The counseling process needs to strictly follow the valid evidence gathering and adhere to the ethics code to preserve its legal aspect. It is important to note the fact that evidence accumulation should be integrative, which includes the analysis of the instruments used in acquiring data. In addition, a counselor must be aware of any legislative changes regarding their practice to remain competitive and preserve professionalism.
The purpose of psychological counseling is to provide a person with a productive existence in the specific circumstances of life. Productivity is primarily associated with a person’s ability to find as many behaviors as possible, like many concepts, thoughts, feelings, actions as possible to be able to communicate with as many people and groups within their own culture as possible. In this case, the counselor, regardless of the theoretical views, uses such concepts as life, the meaning of life, a person’s place in life, values, individuality in the work. Counseling and psychotherapeutic work are not possible without strong support for certain moral and ethical standards and related codes (Whiston, 2017).
A counselor and a psychotherapist must have certain qualities, for example, they should have a well-developed sense of responsibility because they must take into account the consequences of their activities. A practicing counselor should minimize the degree of uncertainty and risk associated with counseling and psychotherapeutic care by regularly monitoring the consequences of counseling and practice, which will help to achieve a better understanding of the work process and its results.
In a situation of individual psychological counseling, the subject of interaction is psychological information. Peer-to-peer interaction is the best option in individual counseling, when the problem of responsibility for personal changes is solved in accordance with the roles indicated by the profession of a counselor. This helps the individual to expand their alternatives, creates conditions on the material of the subject of interaction for a person to make a responsible, meaningful decision about changes of counseling process. Interaction from a position from above is one of the most common mistakes made by practical counselors.
This leads to the fact that the client forms a dependence on the professional, and the counselor himself loses the basis of professional reflection. It may also result in willful or unintentional non-compliance with ethical and legal standards. Interaction from the bottom position creates opportunities for the client to openly manipulate the psychologist. It is done to see in the client a manipulator and he or she possesses other abnormal trends, because it is the professional duty of a counselor.
Perspectivism, which is a characteristic of the ethics of responsibility, allows a counselor to make prognostic decisions, such as focusing not so much on the past as on the future. Being responsible means effectively navigating through time, not only taking into account and evaluating the consequences of actions, but also realizing their foresight and prevention. It also includes the presentation of evidence in the most integrated manner with full account of the tools (Collins, Arthur, Brown, & Kennedy, 2015).
The detailed and multifaceted informational content of the concept of responsibility is reflected in the psychological literature. In a socio-psychological context, the category of responsibility is considered as a quality associated with the moral and value orientation of the individual and characterizing the social typicality of the individual. It also involves the position of the inner world of the personality, in which responsibility acts as a means of internal control and internal regulation of the personality.
In addition, it is important to the counselor that the attitude and measure of fulfilling the requirements of the entire spectrum of moral and legal norms. The latter also includes the willingness to be responsible for the consequences of their actions, behavior, and practical attitude to the real conditions of existence. The condition and method of implementing the objective requirements of universal and professional morality, its norms and values, is closely related to the objectively existing interconnection of society, social groups and individuals.
Professional accountability requires a certain level of self-organization, self-control and self-esteem. The constituent components of responsibility are a number of other qualities and skills of the person, for example, honesty, justice, integrity, willingness to answer for the consequences of their actions.
These actions cannot be properly taken without being fully aware of all legislative norm and regulations. A counsellor needs to be fully competent regarding any changes in the laws, which will ensure that the therapy and counseling process not only ethical, but also legal. For example, the American with Disabilities Act implemented significant changes to the counseling practice (Whiston, 2017). International and interdisciplinary cooperation is the most important condition for achieving a healthy competition situation within the professional community, forming the boundaries of professional competence between various groups within the community, as well as with related fields of knowledge.
Corporate ethics, a high level of scientific discussion, tolerance – these are significant landmarks in this direction. The goals are most consistent with open-type organizations and the achievement of these goals is also facilitated by the introduction of a discussion format in scientific events, when representatives of different fields of knowledge gather at a round table to discuss an urgent problem.
In conclusion, the given aspects of professionalization through validity and ethics should be primarily adhered by the members of the professional community. Realizing these goals is possible only taking into account the needs of ordinary people of the community. It is important to understand that the problems of modern counseling cannot be solved by the efforts of one person or one organization. Thus, the collective set of norms and regulations play a major role in preventing malpractice.
References
Collins, S., Arthur, N., Brown, C., & Kennedy, B. (2015). Student perspectives: Graduate education facilitation of multicultural counseling and social justice competency. Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 9(2), 153-160.
Whiston, S. C. (2017). Principles and applications of assessment in counseling (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.