Ethical Principles of Psychologists, Essay Example

The disclosure of the client’s privacy is often regarded as a serious offence. In the case study, the therapist is accused of disclosing and discussing information about his clients after the sessions. In this respect, the social serviceagency staff has launched a complaint and the therapist is under litigation.

In accordance to the ethical principles of psychologists and their codes of conduct, the therapist is not allowed to disclose the information regarding their clients. Such information should be given utmost privacy and should not be discussed without the consent of the patient or client. The therapist in this case has been accused of directly providinginformation about his clients on a daily basis, a situation that makes it easy for people to identify and recognize theclients. It may be argued that revealing such information to friends may defame the person and could ruin their publicreputation. However, it is noteworthy that, in the absence of mentioning of names, the therapist provides a considerableamount of privacy to the client.

If looked at from a different perspective, it is arguable that perhaps the therapist was sharing such information in bid to consult further on the situation. Many people especially other health professionals practicing in the same line with the therapist are familiar with cases of that nature. Therefore, it is recommended for these professionals to sit down, discuss the various causes, and recommend solutions that may be viable for these individuals. At the same time, sharingsuch information could be a way of assuring himself of whether the solution offered was relevant to the situationpresented by the client (APA, 2010). In this case, the therapist is said to encounter many clients in a single day; thisinteraction may come with certain levels of inconsistency in case of judgment, hence the therapist may not always be accurate at all times. Sharing this information is a better way of relaxing the mind and allowing it to make best decisionsin regards to the case.

According to the ethical standards regarding consultation, the psychologists are not allowed to discloseinformation that is confidential to their colleagues without the consent of the client. In the case above, it is not indicatedwhether the therapist requested such authorization. However, being a professional and having a considerable timeexperience, it can be argued that he is aware of these ethical rules regarding privacy. Moreover, he knows that the consultation with colleagues would help in making relevant conclusions. Alternatively, perhaps, he had confirmed with the client that the situation is too complex and he may need to consult further.

The ethical act also allows for disclosure in cases where the situation is critical and disclosure cannot be avoided. This could probably be the dilemma the therapist may have been facing, hence, seeking counsel from colleagues wouldenhance the attainment of efficiency in judgment. As well, the therapist is reported to be handling many cases in a singleday, and the activities could lead to monotony. Therefore, his counsel and advice would not be consistent, and choosing to discuss such information with fellow professionals would be a sure way of gaining the right direction. Basing on theabove arguments it can be deduced that the therapist is justified to consult with fellow professionals and his actions do not amount to disclosure of privacy.

References

APA. (2010). Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct. http://www.apa.org. Retrieved April 16, 2014, from http://www.apa.org/ethics/code/index.aspx?item=7