Culturally Relevant Ethical Decision-Making in Counseling

Rick Houser is Professor Emeritus Department of Educational Studies in Psychology, Research Methodology & Counseling, College of Education at The University of Alabama. He was Professor and Department Head in Educational Studies in Psychology (over 7 years at Department Head), Research Methodology, and Counseling at The University of Alabama. He has been Associate Dean in the College of Education at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. Also, he was a professor and department chair for several years at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. Rick Houser has taught graduate-level research courses for more than 30 years. He received his doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh in rehabilitation counseling with a minor in research methodology. He conducts research in ethical decision making, stress and coping, educational neuroscience, and neuroscience and counseling.Felicia L. Wilczenski, Ed.D. received a doctorate in education from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She is an Associate Professor and Director of the School Counseling Program in the Department of Counseling and School Psychology in the Graduate College of Education at the University of Massachusetts Boston. She is a member of the American School Counselor Association, the National Association of School Psychologists, and the American Psychological Association. Dr. Wilczenski is interested in service learning applications in school-based mental health programs. Her work focuses on creating sustainable systemic approaches to character education and social-emotional education that integrate service learning.  She is author of numerous articles addressing social and emotional interventions in K-12 settings. Dr. Wilczenski also teaches ethics courses in school counseling and school psychology and is interested in ethics education and professional development. MaryAnna Ham, Ed.D. is a Professor Emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Boston. She received her doctorate from the University of Rochester. She developed the ethics curriculum at the University of Massachusetts Boston and she has taught ethics to graduate level counseling students for over ten years. Dr. Ham was the former Director and founder of the Family Therapy Program at the University of Massachusetts Boston. She has focused much of her scholarship on diversity issues and counseling. Dr. Ham has co-authored several books addressing counseling with Asian populations and the role of group affiliation and power. Dr. Ham is a licensed psychologist and licensed family therapy.

"After tracing concepts and values from Western, eastern, and Southern hemisphere theories of ethics, they present case examples treating such ethical dilemmas as rational suicide, counselor competence, conflict between client worldview and the law and culturally appropriate assessment. The text includes discussion questions and Web resources."

• Acknowledgments1. IntroductionSECTION I. WESTERN THEORIES OF ETHICS2. Virtue Ethics and Counselor Decision-Making3. Natural Law Ethics and Counselor Decision-Making4. Utilitarian Ethics and Counselor Decision-Making5. Respect for Persons Ethics and Counselor Decision-Making6. Feminine and Feminist Ethics and Counselor Decision-Making7. Native American Ethics and Counselor Decision-MakingSECTION II. EASTERN THEORIES OF ETHICS8. Confucian Ethics and Counselor Decision-Making9. Taoist Ethics and Counselor Decision-Making10. Hindu Ethics and Counselor Decision-Making11. Buddhist Ethics and Counselor Decision-MakingSECTION III. MIDDLE EASTERN THEORIES OF ETHICS12. Jewish Ethics and Counselor Decision-Making13. Islamic Ethics and Counselor Decision-MakingSECTION IV. SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE THEORIES OF ETHICS14. Hispanic/Latino Ethics and Counselor Decision-Making15. Pan-African Ethics and Counselor Decision-MakingSECTION V. ETHICAL DECISION-MAKING MODEL16. Ethical Decision-Making: A Hermeneutic Model17. Application of the Hermeneutic ModelSECTION VI. CASES18. Natalia: A Question of Rational Suicide19. Mark: A Question of Counselor Competence20. Carol: Multicultural Competence21. Jeff: Career Decision and Counseling Plans22. Vanessa: A Dual Relationship23. David: Supervisor-Supervisee Conflict24. Shi-Jiuan: Conflict Between Laws and Client Worldviews25. Melissa: Minors’ Rights and Confidentiality26. Raj: Counselor Competence and Minor Informed Consent27. Smith Family: Assisted Suicide28. Christine: Appropriate Termination29. Ahmed: A Mandated Client30. Liz: A Student Intern31. Berice: Culturally Sensitive AssessmentAppendix A: Web Sites for Professional Codes of EthicsAppendix B: Web Sites for State and Federal Laws Affecting Counseling PracticeReferencesIndexAbout the Authors