Personal, Professional, and Ethical Issues

We are all responsible for our choices in life.  This was a statement made in chapter 14 by Dollarhide and Saginak (2012).  In life, there needs to be a balance and in regards to the case of "Emily," she seemed to be absorbed with too much and was not able to prioritize her responsibilities.  Education can be stressful and it is coming from all angles.  As a current educator, I am facing the same struggles as a school counselor which are struggling with the students and budgets that do not meet our needs.  In contrast, the one area that I do not necessarily have to worry about is what my role is whereas with a counselor, some people still do not understand fully of what they do.  I feel as though it is important for counselors to educate and make people aware of what their role is in the school.  They need to be visible as well as approachable.  Next, another point that Dollarhide and Saginak (2012) made that is an area that I must work on is "letting go."  We have to remember that clients are only going to change when they are ready.  We can educate them, guide them, and provide them with strategies, but until their ready, no change will be made.  It is up to them in the end whether they want to take what we taught them and apply it to their situation. 

This leads me into the chapter on moral, ethical, and legal issues.  This chapter opened up with another counselor that I feel was to busy trying to get items checked off on his "to do list" and forgot about the bigger picture.  He made a mistake by the choice of words he used which in turn would cause the client to loose trust.  When reading this chapter, a lot of questions sparked on what to do in certain situations.  I know that we have to be aware and knowledgeable of the professional ethics, relevant federal, state and local laws, and policies of the school district in which you are employed.  However, it made me concerned that I may make a mistake and with ethics and laws you can't just say that you didn't know.  One situation that was presented that made me question what we can or cannot do.  They bring up the fact that parents can ask what is going on in a counseling session.  I did not think we were allowed to break confidentiality and discuss unless the student gave up permission.  Along with this, I believe that it is imperative that the students are made aware that if they are having a problem they can go to the counselor.  However, they need to know if they say certain things that you as a counselor are mandated to report it.  Finally, I liked how Dollarhide and Saginak (2012) listed the Herlihy and Corey (1996) model because I feel that it would be a good tool to have by your side in case you come across an ethical dilemma which you will.  In conclusion, it is imperative to be aware and knowledgeable when it comes to the counseling profession.        

Dollarhide, C. & Saginak, K. (2012). Comprehensive school counseling programs: K-12 delivery systems in action (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.