In consulting with Roger, the counselor would be empathetic and acknowledge the difficulty he must have had in reaching out about his concerns. The counselor would provide consultee-centered case consultation to assist Roger with gaining the knowledge and objectivity to make an ethical decision regarding his issue (Henderson & Thompson, 2011). The counselor would tell Roger that using an ethical decision-making model would help him to act in his client’s best interest (Henderson & Thompson, 2011). For example, the counselor …show more content…
First, Roger must take into consideration the ACA (2014) ethical standard A.1.a, which maintains that the client’s welfare and dignity must be the primary responsibility of the counselor. Additionally, Roger needs to take into account that it is unethical to have a romantic relationship with the client, ACA (2014) ethical standard A.5.a. Further, because Roger is unable to put his personal feelings aside he should terminate the counseling relationship so that the client is not harmed, ACA (2014) ethical standard A.11.c. When transferring the client, Roger must also make sure that all necessary clinical and administrative processes are completed so that the client has a smooth transition of services, ACA ethical standard A.11.d. Roger must also be aware of, understand,and follow all ethical standards, ACA ethical standard C.1. Furthermore, Roger is reaching out to get consultation from another counselor and could also consult with the ACA code of ethics standards department, ACA ethical standard C.2.e. This would help the counselor to understand ethical obligations.
This counseling learner’s personal process included feeling let down that Roger would have feelings for an 18-year-old client. However, this counseling learner felt relieved that Roger decided to reach out and not act upon his feelings which could harm the client even further. Being able to consult with another counselor about an ethical decision can help to lead the counselor in the right