In today’s society, any professional shall adhere and follow rules and regulations, when providing a service to the public. The question, if or/when the professional faced with a conflict of interest, where ethics and morality included, the procedure or guidelines implicated to follow, necessary for protection and prevention of conflict when addressing both parties. “A substance abuse counselor when sworn in must adhere and maintain professionalism and follow all federal, state, local laws, and the code of ethics, per the American Counseling Association as mandated”(Stevens & Smith, 2013). When a professional counselor, faced with an ethical dilemma, arising from a conflict of interest …show more content…
A conflict of interest from a professional perspective is important when distinguishing boundaries, which is essential as the counselor, enters the therapeutic relationship. Understanding the purpose for the model, “one must define boundary crossing which is a departure from commonly accepted practices that could potentially benefit client/s” and “boundary violation is, when a therapist crosses the line of decency and violates or exploits the client/s” (Corey, Corey, & Callanan, 2007). The model provides a framework so that the counselor will avoid harming the client or avoid high risk–situations. The policy and procedures in the Practitioner 's Guide to Ethical Decision Making consist of a seven-step model. The model framework, based upon the client’s ethical and legal rights as a directive for the counselor to follow. Understand, why building a professional relationship in counseling is important when servicing clients in need of professional services for addictions. “The American Counseling Association formatted the code of ethics for professional counselor’s, with principles arranging of Autonomy, Nonmaleficence, Beneficence, Fidelity, and Justice with client–centered directives” (Forester-Miller & Davis, 1996). The seven -step model consist of questions for the counselor to follow through, when seeking answers before boundary crossing or boundary …show more content…
It is important for the professional counselor to understand he/she importance as the counselor and the role which they play. The client must understand and know that the counselor is the professional performing a service of duty as the treating counselor only. The counselor must adhere to the governing rules and laws as a professional counselor so that conflicts of interest, misunderstanding, misconduct as a professional counselor, or if any confidentiality laws broken. “The definition of boundaries serves to assist the counselor in maintaining an ethical commitment to "do no harm"(PCN-100 Lecture 7, 2016). In some cases, not all circumstances or situations need addressing, from the Ethical Decision Making model. Some cases, a clinical supervisor must take control of a situation beyond the professional counselor