Ethics for Counselors

Course Overview
The purpose of this course is to increase the professional counselor's knowledge base about ethical theories, principles, and the application of these principles to counseling practice. A historical context of ethics in counseling and in the larger context of the helping professions, such as medicine, social work, and other human service areas, will be explored. The course will also examine the specific components of ethical theories, ethical decision-making processes, the psychological context of moral development, multiculturalism, and the field's two major codes of ethics.

Learning Outcomes
Upon the completion of this course, the learner should be able to:

• Discuss the historical context of ethics in counseling.
• Define common terms such as ethics, values, morality, ethical dilemmas, and ethical principles.
• Discuss the ethical principles in the American Counseling Association (ACA) Code of Ethics and the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) Code of Ethics.
• Differentiate between deontologic, teleologic, motivist, natural law, transcultural ethical, feminist, and multicultural theories.
• Identify the different ethical decision-making models.
• Discuss the psychological context of ethical decision making by applying Lawrence Kohlberg's theory of moral development.
• Outline ethical issues that emerge with counseling in managed care systems.
• Review issues that arise in online counseling, including sociocultural context, ethical and legal issues, and standards for ethical practice.

About the Author/Presenter
Alice Yick Flanagan, PhD, MSW, received her Master’s in Social Work from Columbia University, School of Social Work. She has clinical experience in mental health in correctional settings, psychiatric hospitals, and community health centers. In 1997, she received her PhD from UCLA, School of Public Policy and Social Research. Dr. Yick Flanagan completed a year-long post-doctoral fellowship at Hunter College, School of Social Work in 1999. In that year she taught the course Research Methods and Violence Against Women to Masters degree students, as well as conducting qualitative research studies on death and dying in Chinese American families.

Previously acting as a faculty member at Capella University and Northcentral University, Dr. Yick Flanagan is currently a contributing faculty member at Walden University, School of Social Work, and a dissertation chair at Grand Canyon University, College of Doctoral Studies, working with Industrial Organizational Psychology doctoral students. She also serves as a consultant/subject matter expert for the New York City Board of Education and publishing companies for online curriculum development, developing practice MCAT questions in the area of psychology and sociology. Her research focus is on the area of culture and mental health in ethnic minority communities.

Audience/Accreditations and Approvals
Colibri Healthcare
This course is designed for the following healthcare professions (select your profession for details):
Counselor

If you require special accommodations, please contact Colibri Healthcare Support by clicking here: Contact Us