VALUE RIGHTS, RESPONSIBILITIES
AND ACCOUNTABILITIES OF
COUNSELORS
Valuing Rights of Individuals, Professional Responsibilities, and
Accountabilities of Counselors
VALUING RIGHTS OF INDIVIDUALS, PROFESSIONAL
RESPONSIBILITIES, AND ACCOUNTABILITIES OF
COUNSELORS
• Professional counselors must always observe utmost respect for their
counselee, not just because they are in authority, but also because the
counselee has sought help from them.
• The counselees’ vulnerability is already a signal that they are incapable of
handling themselves. And when it comes to sensitive matters, counselors
build an atmosphere of comfort and security for their clients.
• The atmosphere of protection and integrity give them a sense of
security.
• The confidentiality and protection of the “self” comes first in the mind
of a counselor.
• As counselors venture to the counselee’s problem, they must commit in giving
importance/value to the rights of individuals and demonstrate accountability;
1. Respecting the rights and dignity of every person.
• Professional counselors must bear in mind that each individual is unique.
• No matter how unruly the behavior of an individual is, he or she deserves to be
treated fairly, to be listened to about what he or she thinks and feels, and to be
respected.
2. Respecting the client’s rights as self-governing individual.
• Counselors feel responsible for the welfare of their clients. However, counselors
must also remember that their clients have the capacity to help themselves and are
capable of making choices on how to do it.
• Counselors must communicate trust to their clients to encourage maturity and
sense of responsibility, even outside the counseling session.
3. Being committed to the client’s well-being.
• Professional counselors demonstrate dedication to their work by
showing concern to their client during counseling session and even after
the session.
4. Observing fairness to all the clients by providing equal
opportunity to everyone who has availed of the counseling service.
• Counselors do not only provide counseling to few and selected groups,
but they accommodate individuals from all walks of life regardless of age,
gender, ethnicity, socio-economic status; whether they are students or
professionals.
• The counselor must render services to whoever is willing and interested
to be helped professionally.
5. Enhancing the quality of their professional knowledge and
application.
• Counselors provide quality service by keeping themselves updated on issues and trends
in their profession.
• Counselors must continuously attend conferences and conventions or enroll in
advanced studies.
• They must also join professional organizations aimed at developing their
competencies.
6. Being responsive to the society.
• Counselors collaborate with other members of the community to provide the best
services for their clients.
• They work hand in hand with the parents, teachers, school administrators and
other stakeholders to further help the students.
ETHICAL
CONSIDERATIONS IN
COUNSELING
Professional Ethical Principles in Guidance and
Counseling
PROFESSIONAL ETHICAL PRINCIPLES
IN GUIDANCE AND COUNSELING
•Counselors must treat their counselee with utmost
care and compassion because their profession
compels them to do so.
•Counselors adhere to ethical principles, so as to
guide them in their pursuit for professionalism and in
the performance of their practice.
CONFIDENTIALITY
• This principle states that counselees have the right to privacy
in working with his or her counselor (Hutchinson, 2014).
• All information shared by the counselee, including his or her
identity, must be kept secret.
• This means that the counselor should not divulge any
information and protect all documents about the counselee.
• There is an exception to this rule. If this entails public safety
and public concern, let’s say, threat to life of the counselee
(potential suicidal) the counselor has an obligation to report
the threat.
CLIENT WELFARE
• It is the counselor’s primary responsibility to protect
the welfare of the clients.
• Hence, if the identified needs of the counselee are
beyond the expertise of the counselor, then the
counselor, must refer the client to another
professional.
• As such, counselor must be knowledgeable about
cultural and clinically appropriate sources of referral
which they may suggest to the counselee.
INFORMED CONSENT
• Counselors requires counselee to waive or inform the
clients of the overview of the sessions, and this includes
the whole process of the counseling.
• Explaining the step-by-step process and the risks
involved (information divulge, policies and the rights of
the counselee to withdraw) provides options for the
counselee to see possible outcomes or alternatives
whether to push through or not.
RELATIONSHIP WITH CLIENTS
• This principle is all about boundaries and limitations that may arise on the
relationship of the client and counselor.
• This also pertains within or outside of the counseling session.
• The counselor must be aware and be bound by the ethics of professional
relationship with clients.
• Counselors should not be engaged in any personal relationship with the
clients.
• Since clients tend to be vulnerable and helpless at times, they become
dependent on and see the counselor as a companion.
• No matter how emotionally vulnerable the clients are, counselors must
set professional limits.
PROFESSIONALISM
• A professional counselor should clarify with the client
the type of activities other than counseling which will be
utilized to address the pressing concerns, the
techniques, and counseling procedures that will be
employed and the sort of payment that is expected to
be paid if working in a private setting.
• As a professional individual, the limitations of
confidentiality must also be clarified to the counselee.