What are Three of These Issues and Why are they Important?
The book discusses various ways of counseling and dealing with clients as well as way counselors should behave and handle different situations when in counselling sessions. The book has also tackled the issue of ethics that is very important for a profession. Ethics issue is determinant on trust to enable the client open up to the counsellor with no inhibition. Chapter 10 discusses group counselling based on its planning, progress and its conclusion which leads to various complex situations that can lead to ethical and legal issues (Capuzzi, & Stauffer, 2012). The issues are discussed from pre-group, during and after the group.
Counselling either individual or group sessions follow similar ACA Code of Ethics as they are dependent to the trust and confidentiality of the information shared during the sessions. Group therapy relies on the members to discuss the issues that brought them into therapy openly and honestly (Capuzzi, & Stauffer, 2012). To achieve this, the counsellor must create an atmosphere that will enhance trust and acceptance that encourages members to support one another. The ACA Code of Ethics claims that a counsellor should treat all clients fairly to their needs. It is a way of enhancing their willingness to share information. Attaining such a thing in a group therapy session is challenging hence the need of Screening.
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Screening is done before the group. It involves the counsellor selecting members whose needs and goals are compatible with the group and its goals. That is the counsellor must select members who will not affect the group and clients who will not be affected or jeopardized by the group experiences (Capuzzi, & Stauffer, 2012). Screening of the members is important as it enables smooth and beneficial running of the group and makes it easier for the counsellor to handle every possible situation. It also enables that each group is beneficial to all members for instance, a sexual addict would not benefit from a group discussing ways to deal and move on from sexual violence. Addiction issues may be in one group but the participants must be compatible and willing to be in the group.
The counselor is the leader of the group and must ensure protection of the clients from physical, psychological and emotional trauma. The counselor must know each individual member to identify the issues that may be traumatizing to the client and help the client deal with the issue.
Confidentiality is important as it ensures the clients’ trusts the counselor, making it important for the counselor to ensure that all members understand and uphold their promises on withholding information that others share (Capuzzi, & Stauffer, 2012). It is also unethical and illegal to record group sessions. Also, the counselor should not take notes with private names during the sessions to enhance confidentiality. The counselor does so by ensuring respect of the members’ personal views and the group’s discussions confidential.
Freedom of leaving the group for members who feel that they are not benefiting from the sessions, or when they notice that the group does not maintain its claims and needs for confidentiality.
The counselors should also ensure that information privilege is maintained just as in individual session whereby the counselor is not supposed to share the information even in a court of law without the client’s approval. The privilege is withdrawn on issues where the group members are children and their parents are responsible for their wellbeing thus the counselor must share the information to the parents (Capuzzi, & Stauffer, 2012). The rights may also be withdrawn in an issue involving murder or sexual violence towards minors.
The issues discussed above are essential since they enable trust, protection and members support for other members. Moreover, they help an individual learn of the similar or connection of their issues to that of others thus enhancing courage to move on and succeed in battling addiction and other issues.
Reference
Capuzzi, D., & Stauffer, M.D. (2012). Foundations of addictions counseling.3rd edition Pearson.
