As more states legalize PAS across the country, counselors must be prepared to assist clients who are struggling with end-of-life decisions, specifically PAS. But, as one can see there are no definite guidelines. The objective of the ACA ethical codes is to do no harm. In fact, it states that all a counselor must avoid harming the client and take steps to minimalize unavoidable harm (Section A.4.a.). It seems obvious that death would constitute harm to self, so such obligations would necessarily apply in end-of-life situations. Unfortunately, the ethical codes do not directly address PAS. Thus, the only way to avoid any ethical dilemmas is by having the counselor examine their own personal, moral, and ethical beliefs regarding PAS.
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If a counselors