MICROLAB

MICROLAB

Integrating Emerging Theories into Ethical Practice though Case Analysis

(Olguin, 2005)

This activity is only for professional development purposes. Do not turn-in your responses to this activity.

Resolving Ethical Dilemmas

American Counseling Association (ACA, 1995)

Autonomy- promote client independence and self-determination
Nonmaleficence- to do no harm (blatantly or inadvertently) to clients
Beneficence- to promote (good) growth and welfare of clients
Justice- the counselor’s commitment to fairness with clients (time, resources, fees, etc)
Fidelity- the counselors’ honest promises and honoring commitments to clients through a trusting and therapeutic relationship

Beauchamp and Childress (2001)

Veracity- to tell the truth without lying or deception
Privacy- limit client’s access to information about themselves
Confidentiality- client’s are in control of the information they share

Values and Career Development Interventions

(Tjeltveit, 1986)

To inform one’s self about the variety of values held in society
Be aware of personal values
Present value option to clients in an objective, unbiased manner
Commit ones self to promote client freedom of choice
Respect client values
Consult when necessary
Refer clients when you have a difficult time separating moral, religious or political differences

Top ACA cited Ethical Dilemmas

Personal Relationships
Confidentiality
Counseling Relationships
Professional Responsibility
Relationships with Other Professionals

CASE SCENARIOS

First, choose a theory then read the theory and accompanying case scenario. Review and discuss the theory, case scenario and reflection questions in your small group. Once you have discussed the theory, case scenario and reflection questions in your group, the group will present the theory, case scenario and reflection questions to the class-as-a-whole.

Krumboltz’s Learning Theory and NCDA Ethical Standards Section A: General (pp. 446-447).

There are two parts to Krumboltz’s Learning Theory: Social Learning Theory of Career Decision Making (SLTCDM) and Learning Theory of Career Counseling (LTCC)
Factors that influence one’s career choice: Genetic, Environmental, Instrumental and Associative learning experiences and Task Approach Skills
Help clients: expand capabilities and interests, cope with changing works tasks, take action, and deal with all career problems
Client’s learn when counselor’s help them: correct faulty assumptions, learn new skills and interests, identify effective strategies to address issues between work and other life roles, and learn to cope with changing work tasks
Interventions are: Developmental/Preventive & Targeted/Remedial

Sharon is a 25 year-old male who is in the process of becoming a female. His birth name is Michael, and ever since he began hormone treatment he decided to begin using the name, Sharon. He has been administered hormone treatments for three months now, and he believed that changing his name would help him transform his self-perceptions and identity. There are times he still uses his birth name, Michael; and, he is still unsure whether he wants other people to begin identifying him as Sharon or to continue as a Michael. To a greater extent, he predominately ascribes to his male gender and identity yet at times he assumes the role of a female when he is with his friends. He has been in intensive psychotherapy since he was 19 years-old and reports that he began when he stated having doubts about his “true identity.” He was referred to the university career counseling center because he is conflicted with what he wants to do after he completes college. He is a senior, majoring in sociology, and fearful of the stage of transgender development that he will be at once he graduates in seven months. The primary conflict is whether he should move out the small community in which he grew-up and now resides in order to pursue his career. The secondary concern is which career path to take. He states that his father is an engineer for the railroad company and his mother is a high school teacher at the high school that he graduated from. Refer to ACA’s code of ethics for further guidance.

Reflection Questions

What were your initial thoughts while reading the case?

Is this theory applicable for Sharon, and why?

Based on Learning Theory, what are possible faulty assumptions Sharon may ascribe?

Which ethical codes do you adhere to first, NCDA or ACA?

What is/are possible ethical and legal dilemmas presented for some career counselors?

Is the Learning Theory appropriate or does it create a potential ethical dilemma in itself?

What interventions would you use with Sharon (describe Developmental/Preventive or Targeted/Remedial)?

Which, if any, counselor-client values conflict with one another?

Which “factors that influence one’s career choice” do you believe were influential in Sharon’s choice in college major?

If Sharon wanted to see you in your private practice and not at the university career counseling office, what is your responsibility and obligation?

Which of ACA’s ethical codes will career counselors have to be familiar with regarding this case?

If you are not aware of transgender issues, can you still provide career counseling, and why?

Can you think of any other ethical and/or legal implications?

Kent’s, Brown’s, and Hackett’s Social Cognitive Career Theory and Section B: The Counseling Relationship (pp. 447-448).

Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) assumes that cognition play important role in career development and decision-making
SCCT incorporates Bandura’s triadic reciprocal model of causality (goals, self-efficacy and outcome expectations)
Self-Efficacy is one’s judgments of abilities to organize and successfully execute courses of action (one’s beliefs about their abilities are a central role in career decision-making; clients either move towards or away from performing certain actions)
Four forces of self-efficacy: personal performances, vicarious learning, social persuasion, and psychological states and reactions (i.e., low self-esteem can result in either increased depression and anxiety)
Interventions are directed at strengthening one’s self-efficacy and outcome expectations

Keith is an 18-year old Caucasian, soon-to-be high school graduate. He wants to seek career counseling services from his high school counselor because he is experiencing increased pressures from his parents to enter the Army. Keith is a legacy; his parents are both retired from the Army, and now, both his older brother and sister are currently on active duty deployed overseas. Keith sees the good in the armed services yet he is not interested in that route. He was thinking about becoming an artist, a psychologist, a botanist, a police officer, or a dental hygienist. He does well academically (3.0 GPA) and has an array of interests. In is spare time he like to paint and draw, play baseball (which he is currently the captain of the varsity team), hang out with his friends, consume segrams-7 mix drinks and occasionally smokes pot on the weekends, and participates in philanthropic activities at the local Dead American Veterans chapter. Refer to ACA’s ethical codes for further guidance.

Reflection Questions

How applicable is this theory to work with Keith?

How do you believe Keith’s cognitions have been influenced by his family members?

How would you go about to test Keith’s level of self-efficacy regarding his occupational choices?

How does confidentiality play into this case?

What do you think about Keith’s drug and alcohol use and how they can relate to clear and imminent danger?

What if the school’s policy is to report students who use drugs and alcohol, then do you report and why?

If Keith wanted drug and alcohol counseling would you provide the service?

What legal implications can/may surface in this case?

What interventions would you suggest for Keith to help him narrow his career choice/college major/enter the army?

Do you continue to work with Keith knowing that his parents want him to go directly into the army?

If Keith was in a group setting at school then what would you do to foster confidentiality among group members?

What other ethical implications should be taken into consideration?

The Cognitive Information Processing (CIP) Approach with Section C: Measurement and Evaluation (pp. 448-449).

Cognitive Information Processing (CIP) Approach states that Cognitions and Emotions interact with one another
Cognitions and Knowledge influence career problem-solving
Career development is on-going and knowledge continues to evolve
Goal of CIP is to strengthen information processing skills
Three-tiered pyramid describe four domains of cognition involved in career choice (self-knowledge; occupational knowledge; decision-making skills; and metacognitions such as self-talk, self-awareness, and monitoring and control of cognitions)
Second Tier is CASVE Cycle (communication, analysis, synthesis, valuing, execution) is used to teach decision-making skills
Third Tier (executive processing) is a framework to explore and challenge metacognitions (feelings, beliefs, values, biases, etc.)
7-Step Career Interventions: Interview client; Assess client readiness; Define problem and analyze causes; Collaborate with client to form problem-solving and decision-making goals; Give client list of needed activities and resources; Client executes individual learning plan; Conduct review of client progress and generalize learning to other career problems to prepare client

Omar is a 35-year old male who is six years new to the United States. Prior to living in the United States, he was born and raised in Saudi Arabia where he was trained in mechanical engineer. He has been married to Delini for 12 years and has three children, ages 11, 10 and 8. He is seeking a career counselor because he is unsure of his continued success in the engineering field. He is quickly loosing interest and does not want to get fired due to poor performance. Maintaining a job is of particular importance because he has to provide for his family; not to mention, he fears what his parents (who remain in Saudi Arabia) will say if they find out that he cannot provide for his family. He is also worried that he will bring about shame to his wife. He does know that he wants to pursue an alternative career but is unsure of his available options here in the United States. After the first session the career counselor gave Omar a website as they were walking out the door and recommended that he log onto the site and complete the information so that they can go over it next session. During the second session the career counselor used three computerized assessments with Omar; in addition to briefly reviewing the assignment he did since last session. Refer to ACA’s code of ethics for further guidance.

Reflection Questions

How applicable is this theory to work with Omar?

What emotions and thought ado you think Omar may be experiencing but not willing to disclose?

Based on the CIP Approach, what would you tell Omar to help normalize what he is going through?

Based on the information in this scenario, where in the 7-step career interventions would Omar be and where would you want to begin?

What Tier would pose increased difficulty for Omar and why?

According to ethical codes, how did the career counselor possibly violate ethical codes?

What problem-solving and decision-making goals would you have in mind is you were Omar’s career counselor?

What other ethical implications should be taken into consideration?

Brown’s Values Theory with Section D: Research and Publication (pp. 449-450).

Brown purports that values address cultural issues, an area that has lacked in the career literature
Values are standards and beliefs that contain cognitive, emotional and behavioral dimensions
Values are acquired from society and are shaped by genetics and the environment
People evaluate the actions of self and others to develop and/or strengthen their value system
Choices that coincide with values are essential to satisfaction
High functioning people have well-developed and prioritized values
Success in any roles depends on one’s abilities to perform specific functions
Counselors must assess: intrapersonal value conflicts, mood problems, whether values have been crystallized and prioritized, useful value-based information, and determine whether clients understand how career choices affect other life roles
Clients are classified into two categories: planned and unplanned

Planned Career Changes- Counselors must assess: intrarole and interrole conflict contribute to dissatisfaction and the degree of one’s flexibility (relocation, training, qualifications)
Unplanned Career Changes- Counselors must assess whether: mood problems exist, there are financial concerns, existing career opportunities can satisfy values, clients can make changes to increase life satisfaction derived from other life roles

Si is a 16-year old male who was born in Vietnam. He and his family moved to the United States when he was 3-years old. He is the oldest of five children, of which all of his younger siblings were born in the United States. Si, unlike his siblings prefers to speak Vietnamese. He does well in his studies and has maintained a 3.7 grade point average. He has not been particularly active in school nor community activities, he reports that he does not have much time for extracurricular activities as he must help care for his siblings and grandparents while his parents are away after school hours. In past sessions with Si, he has not been able to identify his interests, skills, and values. As the high school counselor, you have noted that the Vietnamese population has been increasing in large numbers. You have been putting together a research grant to study career decision and career development among this population because you believe that the school district and school administrators are not aware of the career and emotional aspects that affect the Vietnamese high school students. You report emotional difficulties because you have been working with a majority of the Vietnamese students, and have noted that many of them do not want to pursue careers and vocations that their parents recommend. Many of the students, especially Si, have expressed interest in participating in your latest research yet the support from parents is not welcoming. Refer to ACA’s ethical codes for further guidance.

Reflection Questions

What values does Si ascribe?

How applicable is this theory to work with Si, and why?

What ethical obligations do you have to Si and to his parents?

What thoughts and emotions do you think Si is experiencing?

How would you work with Si and convey that career choices affect other life roles, and which of his roles would be in conflict?

Can harm be caused by having students participate in research without parental consent, and why?

If you conduct a study and publish the results and another researcher wants your data, do you give it to him/her?

If the results reflect negatively on the school or school district, do you not report the results, and why?

Do you believe Si is high functioning or not, and why?

What other ethical implications should be taken into consideration?

Hansen’s Integrated Life Planning (ILP) with Section E: Consulting (p. 450).

ILP focus is on: adult development (self and societal knowledge), counselors as change agents and advocates, and helping clients develop integrated thinking (local and global communities)
ILP draws upon psychology, sociology, economics, multiculturalism, and constructivism
Is a worldview to address career development (ethnicity, race, gender, SES, spirituality, etc.)
Holistic- incorporates mind, body and spirit (multiple aspects of people are interrelated)
Planning connotes personal agency (self-helpfulness and self-determination)
Six tasks that confront adults: finding work that results in a socially just world; integrate live roles into occupational choice; connect family and work; value individualism and collectivism; manage personal transitions and organizational change; explore spirituality and life purpose
Counselors must help clients: understand the 6 tasks that confront adults, see the interrelatedness of tasks, and help clients prioritize tasks according to their needs

Roland is a 46-year old Native American who was not raised on a reservation, although he ascribes to the many of traditions. He frequents the reservation as often as he can to partake in the customs and ceremonies. He has come to you for career counseling, as the suggestion of legal advisors. Throughout his working life after high school, he has not had success in finding the right job. He reported dissatisfaction in every job that he has ever held. He encountered and accident while on his last job and got injured. He has been on worker’s compensation for 13 months and continues to report that he cannot return to work because of his leg injury. He had stated that he is unable to work because he can’t stand or walk but for minutes at a time. One day, during the weekend you took your dog for a walk at a nearby park. You took your dog to the designated gated area so that your dog could run and play with the other dogs; at a quick glance, you see several individuals playing basketball at the courts. For a second, you thought that you saw Roland playing basketball, but you told yourself that it can’t be him because he is injured and can’t stand or walk for short periods of time. You are unsure and take a second and third look, so, you walk to the other side of the enclosed dog-run to get a better look. Sure enough, you see that Roland is one of the basketball players on the court. You continue playing with your dog while keeping an eye on Roland to see if he complains about his leg. After 45-minutes of watching both your dog and Roland, it is time to head back home. On the walk home, you begin questioning yourself as what you should do because worker’s compensation is paying his fees for career counseling. You feel enraged at the fact that he may not have been telling the truth as to his condition and you begin to think about the sessions. You think about some of his behaviors and start to recall that he has been ever so subtly resistant during the past two sessions. Refer to ACA’s ethical codes for further guidance (i.e., p. 429).

Reflection Questions

Will the ILP theory work well for this case, and why?

How can Roland’s worldview be influencing his career decisions?

How and when would you begin to consult with Roland?

With whom else would you consult?

How would the Holistic key concept of this theory be used with Roland during sessions?

Which of the “six tasks that confront adults” would you begin to target with Roland?

How would you work with Roland to help him see the interrelatedness of the “tasks”?

What other ethical codes (NCDA and ACA) should be taken into consideration regarding this case?

The Postmodern approach of Narrative (Cochran) with Section F: Privative Practice (pp. 450-451).

Cochran states that counselors must: understand careers as they are lived (subjective experiences), embrace multicultural perspectives (there are many truths, not just one), and emphasize personal agency (self-helpfulness and self-determination)
Show how people can become active agents and that movement though life has meaning and coherence
Have clients create a story based on their lives; understand and articulate main character to be lived out in a specific career plot
In order to create a narrative, stories must contain a beginning, middle and an end; stories organize pieces into a whole; the plot of the story specifies what has been accomplished (i.e., the beginning identifies problems to overcome, the middle attempts to resolve problems, and the end represents the solution to the problem)
Articulation is the process of composing a narrative as the primary vehicle to define a character and a plot
People tell stories that infuse parts of their lives with great meaning and de-emphasize other parts of their lives (counselors look at the infused and de-emphasized story parts)
Interventions in career counseling: use techniques such as card sorts, laddering, testing, and drawing to elaborate a career problem; use life line, life chapters, accomplishments interview to compose a life history; use life line, life chapters, accomplishments interview to build a future narrative; encourage job shadowing, volunteer work, internships, information interviews and part-time employment to help construct reality; help clients identify needs and establish priorities, strengths, and identify and use formal/informal sources of support to change a life structure; have clients role-play to define positive and negative aspects then have them reflect after participating in each activity; and, help clients crystallize a decision by translating potential into actual realities through the examination of values, guided fantasy, identified life themes, and identifying internal and external barriers.

Tameka is an 11-year old female that was brought in for career counseling at her parent’s request. They were self-referred after they read your advertisement, “Adult counseling and career counseling services for community members.” Both of her parents are master’s graduates from Ivy League schools. They reported that Tameka has not been taking life seriously as she has been suspended from school for fighting. They believe that her recent course of action is going to land her in the youth detention center, and if that happens, they believe her career choices will be limited. As the career counselor you are aware that Tameka’s parents appear to be “pushing her over her limits.” You come to this hypothesis based on Tameka’s reports during session. Tameka is not aware of her interests, skills, and values because she stated that she spends increased amounts of time studying and is not socially active with age-related peers. Refer to ACA’s ethical codes for further guidance (i.e., counseling minors, p. 427).

Reflection Questions

As the career counselor, do you take on this case; and why?

Is this theory applicable for Tameka, and why?

Suppose that you take on this case, what ethical obligations do you have to Tameka and to her parents?

How would you introduce Tameka to the development of a narrative?

What do you think her narrative will look like?

How would you suggest changing your advertisement so that potential clients do not become confused as to the services they receive?

What types of interventions would you used to help Tameka gain awareness as to her interests, skills, and values?

Would you work with her parents as well, and why?

Which other ethical concerns should be taken into consideration regarding this case?

The Postmodern approach of Contextualizing Career Development (Young, Valach, & Collin) with Section B: Counseling Relationship (pp. 447-448).

Contextualism is based on mental representation and objective reality
People make sense out of lives through events (career and action are related)
People construct careers through action (action is organized by prioritizing goals, ordering actions, and using different actions for different goals)
Action involves the behavior taken, thoughts and feelings related to behaviors, and meaning applied to self and others

Action is purposive and directed towards specific goals
Action is embedded in their context

Change is a dominant role in career development
Career and action emerge as clients and counselors engage with one another

Carmella is a 32-year old female of Mexican American decent who lies in the southwest region of New Mexico. She is an only child, the third generation to grow-up in the United States, and a first-generation college-graduate. Both of her parents have a high school education and have been employed at their respective places of employment. Roberto, her father has been employed with the county for 20 years and her mother, Louisa has been employed as a cook in the public schools for 19 years. Carmella complains that her parents, and even some of her other family members, do not understand her. Since graduation, with a bachelor’s in Fine Arts, she has had five different jobs. She is currently working at a not-for-profit community organization that helps children with their schoolwork. She has been there for eight months and is beginning to feel as though she wants to quit. Carmella stated during the first session that she doesn’t believe career counseling services will help her. She has also mentioned that her father was not happy to find out the she was seeing a counselor. He told her that they can help her out and that she doesn’t need to be going to a counselor. Despite her (and her father’s) reservations, Carmella showed up for a second session. She has reported on a couple of occasions that she feels empty and that she could be doing more with her life and in a career. She enjoys helping children and see that many of the youth she works with are from families similar to her own. She doe not believe that they are encouraged to pursue their own goals in life. Refer to ACA’s ethical codes for further guidance.

Reflection Questions

What do you think Carmella’s mental images and objective reality look like?

Is this theory applicable to Carmella, and how?

What thoughts and feelings do you believe Carmella is experiencing?

What events do you think Carmella engaged in while in college?

How do you think her college experiences have conflicted with her overall life goals?

What issues of diversity do you need to be aware of in order to effectively work with Carmella?

What do you believe her constant changing of jobs is actually saying to you as a career counselor?

How would you use “change” in sessions to foster the client-counselor relationship?

Are there any underlying potential dangers regarding Carmella’s sate of being?

Which other ethical implications should be taken into consideration regarding this case?

The Postmodern approach of Constructivist Career Counseling (Peavy) with Section A: General (pp. 446-447) and Section C: Measurement and Evaluation (pp. 448-449).

People are active organizers of their experiences and construct meaning through decisions and actions
Constructs are personal theories of people and events that are refined over time
Life transitions produce change in one’s personal constructs
Career counselors must consider: a) how to develop relationships with clients; b) how to encourage personal agency (self-helpfulness and self-determination); c) how to help clients elaborate and evaluate decisions; and, d) how to help clients reconstruct and negotiate personally meaningful and socially supportable realities

Walter is a 21-year old Caucasian who is currently working in the electronics field. He received his Associates degree last year and thought that his life would be different now that he finished school and has a job. He disclosed that he pursued an Associates degree in electronics because his uncle would always speak highly about his own profession as an electronics repairman. During the first session (at the community college) he reports that he has been dating the same girl for three years and is seeing their relationship decline. He states that he has a lot to do with the decline of the relationship because of his unhappiness with his work. He also reported that one night he slapped his girlfriend because she would stop “hounding” him to make more money. When he reported the slap, this triggered your past experiences with a significant other. You have done your best to remain open and objective to help Walter yet there are times when you do not hear what he says. As the counseling session evolves you find yourself having a difficult time with him because he is unable to expand on his skills, values, and interests. Refer to ACA’s ethical codes for further guidance.

Reflection Questions

What do you believe led Walter’s construction of occupational meaning to major in electronics?

Why do you believe Walter is reconsidering an occupational change?

How will this theory work for Walter, is it applicable to him?

How would you encourage Walter to strengthen his personal agency?

What interventions would you suggest for Walter?

What self-information will be helpful for Walter, and why?

Is there clear and imminent danger in this case?

What would determine whether Walter is referred or not?

What ethical concerns are important to consider regarding testing and evaluation?

What other ethical concerns can you mention that may emerge as a result of this case?