Sample Essay On Ethics And Technology And Counsel Competence

Question 1

Referring to the case on Marriage and Family Counseling/Therapy
Going by the scenario given, there are several ethical and legal issues that arise. The first legal issue is as regards to the ‘right to privacy’, where the law is clear that no person is allowed to breach this right. Although they were married, the husband was wrong to go through the phone of his wife to get the information that she was cheating on him. Invasion of privacy is against the spirit of the constitution, hence a complication of the matters by the husband. In most states, such situations are punishable by law; hence the husband could find himself on the wrong side. The ethical issues are as regards to the relationship between the wife and husband and the information that they would be required to disclose to the counselor. The manner that they present such information is also essential (Fielder et al. 2002). To address these issues, there are ethical and legal codes that should be embraced. From the ethical point, the counselor should encourage them to be faithful to each other and respect their marriage. On the legal perspective, the counselor should encourage them not to violate the right to privacy.
After understanding the issues in the case, it would be necessary to draw a plan for action. First, the counselor should encourage the wife to accept dialogue. He/ She should then invite both parties and encourage them to argue their cases out in a manner that is free and respectful. After this is done, it would be necessary to encourage the parties to come up with what they think is the best solution to the issues raised. It is at this point that the counselor should give them the relevant advice and recommend to them what they should do.

Question 2

Counselor competence
Counselor competence refers to the integrity, attitude, ability, knowledge and skills a counselor possesses which are necessary for him/her to organize and implement programs that are developmental, comprehensive and result-based. Without such attributes, it would be difficult for a counselor to be termed as being competent since he is likely to lose the trust of those he counsels. In professional ethical standards, counselor competency is based on the extent to which the counselor possesses the required knowledge and attributes. This is applicable in most states, including mine.
There are several ways of developing and maintaining competency as a counselor after one receives a master’s degree. One of the major ways is through practice. By practicing, one gets an opportunity to put whatever they learnt in practice, hence getting more experience. Research shows that a practicing counsel is more likely to be updated on the developments in the field than a dormant counsel (American Association for Counselling and Development., & American Counselling Association, 1984). The second way to achieve this is through constant updates on the emerging issues regarding the field. By doing this, one will get the correct perspective to remain competent.
Burnout, impairment or personal distress as a result of counseling can be addressed through various means. Burnout and impairment are always brought about by monotony of work. To address this, it is essential for the counselor to engage in other activities to relax their mind. Participating in sports will also ensure they have adequate recovery time to cope with the demands. Personal distress can be controlled by carrying out regular exercises to ensure one is fresh. This way, the counselor would have solved the potential problems that would hinder him/her from dispensing his/her duties properly.

References

American Association for Counselling and Development. & American Counselling Association. (1984). Journal of counseling and development: JCD. Alexandria, VA: American Association for Counseling and Development.
Fielder, J. H., & Birsch, D. (2002). The DC-10 case: A study in applied ethics, technology, and society. Albany: State University of New York Press.