Ethics In Psychology And The Mental Health Professions

Revised edition of the authors' Ethics in psychology and the mental health professions, 2008.

"Written in a highly readable and accessible style, this new edition retains the key features that have contributed to its popularity, including hundreds of case studies that provide illustrative guidance on a wide variety of topics, including fee setting, advertising for clients, research ethics, sexual attraction, how to confront observed unethical conduct in others, and confidentiality. Ethics in Psychology and the Mental Health Professions will be important reading for practitioners and students in training."--BOOK JACKET.

Ethical Reasoning for Mental Health Professionals addresses a fundamental need of ethics training in psychology and counseling: the development of reasoning skills to resolve the complex professional ethical issues that arise. Author Gary G. Ford provides readers with a background in ethical reasoning and introduces them to an easy-to-follow eight step model of ethical decision making.

The ability to reason ethically is an extraordinarily important aspect of professionalism in any field. Indeed, the greatest challenge in ethical professional practice involves resolving the conflict that arises when the professional is required to choose between two competing ethical principles. Ethical Reasoning in the Mental Health Professions explores how to develop the ability to reason ethically in difficult situations. Other books merely present ethical and legal issues one at a time, along with case examples involving "right" and "wrong" answers. In dramatic contrast, Ethical Reasoning in the Mental Health Professions provides you with the needed background in methods of ethical reasoning and introduces an innovative nine-step model of ethical decision-making for resolving ethical dilemmas. Ethical Reasoning in the Mental Health Profession discusses the ethical codes of both psychology and counseling. This interdisciplinary approach promotes a better understanding of the similarities and differences in the points of emphasis in the two codes, which, in turn, enriches your understanding of the range of ethical considerations relevant to the practice of the mental health professions.

Stay up-to-date on the ethical and legal issues that affect your clinical and professional decisions! Ethical and Legal Issues for Mental Health Professionals: A Comprehensive Handbook of Principles and Standards details the ethical and legal issues that involve mental health professionals. Respected authorities with diverse backgrounds, expertise, and professional experience discuss contemporary theories emphasizing professional ethics, the ramifications of professional actions and decisions, and ethical standards on teaching, training, research, and publication. This informative handbook provides invaluable up-to-date information and guidelines vital for every mental health professional. This book is a thorough examination of ethical behavior which can be used as a reference source for the professional or a textbook for graduate students. The handbook itself is divided into five sections. The first section is a detailed introduction of ethics, law, and licensing. The second section presents general ethical principles like competence, integrity, and respect for individual rights and dignity. The third section examines confidentiality, privilege, consent, and protection. The fourth section focuses on general ethical standards in practice, including sexual contact, multiple relationships, and bartering. The fifth section presents the ethical principles and standards in teaching, training, and research. Appendices include the Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct (American Psychological Association, 2002) and the Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers (National Association of Social Workers, 1999). Ethical and Legal Issues for Mental Health Professionals: A Comprehensive Handbook of Principles and Standards discusses: the history of basic approaches and issues in ethical philosophy five fundamental areas in the process of developing competence the necessary ingredients for the mental health professional’s practice of integrity aspirational versus enforceable standards of ethics concern for the welfare of others as a core ethical principle the notion of social responsibility in the ethics codes of psychologists and social workers ethical principles, statutes, and case law protecting privacy and confidentiality issues involving the therapist-patient privilege the “duty to protect” doctrine and relevant legal issues the dynamics of multiple relationships and boundary violations sexualized dual relationships between psychologists and patients possible conflict of interest in bartering for services the requirements and implementation of maintaining patient records to avoid ethical and legal problems possible ethical dilemmas involving referrals and fees much, much more This Handbook is an essential resource for all mental health professionals, including psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, counselors, therapists, and graduate students in mental health and the related fields. Ethical and Legal Issues for Mental Health Professionals: A Comprehensive Handbook of Principles and Standards is the first of three volumes under this title. The following volumes will focus on forensic settings and special populations/special treatment modalities.

The legal system's impact and influence on the mental health profession has never been greater. Whether as a witness, plaintiff, or defendant, it is likely that a professional will have some kind of interaction with the law at least once in his/her career. More than ever, it is essential that psychologists, social workers, and counselors have a working knowledge of the legal and ethical mandates to which they will be held accountable. Legal and Ethical Dimensions for Mental Health Professionals is a complete guide to the law and ethics as they relate to clinical practice. These issues can often be very confusing as values and rules change based on clients and context. For example, a school counselor who works with children is bound by different rules of confidentiality than a psychologist who counsels adults. To simplify such issues, the authors divide information into the legal and ethical rules appropriate for various types of clients in a number of settings. The book opens with an explanation of the history of law related to mental health professionals, including a description of how and why laws related to clinicians are enacted. It then focuses on the therapist-client relationship and examines the many points at which legal and ethical considerations intersect with the practice of therapy. This comprehensive look at the standards of law and ethics is essential reading for not only graduate and doctoral level students in the mental health fields, but also practicing professionals.

Ethics for Psychotherapists and Counselors utilizes positive discussions accompanied by a variety of thought-provoking exercises, case scenarios, and writing assignments to introduce readers to all the major ethical issues in psychotherapy. First book designed to engage students and psychotherapists in the process of developing a professional identity that integrates their personal values with the ethics and traditions of their discipline Authors take a positive and proactive approach that encourages readers to go beyond following the rules and to strive for ethical excellence Utilizes a variety of thought-provoking exercises, case scenarios, and writing assignments Authors present examples from their own backgrounds to help clarify the issues discussed Text emphasizes awareness of one’s own ethical, personal, and cultural backgrounds and how these apply to one’s clinical practice

New and experienced psychotherapists alike can find themselves overwhelmed by an ethical quandary where there doesn't seem to be an easy solution. This book presents positive ethics as a means to overcome such ethical challenges. The positive approach focuses on not just avoiding negative consequences, but reaching the best possible outcomes for both the psychotherapist and the client. The authors outline a clear decision-making process that is based on three practical strategies: the ethics acculturation model to help therapists incorporate personal ethics into their professional roles, the quality enhancement model for dealing with high-risk patients who are potentially harmful, and ethical choice-making strategies to make the most ethical decision in a situation where two ethical principles conflict. Throughout the decision-making process, psychotherapists are encouraged to follow four basic guidelines: Focus on overarching ethical principles Consider intuitive, emotional, and other nonrational factors Accept that some problems have elusive solutions Solicit input from colleagues and consultation groups Numerous vignettes illustrate how to apply positive ethics to many different ethical challenges that psychotherapists will likely encounter in practice.