Ethical Issues & Compendium

Executive Summary 

The reflective essay describes the ethical issues encountered by counselors in their profession. Ethics refer to rules of conduct or a series of moral principles for a particular group or individual. Counselors must exhibit fidelity, beneficence, justice, non-maleficence, and autonomy. In subject 1, the parent is quite ashamed that their only child is lesbian/gay. In subject 2, the client should attend free vocational counseling to be qualified for welfare payments. However, the client does not trust the importance of counseling and does not yearn to find employment. I will then analyze and reflect on the case, its challenges, and how my personal differ from the client's. the paper also identified the ethical implications if I do not handle the value conflict effectively. Also, the paper offers practical strategies that would limit or prevent the ethical implications while safeguarding ethical practice. It then provides referral agencies that would be beneficial to the client and the counselor. 

Essay on Ethical Issues & Compendium 

Ethics refer to rules of conduct or a series of moral principles for a particular group or individual. The word ethics is derived from a Greek word ethos meaning character, customer, or habit. It determines the decisions and choices made by a group or individual. According to PACFA, counselors must exhibit fidelity, beneficence, justice, non-maleficence, and autonomy ( Eliason, 2010) . Fidelity involves being honest with their clients and dedication to their client's progress. Beneficences describes the act of being responsible for promoting what is beneficial to the client. Justice describes the counselor's commitment to fair and equal service to clients regardless of their socio-economic status, age, disability, gender, culture, race, and ethnicity. Non-maleficence means that counselors should avoid all situations and activities that may have conflicts of interest. On the other hand, autonomy describes a counselor's responsibility to encourage client proper decision making and independent thinking. The reflective essay will describe the ethical issues encountered by counselors in their profession. 

Subject 1 

My Values and Challenges 

In subject 1, the parent is quite ashamed that their only child is lesbian/gay. The situation offered ethical implications because a counselor should never be part of any decision or activity that segregates, excludes, or demeans a patient's dignity because of their sexual orientation, ethnic origin, socioeconomic status, race, age, sex, or creed. In most cases, parents hope that a counselor would assist their child to "become straight." As an individual, I have no objection to lesbian and gay people because some of my closest friends are lesbian/gay. Homosexuality has been in the world since time immemorial. It has been criminalized, accepted, and derided. Gays and lesbians have been imprisoned, scorned, herded into concentration camps, and some have been burned at the stake. Most developed countries are in an enlightened age where homosexuality has been decriminalized ( Lea, de Wit, & Reynolds, 2014) . Since time immemorial, homosexuals have been victims associated with “Dictatorship of the Norm.” Norm describes the majority or a fear that homosexuals are “evil” and can harm everyone else. On the other hand, the parent has an issue with the child’s sexual orientation and does not want to be supportive. 

Moreover, my youngest son is gay and I saw the pain and suffering he experienced as he attempted to understand his situation. I envisage a world and society where there will be room for both homosexual families and heterosexual families. Whether or not homosexuality is an individual choice is not the main question. If it is an individual choice, no one should deny them the freedom of choice according to the constitution. Also, if homosexuality is genetically defined, no one has the right to deny behaviors that are genetically defined ( Bowers, Minichiello, & Plummer, 2010) . No parent should be ashamed of their children because of their sexual orientation. Contrary to my opinion, the parent does not understand the suffering and pain that their child may be going through and is not willing to support their child. 

I feel sad that the child does not have parental support during the critical phase in their life. LGBT youth often undergo five stages while evaluating the pros and cons of their sexual orientation. The first stage is where the child asks themselves whether they could be gay. The second stage is where the child asks themselves what would happen if they are gay/lesbian. It is a stage where there is a lot of denial and in most cases, they deny their feelings because of social stigma. The third stage is when the child or adult believes that they are gay/lesbian and have come to terms with the social stigma. At this stage, they may begin dating and engage in sexual intercourse. The fourth stage is where the child or adolescent accepts their sexual orientation and accepts it as an identifying factor in their lives ( Peterson & P Anfil, 2014) . The fifth and final stage is where the individual comes to term with their sexual orientation and identity crisis is not an issue. Furthermore, they begin focusing on other areas of their lives such as work or education. I supported my youngest son throughout the five stages and I am glad I was there for him. However, the client is quite unwilling to support their child through the critical phases of understanding and realizing their sexual orientation. 

There is proof that ‘normal’ sexual choices may not be the best decisions. For instance, my eldest son who is heterosexual got a divorce after two years of marriage while my youngest son (homosexual) is in a happy relationship with his partner for over four years. One of the issues facing gays is the myth of masculinity. Some people in the society assume that homosexuals are ‘failed men' or they are ‘incomplete men.' In most situations, they experience ‘fag' jokes. However, a relationship involves two people who love each other regardless of their gender. A homosexual couple may have a happy and long-term relationship similar to some heterosexual couples ( Ferfolja, 2015) . Furthermore, their sexual orientation does not stop them from achieving their dreams. Therefore, every person should have a choice regarding their sexual orientation. On the other hand, the client is a strong supporter of the ‘myth of masculinity’ and believes that the only accepted relationship is between men and women. The client believes that being gay/lesbian is ‘evil.’ 

Ethical Implications of Managing the Situation Inappropriately 

One of the risks is that the mother will feel that their child will not be safe. It is one of the main concerns I have experienced with many clients who faced a similar situation. It may be the fear of societal degradation, bullying, or physical threat but the client just wants their only child to be safe. The client is aware that may gay/lesbian individuals are still fighting to be accepted in the society ( Eliason, 2010) . According to HKPCA, lesbian and gay people face a lot of hostility publicly unlike in Australia where the society is more tolerant. The client feels that they may be helpless when protecting their child. One of the best techniques for the mother to feel assured of their child’s safety is by joining support groups to become educated about the situation. 

The client is also worried that their child may lose their religion/faith. It is obvious that most religions do not support gays/lesbian and the mother fears that the situation may tear their family apart. The mother is torn between the love for their child and their faith. The client is between a rock and hard place. Moreover, the mother feels that they may have failed in teaching their gay/lesbian child the proper principles of faith. At this moment, I encourage the mother to do some self-evaluation and trust that they have always been and will always be a critical part of their child’s life. Ultimately, children will always grow up and make a decision whether to continue with their faith regardless of whether they were straight or gay ( Eliason, 2010) . 

Also, the client is attempting to find out where they went wrong while raising the child. Regardless of the challenges and issues that occur when children grow, parents often take full responsibility of how their child turns out ( Eliason, 2010) . Coming out as a gay/lesbian individual is also an outcome. Even if the client will be supportive of their child, the mother still has strong convictions that they could have made a mistake that turned their child gay. The mother should not fall for the negative self-talk because they gave birth to a strong and unique person with wonderful gifts to improve the world. 

The parent is also worried whether the child will find love as an adult or even have a family. In my experience as a parent and a counsellor, most mothers want their child to discover love and have the best experiences when raising a family. Nevertheless, due to sensationalized stereotypes, unfounded beliefs, and misguided media exploits regarding gay/lesbian individuals, some people believe that having a family or raising child is not part of gay/lesbian people ( Eliason, 2010) . The client should keep their compassion alive and believe that their gay/lesbian child is destined for parenthood and love. The mother just has to trust and hope. 

Strategies for Minimizing the Ethical Implications 

It is essential to realize that the challenges faced by gay/lesbian youth may have their own unique characteristics but they are all interconnected, interdependent, and are mutually related. For instance, it is highly likely that harassment and violence will affect the mental health of the client’s child and it may affect their disclosure and come out process ( Bernstein & Taylor, 2013) . The client should ensure that they are part of their child’s life to ensure they are healthy mentally and physically. The client should join support groups that will ensure the client is prepared to protect their child. 

The mother should learn how to create a supportive environment for their child. There should be a supportive and multicultural environment for the client as they learn how to support their child. It is essential for the client to familiarize themselves with terminologies associated with the LGBT community. For instance, most youths find the word ‘homosexual' quite offensive. Nevertheless, words such as bisexual, gay, or lesbian do not have the same effect or stigma as the terminology ‘homosexual.' Therefore, the client may focus on using gender-neutral terms such as ‘partner' rather than ‘girlfriend' and ‘boyfriend.' Furthermore, the client should be familiar with different forms of physical and verbal harassment words and actions that are used in the public and school so that they can easily understand their child’s situation ( Bernstein & Taylor, 2013) . The client should be empathetic with their child during the entire period. The child may be confused about the whole process but the client should be supportive by ensuring that the child is as comfortable as possible at home. 

The client should realize that gay/lesbian youth are only part of a diverse group that includes multicultural differences. For instance, some cultures are more tolerant of LGBT issues in comparison to others. Knowledge regarding demographics and diversity is essential in the therapeutic process. Additionally, the client should be aware of the issues and policies about institutionalized oppression from an LGBT perspective. There is immense social pressure put upon LGBT youth. Also, there are some housing and employment provisions that do not protect LGBT youth from discrimination. The client should be aware of all discriminatory policies that may cause stress not only on the child but also on the parent ( Köllen, 2016) . The counselor should be ready to assist the client regardless of all discriminatory rules and regulations. 

Referral Agencies 

The client should familiarize themselves with community resources that address parent’s concerns regarding their gay/lesbian child. Some of the main organizations include Parents and Friends of Lesbian and Gay individuals Australia (PFLAG), Beyond Blue, ReachOut Australia, and Rainbow Families (Goldberg & Allen, 2012). The organizations assist families of gay/lesbian children who need support groups among other different services. Sharing the information with the clients offers them different ways they can receive support that can improve their wellbeing. Also, the client may meet other parents who may have undergone a similar experience of having an only child who turned out gay/lesbian. The support group may also assist the client to self-examine their attitudes, beliefs, and values towards LGBT individuals to ensure the success of the child (Skerrett, Kõlves, & De Leo, 2015). It is essential for the client to reevaluate their attitude because negative speech or body language may affect the gay/lesbian child in the short and long term. Also, if the parent does not support the child, the child may develop personal biases and denial. 

The referral agencies mentioned in the previous paragraph will also assist the client to develop skills in creating a culturally competent environment or their gay/lesbian child. It will also assist them to understand their child’s sexual orientation, assisting their child in the coming out process, evaluate various support groups, assist their child in facing various challenges, examine their current and future challenges, working with family members to support the child, and acknowledging the challenges faced by LGBT youth and find ways of addressing the issues. Gay\Lesbian young people undergo various challenges as they seek to establish their identity. The child may have few people to turn to and the parent should be their main source of support (Colgan & Rumens, 2014). Mental health practitioners also play a critical role in the process. Although the level of tolerance towards LGBT youth has improved over the past two decades, the society still lags in eradicating discrimination and oppression. 

Personal Opinion 

I believe that the parent should continue engaging their child with the same level of support, care, information, and respect as they did before the child came out. The mother should also learn about gender identity and sexual orientation. The mother should also know their community and the resources available to gay/lesbian children. Moreover, joining a support group of parents with gay/lesbian children will assist the client to realize there are other people with similar issues and how they handled it. The client should also praise their child for discussing the issue with them so that they can always share personal information. 

Subject 2 

In subject 2, the client should attend free vocational counseling to be qualified for welfare payments. However, the client does not trust the importance of counseling and does not yearn to find employment. Furthermore, the client does not desire anything productive in their lives and would prefer playing games. 

My Values and Challenges 

There are a few occasions when an individual is forced into therapy. One of the situations where an individual is mandated to complete a substance abuse program is when the individual is found guilty of drug possession, is a drug addict, or when an employment agency suggests that they receive therapy before returning to work. Despite the reasons, the individual may be forced into treatment even though the client does not desire counseling. I believe that the current situation does not justify mandatory therapy. Forcing the client to attend therapy will not achieve any objective of counselling because the client does not believe in counselling while I believe that therapy assist people to manage critical aspects of their lives. 

People visit counselors to get help. The objectives of therapy are as diverse and unique as the clients who seek therapy. However, the most common observation is that the people who seek therapy have not found help in other areas of their lives. Regardless of the type of and reasons for therapy, the assistance comes in the form of practicing new tools, support, space to learn, information, self-knowledge, and guidance ( O'Donnell, 2015) . Therefore, there are many individuals who seek therapy and I believe the client does not have the interest in therapy and is only interested in unemployment benefits. Also, even if the client received unemployment benefits, it is highly likely that he will not seek employment and will still continue staying at home. 

One of the reasons people attend therapy is mental disorders. People struggling with ADHD, depression, PTSD, anxiety, addiction, and phobias often seek therapy to identify techniques of coping with the situation or treating the issue (Tiwari, 2018). People also attend therapy because of distress. In such a case, the therapist will evaluate the severity of the problem and how much it has affected the individual. Therapy is also essential when coping with a loss. Therapy offers a supportive and safe place where people can talk about adjustments due to physical illness, grief, abuse issues, loss of a job, and end of a relationship among many other issues that may cause distress. After evaluating the client, he is not experiencing any of the mentioned problems and will only be wasting taxpayers money. 

Communication issues is another reason for attending therapy. Many people have communication issues in their relationships. Family, couples and individual therapy may address the cause of the problem especially difficulty in conflict resolution and poor communication. Some counselors and therapists are highly skilled when assisting people to communicate their feelings and needs constructively. Moreover, people may attend therapy to achieve a deeper understanding of themselves. They often want to identify what they do, why they have particular emotions, and how much control they have over particular aspects of their lives ( O'Donnell, 2015) . According to an analysis of the client, I believe that none of the reasons justify his need for therapy. The client is not willing to change his lifestyle and is not interested in improving their lives. 

People pursue therapy and counseling for various reasons. In most cases, therapy assists people to address and manage major life changes such as mental disorders or a divorce. All in all, such people attend therapy because they have particular issues or specific goals that they want to work on. Whatever the reason, it takes dedication and courage to attend and complete therapy sessions ( Mendes, 2017) . With the assistance of a counselor, people may reduce emotional suffering, promote self-actualization, improve relationships, and empower self-growth. However, the client's only objective is to receive unemployment benefits. The client is does not have desired objectives during the process. Therefore, I would rather help people who need therapy for free than spend an hour with a client who does not want counseling. 

I believe that hard work has never harmed an individual. Instead, hard work builds character because it assists an individual to learn how to manage resources and time. It also assists them to learn focus and discipline. Moreover, hard work gets results. It allows an individual to accomplish particular objectives, change particular aspects of their lives, and build new things. The client’s laziness only contributes to wasted resources and time. Additionally, hard work draws attention and allows an individual to get noticed. Diligence always stands out. Although we live in a society that fosters and encourages minimal effort, hard work ensures that diligent individuals stand out. Hard work offers new opportunities. The client may complain about lack of work but hard work opens new doors. Hard work will assist the client to find new opportunities and ways of presenting himself ( Ezzy, 2017) . However, spending a whole day playing computer games in adulthood is not a hard work. I believe that the client is lazy. 

Welfare exists in various forms such as housing assistance, monetary payments, vouchers, and subsidies. Although welfare policies are different from country to country, they often focus on veterans, the unemployed, those with dependent children, people with illness, the elderly, and those with disabilities. All in all, welfare focuses on the wellbeing of particular citizens who deserve it. Some of the attributes associated with positive wellbeing include safety, security, health, and happiness ( Haynes et al., 2011) . Welfare should be allocated to people who deserve it but the client does not deserve welfare. 

The Australian government spends about $160 billion annually on welfare. The welfare services and cash payments focus mainly on child protection and family support, aged care, housing, people with disability, homelessness services, and youth justice. About $10 billion or 6.3% of the cash payments are allocated for unemployment benefits. Since 2005, the number of people employed by the welfare workforce has increased by about 85% ( Mendes, 2017) . Furthermore, about 17% of Australian children live in poverty. Welfare services and cash payment should be spent on the people in most need. Since 2011, more than 40% of social spending focused on low income earning households while only 3.8% was allocated to high income earning households. Therefore, there are many people living in poverty who are yet to receive welfare benefits. I believe it is unethical for the client to take advantage of the generous welfare system that is funded by taxpayers' money. The client is highly likely to continue wasting taxpayers’ money on computer games even after therapy. 

Ethical Implications of Managing the Issue Inappropriately 

The increased availability of welfare for unemployed especially for people who do not deserve it has been identified by many economists as one of the reasons for the increasing level of unemployment in the country. There are some people who are less likely to look for jobs because they receive unemployment services. For instance, the client is quite comfortable playing computer games as long as he receives unemployment benefits. Moreover, he is wasting resources and time on therapy so that he can qualify for welfare. The government had good intentions for welfare but individuals such as the client in subject 2 does deserve not welfare services or cash payments. 

Strategies for Minimizing the Ethical Implications 

I believe that Australia is not facing a welfare challenge. However, poverty is the main challenge. Unemployment is not entirely the fault of an individual but a failure of the market. The society cannot grow while particular people are left behind. Current estimates show that there has been a reduction in monthly hours worked in most jobs while the levels of insecure employment and casualization have increased ( Feather, 2012) . The trends have increased the number of unemployed people in the economy and unemployment benefits. The country should focus on investing in people rather than putting people down and later blame them for the exclusion. Most people fall into the ideological trap of criminalizing people who are genuinely not ‘self-reliant.’ Nevertheless, the client is not interested in finding a job and I believe that the government should only offer unemployment benefits to people who are actively searching for employment opportunities. 

Most people disguise market failure as an individual failure in participating in the job market. There needs to be a revolution in the Australian job industry. There are not enough hours and numbers of jobs while those who are employed may have an inadequate level of income ( Nguyen & Nilsson, 2014) . The solution to the unemployment problem in the country is not offering unemployment benefits and then forgetting about them ( Karren & Sherman, 2012) . The government should focus on increasing employment opportunities to reduce the number of people on unemployment benefits such as client 2. Moreover, increasing employment opportunities will reduce the number of people who do not deserve unemployment benefits such as the client in subject 2. 

Unemployment benefits may only solve the problem in the short term but it does not offer practical solutions in the long term. The best technique for solving the unemployment rate and reducing the number of people on unemployment benefits is to boost economic growth. The client may receive unemployment benefits but it may not assist him to have a stable future in the long term. He may be unable to support himself and his family in the future. Furthermore, the government should have targeted programs that ensure the client is ready for the job market through proper training ( Morris & Wilson, 2014) . The programs will ensure the client can improve their opportunities for entering the job market. Moreover, there should be a proper relationship between the business and the education sector to the client is trained according to the market demands. 

Referral Agencies 

The client should enroll in Work for the Dole Program. Work for the Dole is a work based welfare that was created in 1998. It is an opportunity for the client to satisfy some of his mutual obligation requirements. Other mutual obligation requirements include volunteer work, accredited study, Army Reserves, and part-time work. Work for the Dole is a compulsory program for most of the unemployed in Australia. Placements are available in a wide range of fields such as sports, heritage, tourism, environment, community care, and arts ( Buddelmeyer, Lee, & Wooden, 2010) . Most projects often benefit the entire community by adding value to civic assets and services. After completing the program successfully, the participants qualify for training credit, a fortnight transport supplement, and a passport to employment package. It will be an important program for the client because it will allow him to acquire skills instead of spending most of his time playing computer games. Furthermore, it will allow him to volunteer in various community programs. The client can also join the Australian Unemployed Workers Union (AUWU) because it will assist him to know his rights when is in the Work for the Dole Program. Moreover, it will be notified of various job opportunities. 

Conclusion 

The reflective essay described the ethical issues encountered by counselors in their profession. Counseling empowers diverse groups, individuals, and families to accomplish career goals, mental health, education, and wellness. As the world becomes increasingly globalized, there is a need for counselors who are highly trained to address career, trauma, academic, addiction, and depression concerns in the society. Furthermore, the profession is essential in assisting people affected by social and economic issues such as gay/lesbian rights and unemployment. Also, counselors face various ethical concerns in their daily activities especially when their opinions differ greatly from their clients' opinions. Counseling is challenging but the professionals achieve personal satisfaction from helping people overcome particular concerns in their lives. Maintaining one's own mental and physical health is essential for the success of the field. Ultimately, counselors are supposed to be lifelong learners, open-minded, tolerate ambiguity, and non-judgmental. 

References 

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