Your Order
Ethical Decision-Making in an Assisted Suicide Counseling Case
Sample Content
Assisted Suicide Case Analysis Using the Principle-Based Ethical Decision-Making Model
Case Analysis Based on Principle-Based Ethical Decision-Making Model
Following the American Psychological Association’s Guidelines
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Date
Referencing Style: APA / Word Count: 1531
Case Analysis Based on Principle-Based Ethical Decision-Making Model
Taking a closer look at the proposed case of Assisted Suicide, the ethical dilemma that arises in the given case, is the Value conflicts between the Counselor and the Client (Martin et al., 2015, p.7). In the given scenario, the personal values of the Counselor can influence the client as they seek advice from the Counselor, who has different sets of values and ethics that may contradict with those of the client. Thus, it is a case of Ethical Dilemma that needs to be addressed by following the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice of the Canadian Counseling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA).
Ethical Considerations according to the Canadian Counseling and Psychotherapy Association’s (CCPA) Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice
There are fundamental principles that guide the Code of Ethics, namely, Beneficence, Fidelity, Nonmaleficence, Autonomy, Justice and Societal Interest (CCPA Code of Ethics, p. 2). In the proposed case, where the client has helped her third husband end his life from excruciating pain, the fundamental principles of Nonmaleficence, and Justice are contradicting the Ethics in purview of Human Rights, as guided by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). As stated by Article 3 of the UDHR, everyone has the right to life, liberty and the security of person (Universal Declaration of Human Rights, n.d.), the inalienable Human Right has been compromised in this case. Thus, there emerges the Ethical Dilemma that can be resolved using Principle-Based Ethical Decision-Making Model.
The Six-step Principle-Based Ethical Decision-Making Model and the Case Analysis
Principle-based Ethical Decision-making model is a six-step model enshrined in the CCPA Code of Ethics. As evident, the case involves an Ethical Dilemma that can be resolved as per the six-step Principle-based Model of Ethical Decision- Making.
Following are the Steps involved in the analysis of the case of Wanda:
Step One – What are the key ethical issues involved in the case?
From the given scenario of Assisted Suicide, the Value conflicts between the Counselor and the client have arisen (Martin et al., 2015, p.7) and thus, it is an Ethical Dilemma. Simply put, the Value conflict is whether the Counselor should report the issue of assisted suicide to police or not.
Step Two – What ethical articles from the CCPA Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice are relevant to this situation?
It involves finding ethical articles from the CCPA that are relevant to the situation. As per the Code of Ethics, the primary Responsibility of the Counselor is to respect the integrity and promote the welfare of the client and keep the revelation of Wanda Confidential (B1 and B2 of CCPA Code of Ethics, p. 9). However, since there is an exception to keeping the revelation confidential, as guided by the CCPA, according to which, the information of the client has an exception to be kept confidential in cases where jurisprudence demands that confidential material should be revealed (B2 (ii) of CCPA Code of Ethics, p. 9). As per the Article, the case can be disclosed to the third party as it involves jurisprudence.
The case may also require third-party revelation (A10. of CCPA Code of Ethics, p. 7). According to this Article, if the Counselor is required to share the counseling information with third parties, they must discuss and document with client, as per the initial and ongoing informed consent (A10. of CCPA Code of Ethics, p. 7).
Step Three – Which of the six ethical principles are of major importance in this situation?
It involves identifying the morals and principles that are relevant to the situation. Of the six Ethical principles cited in the CCPA Code of Ethics, Nonmaleficence (doing no harm), Justice (acting fairly), Fidelity (upholding the client’s trust) and Societal interest are relevant. The Ethical Dilemma in this case makes it difficult to take a justified decision. On one hand, actions and intentions of Wanda are to be judged and on the other hand, the ethical dilemma concerning the breach of Human Rights is to be judged. Since the decision-making is getting difficult, at this stage, additional information needs to be secured and consulting with other knowledgeable colleagues is advised. The alternative options also need to be weighed upon and explored, in order to make the best decision out of the situation.
Step Four – How can the relevant ethical articles be applied in this circumstance?
This step involves exploring the ethical articles from the Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics, relevant in the wake of resolving the ethical dilemma.
As per the Standards of Practice Article 3; Boundaries of Competence, Counselors restrict their services to counsel individuals within the boundaries of their competence, as defined by their verifiable education, experience and training. They also restrict the Counseling services based on their legal authority, functions and jurisdiction of employment (CCPA Standards of Practice, 2015, p.3). In case, the Counselors wish to extend their professional services beyond the boundaries of competence, they must acquire the required verifiable education and training under the supervision of experts who have expertise in that area (CCPA Standards of Practice, 2015, p.3). In cases where the counselors feel that the case is beyond the boundaries of competence, they can make appropriate referrals for the client (CCPA Standards of Practice, 2015, p.3). Further, if the prospects of case being referred to a specialist is limited, the Counselors can then take required consultation (CCPA Standards of Practice, 2015, p.3). In this case, if the Counselor finds the case beyond their boundary of competence, they could make the required referral to a person who has expertise in the required field or get suitable professional consultation from the person dealing with legal counseling.
Step Five – What do the Counselor’s feelings and intuitions tell them to do in this situation?
This step involves using emotional decision-making techniques rather than thinking more rationally and cognitively that the Counselor has been doing till Step four. This step involves incorporating virtue-based ethics that could show help and consideration for the client (Martin et al., 2015, p. 17). At this step, the counselor could think intuitively if the client was righteous in assisting the suicide of her husband, who was experiencing excruciating pain. Was it not the best she could do at that point in time? And, what if the counselor reveals the truth to the legal authorities that may lead to imprisonment to the client? How would the Counselor confront themselves in case they inform the police regarding the humanely right client? And lastly, would counselor’s revealing truth be better or even worse for the client and for the society?
Step Six - What plan of action will be most helpful in this situation?
In light of the above CCPA Standards of Practice, the options of seeking advice from other counselors can be explored. At this stage, an analysis of the possible actions, their consequences and outcomes need to be weighed upon by chalking out the possible courses of action.
Considering the Code of Ethics, Standards of Practice and the jurisprudence, Wanda’s case could be best presented as below:
| Options for Actions | Benefits | Risks | Probable Outcomes |
Option 1 Avoid the issue |
May be the easiest way out |
The problem remains unresolved. |
The Counselor might end up losing their job. |
Option 2 Keep Counseling Wanda and let her find solace through Counseling |
Basis Their Professional judgement, Counselor can counsel as to what is best for Wanda |
Wanda comes for Counseling but is left unaware whether she has done right or wrong in aiding the suicide of her husband. |
Things might work out but no consideration or heed is paid to the act of assisted suicide |
Option 3 Informing Wanda that she shouldn’t have breached the law and should have consulted the doctors at the time when her husband was in excruciating pain, followed by reporting the activity to the appropriate authorities |
Wanda’s punitive act will be taken heed of and she will act responsibly in future. |
Lose Wanda as a client and might be some other clients |
Initially, Wanda might act angrily but would be reprimanded of not to do any such actions in future. |
Conclusion
Summarizing, Wanda’s Case of Assisted suicide of her husband, is a complicated case of ethical dilemma. As per the Canadian Counseling and Psychotherapy Association’s Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice, the case was analyzed with the help of Principle-based Ethical Decision-making Model. The first step of the six-step model helped in finding out the key ethical issue followed by the second step of finding out the ethical articles relevant to the case. The third step involved identification of the ethical principles being compromised and the fourth step involved review of the ethical articles from the Canadian Counseling and Psychotherapy Association’s Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice that could help resolve the ethical issue. The fifth step involved using virtue-based ethical decision-making technique and the last step involved resolving the issue through the plan of actions that could best fit in according to the given situation. All the dimensions of the case have been visualized and the Counselor should go ahead with the best course of action that could be righteous in purview of Ethical principles of Autonomy, Beneficence, Nonmaleficence, Justice, Fidelity and Societal Interest.
References
Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. (2015). Standards of practice (5th ed.). CCPA. Available at http://www.ccpa-accp.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/StandardsOfPractice_en_June2015.pdf
Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. (2020). Code of ethics. CCPA. Available at https://www.ccpa-accp.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/CCPA-2020-Code-of-Ethics-E-Book-EN.pdf
Martin, L., Shepard, B., & Lehr, R. (Eds.). (2015). Canadian counselling and psychotherapy experience: Ethics-based issues and cases. Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (n.d.) UDHR. United Nations. Available at