THE PROFESSIONAL AND

PRACTITIONERS IN THE
DISCIPLINE OF COUNSELING
RIGHTS, RESPONSIBILITIES, ACCOUNTABILITIES AND CODE OF ETHICS OF
COUNSELOR
Count Me in, Count Me Out: Will I Give My
Job or Not?
SITUATION
If you are a counselor and you have fallen in
love with your client and your client also fallen
in love with you. Since, it is unethical to pursue
on the relationship; you have to quit your job.
Your job is also important to you. Now, what
will be your decision?
Count Me in, Count Me Out: Will I Give My
Job or Not?
In the area of counselling relationships of Code of
Ethics, it states that, “Counselors should not have
any serious relationship with clients and do not
counsel person with whom they have intimate
relationship. Counselor should not also engage in
any form of intimacies with former client within a
minimum of two years.”
 RIGHTS, RESPONSIBILITIES AND
ACCOUNTABILITIES OF COUNSELORS
As state registered and licensed professionals, counselors are
protected. They are governed by scientific theories, practices and
processes as well as professional standards and ethics. They are
responsible for the practice of their profession in accordance with
their mandates and professional guidelines and ethics. They are
accountable to their clients, the professional body, and the
government. It is critical that the counselor and the client fully
understand the nature of the concerns, which leads to a contract to
take action on a mutually agreed upon problem. (Peterson and
Nisenholz 1987).
CODE OF ETHICS OF COUNSELORS

 PRINCIPLE 1: Respect for the rights

and dignity of the client
 PRINCIPLE 2: Competence
 PRINCIPLE 3: Responsibility
 PRINCIPLE 4: Integrity
CODE OF ETHICS OF COUNSELORS
 PRINCIPLE 1: Respect for the rights and
dignity of the client
Guidance counselors honor and promote the
fundamental rights, moral and cultural values,
dignity and worth of clients. They respect clients’
rights to privacy, confidentiality, self-
determination and autonomy, consistent with the
law.
CODE OF ETHICS OF COUNSELORS
 PRINCIPLE 2: Competence
Guidance counselors maintain and update their
professional skills. They recognize the limits of their
expertise, engage in self-care, and seek support and
supervision to maintain the standard of their work.
They offer only those services for which they are
qualified by education, training and experience.
CODE OF ETHICS OF COUNSELORS
 PRINCIPLE 3: Responsibility
Guidance counselors are aware of their
professional responsibility to act in a trustworthy,
reputable and accountable manner toward clients,
colleagues, and the community in which they work
and live. They avoid doing harm, take responsibility
for their professional actions, and adopt a systematic
approach to resolving ethical dilemmas.
CODE OF ETHICS OF COUNSELORS
 PRINCIPLE 4: Integrity
Guidance counselors seek to promote integrity in
their practice. They represent themselves accurately
and treat others with honesty, straightforwardness,
and fairness. They deal actively with conflicts of
interest, avoid exploiting other, and are alert to
inappropriate behavior on the part of colleagues.
THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES
 Respecting human rights and dignity
 Respect client’s rights to be self-governing
 A commitment to promoting the client’s well-being
 Fostering responsible caring
 Fair treatment of all clients and the provision of adequate
services
 Equal opportunity to clients availing counseling services
 Ensuring the integrity of practitioner-client relationship
WILL I REPORT MY CLIENT OR NOT?
In the area of confidentiality of the Code of
Ethics, there is a portion on client’s right to
privacy. What if the counselor, in his/her
conversation with the client, found out that the
client accidentally killed a person, will you
report the client to police or not? Explain your
answer.