ACA Code of Ethics
The following cases are of unethical behaviors. Please read each case then carefully decide how the behavior is unethical, which ACA Code of Ethics it violates and the damage, if any, it could cause if the behavior is not stopped.
Please write 1 paragraph for each case
Case 1:
An Intern has a new client assigned to them for therapy. The client states in the intake she just “want help with self-esteem issues”. Once she is in her first session with the Intern the client discloses that she is in an abusive relationship with her boyfriend currently and has a long history of domestic violence. The Intern does not have any training or experience in domestic violence but wants to work with the client so she continues to work with her.
Case 2:
A seasoned counselor accepts a $200.00 gift card as a “goodbye present’ from a client who is leaving therapy as he has met his goals. He insists the therapist keep the present. The gift card is to a restaurant the clients brother owns. The client also referred the brother to the counselor for therapy.
Case 3:
A counselor see’s their client in the grocery store, says hello to the client and begins a conversation and introduces the client to her friend she was shopping with “as her client”.
Case 4:
A counselor finds themselves attracted to their client they have seen for 3 sessions. After much thought and remembering the ACA Code of Ethics she decides to refer the client to another therapist so she can begin to date the client. They date for 2 years.
Case 5:
A supervisor who has been diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder and is normally stabilized on her medications and with therapy has recently stopped her medications due to side effects. She states “she feels fine”, in fact, she feels “better than ever”. Other staff have noticed that the supervisor is suddenly late often, agitated, talking very fast, and misses a lot of meetings and deadlines. The counselor insists she is fine and can continue to see clients and supervise other counselors and staff.
Case 6:
A counselor leaves all his clients’ files out on his desk open when he leaves every day, not locking them up, because he needs to write his notes the next morning and wants to make sure he remembers. Some Fridays he doesn’t get his notes done so he leaves the files out all weekend on his desk, so he remembers on Monday morning. He also finds himself falling further behind in his notes, sometimes 2 months behind.
