The Golden Rule Summary

“In my view, we inevitably influence our client’s behavior and moral thinking; therapists have already done it for a century by promoting morality of self-interest (Doherty, 1995, p. 17).” Throughout the book, Doherty raises several important thoughts and questions. Consequently, I agree with many of Doherty’s thoughts related to how clients are treated and how the therapist should use different skills. Accordingly, he sees that it is not possible for therapists to treat all clients the same, which I agree with because each person has his/her own character. Doherty talks about moral qualities that are used to help clients engage in treatment that is respectful of connections the client is a part of. I enjoyed his perspective on how counselors need to consider the needs of the others when working with a person’s need versus only focusing on the person and his/her needs and wants. Therapists have an influence …show more content…
Counselors have focused so much on the individualism of the client versus seeing the system. The Golden Rule is a balance of caring for others and caring for yourself. As counselors, we need to value ourselves and others. Doherty brought up a lot of ethical concerns in counseling throughout his book. Counselors need to be more than just a sounding board to work out problems. They need to be able to challenge clients as well.
After reading this book I learned you cannot make a life-choice without considering everyone involved. Doherty says, “The implicit moral theory is as follows: people need healthy family relationships, and healthy family relationships are based, in part, on honest (Doherty, 1995, p.74).” Nevertheless, people are not only connected to their family but also friends and community. These relationships can have an impact on a person’s life, therefore, it is important to join how others will be impacted by the counseling