triggers. A client will be comfortable to disclose what is ailing them if they are assured the information submitted will not leak. It makes the client free to explain all the underlying issues affected them, resulting in a 100% solution to the problem.

References

Barnett, J. (2008). The ethical practice of psychotherapy: easily within our reach. Journal of clinical psychology, 64(5), 569-575.

Barnett, J., & Scheetz, K. (2003). Technological advances and telehealth: Ethics, law, and the practice of psychotherapy. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 40(1-2),, 86.

Fisher , C. ( 2009). Decoding the ethics code: A practical guide for psychologists. Thousand Oaks: Sage.

Ragusea, A., & VandeCreek, L. (2003). Suggestions for the ethical practice of online psychotherapy (Vol. 40, No. 1-2, p. 94). Educational Publishing Foundation.

Thompson, A. (1990). Guide to ethical practice in psychotherapy. John Wiley & Sons.