Ethical and Professional Issues
This assignment is composed of 10 brief scenarios that are based on your reading a text and laws and ethics of psychologists. Culture must be considered in the responses when relevant. You may use outside resources on culture to enhance your responses, along with the course text and ethics code.
This is the book used for the paper as well as the APA code of ethics.
Fisher, C.B. (2017). Decoding the ethics code: A practical guide for psychologists. SAGE.
Please respond to all to all scenarios, identifying the legal and ethical issues you see specific to the situations presented and your decision-making process regarding these issues. Justify your decisions by citing the ethics code that supports your reasoning. Assignment must be typed double-spaced, in APA style, and written at graduate level English.
You must integrate the material presented in the referenced text as well as the APA Code of Ethics or other material that you use in your responses. Cite your work according to APA format.
Your response to each scenario must be 1 page
Your total assignment must be 10 pages total plus a title and reference page
For each of the scenarios below:
A. Respond by exploring your countertransference issue(s).
B. State what you decide to do.
C. Justify your decision by citing the text, ethics code or other sources you use (remember to reference all work in APA format)
1. An attorney refers many clients to you for psychological evaluations. A close friend of yours has retained this attorney, who refers your friend to you for a very important psychological evaluation. The attorney tells your friend that you are the “best” and the “best” is needed in this case. You are strongly encouraged by both the attorney and your friend to do the evaluation.
2. You have a Chinese American client who has adjusted a very busy schedule in order to be able to attend therapy sessions. You cancel a session to attend a funeral for a family member. The client becomes irate and demands to be told the reason why you canceled.
3. The partner of a client who you have been treating for severe depression and suicidal ideation sends a letter to you. Should you open and read it?
4. You have worked for several years with an African American man who has a history of rejection by women. He has worked through many issues and finally has a suitable and loving relationship. He is very grateful to you and strongly encourages you to attend the wedding.
a. If you decide not to attend, how would you address this with your client?
b. If you decide to attend, how would you address this with your client and at the wedding?
5. A gay male client has a terminal disease and he has decided to stop treatment and all “heroic” measures. While not mentioning suicide, he has disclosed looking into “options” to alleviate his suffering.
6. You treated a Native American man for alcohol use and abuse several years ago. When you and some friends go to a casino for a weekend, you encounter this person who tells you and your friends that he now has a good job at the casino thanks to the work he has done with you. When you go to check out, you are told that your room and dining expenses have been “comp’d.”
7. A Latina client reports sexual abuse by another therapist. When you encourage her to report this, she indicates that she wants you to do this, as she does not want to get the other therapist in trouble.
8. A fragile female client who believes that she has made great progress would like to enter a training program to become a mental health professional. The client wants you to write a letter supporting her entrance into a training program. You are not sure she is sufficiently mentally healthy to work as a professional.
9. You have a private practice and teach graduate students who are studying to become mental health professionals. You are approached by a student in the last class in the program with a request to begin individual therapy with you.
10. You have worked with a client who is a fellow professional. You both agree that you have much in common. The client has made excellent progress, and has terminated therapy. What should you do when, shortly after treatment has terminated, the client calls and suggests that you purchase season tickets for a series of theatrical performances?
