A CONCEPT PAPER ON ETHICAL MALPRACTICES IN COUNSELING ACROSS LEARNING INSTITUTIONS

Abstract

Counseling is a profession in which a trained professional counselor utilizes the available resources to help the

counselee to attain healing. It is characterized by principles, standards, morals, reasoning and universal regula

tions that govern the practice of counseling ethics. These ethics are meant to protect both the counselor and the

counselee. In counseling there are universal ethical standards which include the following: the safety of the per

son; which is the safety of both the counselor and the counselee in the counseling process, safety of the place of

counseling; which refers to the context and environment of the counseling office, counselor competence; which

is the professional competence of the counselor and the fitness of the practice; either at community-based,

hospital-based or private practice. A professionally trained counselor will be obliged to respect counselee’s

differences in lifestyles based on social economic class, consideration of fees structures, sexual orientation and

gender such as respect for the homosexuals and the divorced. The counselor will further need to respect coun

selee’s self-determination which involve counselee choices and decisions, and prohibit counselee abuse and

exploitation. There is need to keep contract with counselees, as individuals, families, couples and organizations,

which can be written and verbal contracts. The professional counselor has a duty to protect minors, keep confi

dentiality of both persons and information and has a duty to maintain professional reputation. Contrary to these,

the counselor will be said to be practicing unprofessionally, and the prominent which is the counselee’s healing

will not be realized.