Ethics for Counselors

The purpose of this course is to increase the professional counselor's knowledge base about ethical theories, principles, and the application of these principles to counseling practice. A historical context of ethics in counseling and in the larger context of the helping professions, such as medicine, social work, and other human service areas, will be explored. The course will also examine the specific components of ethical theories, ethical decision-making processes, the psychological context of moral development, multiculturalism, and the field's two major codes of ethics. In addition, members of the public may use this course to enhance their personal knowledge of the subject matter presented.


Upon completion of this course, you should be able to:


1. Discuss the historical context of ethics in counseling.

2. Define common terms such as ethics, values, morality, ethical dilemmas, and ethical principles.

3. Discuss the ethical principles in the American Counseling Association (ACA) Code of Ethics and the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) Code of Ethics.

4. Differentiate between deontologic, teleologic, motivist, natural law, transcultural ethical, feminist, and multicultural theories.

5. Identify the different ethical decision-making models.

6. Discuss the psychological context of ethical decision making by applying Lawrence Kohlberg's theory of moral development.

7. Outline ethical issues that emerge with counseling in managed care systems.

8. Review issues that arise in online counseling, including sociocultural context, ethical and legal issues, and standards for ethical practice.


This 6-hour continuing education course is available for download for professional development; if continuing education credit is desired, please see instructions included in eBook.