Professional Ethics Flashcards
6 cards from real NCE practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Professional Ethics flashcards as text
A counselor discovers that a colleague is having a sexual relationship with a current client. According to the ACA Code of Ethics, what is the counselor's PRIMARY obligation?
Answer: Take steps to address the situation, which may include reporting to licensing boards or supervisors
The ACA Code of Ethics (Section H.2) requires counselors who have knowledge of an ethical violation to take appropriate action, which may include consulting, reporting to licensing boards, or supervisor notification, especially when clients are being harmed.
Which of the following BEST illustrates the ethical principle of 'nonmaleficence' in counseling?
Answer: Avoiding techniques that are not supported by evidence and could harm the client
Nonmaleficence means 'do no harm.' In counseling, this includes avoiding harmful, discredited, or evidence-contradicting techniques that could cause psychological damage to clients.
When is it ethically permissible for a counselor to break confidentiality without the client's consent?
Answer: When the client poses a serious and foreseeable danger to an identifiable third party
The Tarasoff duty to protect (1976) established that therapists have an obligation to warn identifiable third parties when a client poses a credible, imminent threat to their safety. This is a recognized exception to confidentiality.
A counselor's client is also the counselor's neighbor. This situation represents:
Answer: A potential dual relationship that requires careful ethical decision-making
A dual relationship (also called a multiple relationship) exists when a counselor has two distinct roles with the same person. Living near a client is not automatically unethical but requires careful consideration of potential harm, the counselor's objectivity, and the client's welfare.
Under HIPAA, a counselor's psychotherapy notes have which level of protection compared to other medical records?
Answer: Greater protection -- they require specific authorization separate from general release
HIPAA provides psychotherapy notes (process notes) with extra protection. They are kept separate from the medical record and require a specific, separate authorization for disclosure -- general medical release forms do not cover them.
A counselor is working with a client who is terminally ill and wants to discuss the option of physician-assisted dying. The MOST ethical response is to:
Answer: Explore the client's concerns openly, provide information about all options, and respect client autonomy
Ethical counseling requires exploring the client's full range of feelings and concerns, including end-of-life options, while respecting client autonomy. Refusing to engage with the topic or acting without consent would violate multiple ethical principles.