Ethics in Counselling

Ethical frameworks are in place in counselling agencies and with private counsellors to protect both the client and the counsellor. My knowledge of the BACP ethical framework is that it compounds the values, principles and personal moral qualities of counselling and of the counsellors that practice alongside it. In a nutshell it is there to ensure that all clients receive the highest standard of counselling possible in a way that promotes their well-being. The ethical framework insists that all counsellors respect their client’s human rights and dignity at all times, and works equally with all clients regardless of their background or culture or anything that they deem diverse between them. In acknowledging any diversity and putting it aside the ethical guideline of building a genuine professional relationship is then easier to adhere to, and the integrity of the relationship can be maintained. The counsellor’s role is to ensure that the clients wellbeing always comes first and that where possible all the clients feelings of despair and suffering are reduced or inevitably stopped, if the counsellor feels that any form of appropriate self-disclosure will benefit or build the client up, then fostering and inputting that sense of self is vital. The counsellor must always work with the client to help them to build and maintain positive, appropriate relationships with others and this is aided by the ethic of helping the client to understand themselves better and therefore use this sense of self meaningfully with the people they may have issues with. It is also an ethical requirement that all counsellors have adequate training and maintain this throughout their professional lives through training courses and supervisions e.t.c. counsellors must always remain loyal to the client and respectful of their professional position, contracts at the beginning of the professional relationships that explain confidentiality demonstrate this. It is vital that the client is always...