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The Ethical Role Of Informed Consent In Counseling

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The right of informed consent is an ethical and legal requirement when working with clients. Informed consent is based on a client’s right to self-determination, along with being able to make autonomous decisions pertaining to treatment. The process of informed consent is viewed as legal requirement that is an important part of the therapeutic process. “It also establishes a foundation for creating a working alliance and a collaboration partnership between the client and therapist” (Corey, G. 2017, p.41). The importance of informed consent is seen as it provides the general goals of counseling, the responsalbities of the counselor towards the client. In addition, consent provides the client with limitations and exceptions to confidentiality, …show more content…

This process usually takes an hour to complete, and the intake counselor will go over in very specific details about informed consent. The clients are encouraged to read all forms and ask questions if they don’t understand anything. Once a client is settled into the treatment process, their counselor will recap and highlight informed consent and what it means throughout their treatment stay. One of the things that my agency focuses on is the right for self-determination with the clients. We make it clear from the beginning that they have rights during treatment. They can also choose to terminate from the program at any time. One of the weakness of informed consent that can happen while some is in treatment is the breakdown of the therapeutic trust. At my agency, we have situations that involve notification to family members or emergency medical individuals when a person becomes homicidal, suicidal, or mentally unstable and they are sent to the emergency room. The role of a social worker is a mandated reporter that would need to break confidentiality or consent in a life threating situation. When this happens, some clients feel trust has been broken by their therapist, and this can cause tension in the helping …show more content…

(2017). Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy. 10th edition. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning Reamer, F. G. (1987). Informed consent in social work. Social Work, 32(5), 425-429. Dombo, E. A., Kays, L., & Weller, K. (2014). Clinical social work practice and technology: personal, practical, regulatory, and ethical considerations for the twenty-first century. Social Work In Health Care, 53(9), 900-919. doi:10.1080/00981389.2014.948585 Reamer, F.G. (2003, August). Eye on Ethics. Retrieved February 06, 2018, from

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Counsellors usually will obtain proper consent from client before make any disclosures of confidential information to third party. On top of that, if there is any conflict of interest, they will also inform the client in advance whenever it is predictable. The principle of autonomy is in opposition to the manipulation of

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They do this by receiving informed and signed consent from themselves and the client. Within this consent, will be the aim of not sharing information with any person and moreover, the client and the counsellor to contain a formal understanding of one another. Confidentiality undermines the public trust of the profession. As when professionals conduct confidentiality, they are demonstrating the virtues of integrity, trust and respect towards the

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