Christian Counseling Ethics: God's Standpoint vs. ACA's Pragmatism - Essay Sample

Introduction

The American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC) outlines the ethics that Christian counselors should comply with. What sets these ethics apart is that they are whole premised on and guided by biblical principles. Notably, they reflect God's standpoint on most issues, and anything contrary to God's design is not condoned. The American Counselling Association (ACA)'s code of ethics, on the other hand, is primarily pragmatic and does not necessarily lean on the principles of any religion. This paper presents a comparison of the two sets of ethics as pertains to the counselor's practice involving confidentiality, sexuality, divorce, and separation, and end-of-life care.

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Confidentiality

Privacy and confidentiality are integral in all counseling setups. Therefore, both the AACC and ACA emphasize the need for privacy to protect a client's privacy. Thus, based on both organizations' codes of ethics, the counselor should not disclose anything that the client reveals during their engagement unless it has been otherwise agreed upon. The common moral principles of beneficence, no maleficence, and fidelity underpin the client's right to confidentiality. For example, counselors should explicitly and implicitly promise their clients that they will not disclose their secrets. Confidentiality is meant to inspire trust, and because once trust is violated, and information is passed onto third parties without their permission, therapy can no longer be effective. Hence, both professional bodies, AACC and ACA, is a legal and ethical duty that binds the therapists not to disclose any information about their clients to any authorized party.

However, in both bodies, the codes of ethics permit the counselor to breach the confidentiality standard and take action if a client presents behavior that portrays imminent danger to others or themselves. The therapist is ethically bound to disclose client information if they perceive that the client poses a threat to themselves or others. For example, if the client is suicidal or homicidal, the therapist is duty-bound to relay this information to relevant agencies. Another example is when a client confirms to have molested a child, thus necessitating the counselor to report to the Child Protective Services. Overall, both codes of practice recognize the danger to oneself or others supersedes one's right to confidentiality and privacy. Hence the counseling practice is bound by both the legal concepts and ethical standards.

End-Of-Life Options

AACC and ACA code of ethics regarding end-of-life options are different. AACC codes of ethics uphold the biblical principles on the sanctity of life that state that God is the giver of life, and it's only him who should take life. According to the AACC code of ethics, Christian counselors should refrain from tolerating harmful actions by the client, especially if they may endanger the client's life. For a Christian counselor, human life is sacred, and it should always be prioritized during any intervention. Thus, Christian counselors do not encourage euthanasia or any form of assisted suicide. They will recommend hospice care and other pain reduction to reduce suffering. The premise is that life is sacred and God-given; hence it is only God who has the prerogative to take it away. Thus, if a client wishes to die, the counselor will not support the use of devices or drugs to terminate life. If there are no reasonable means to alleviate the pain, the counselor can recommend the use of aggressive pain management.

The AACC code of ethics holds that the counselor should always aim at preserving the life of a troubled client, without abandoning them, regardless of the severity of the troubles. Hence, the counselor cannot assist or condition any suicidal or homicidal tendencies towards one or others. Thus, the counselor will presume the affirmative ethical duty to protect life and to report any threat to the authorities.

The ACA code of ethics, on the other hand, addresses the need of clients who are terminally ill and need end-of-life care. Standard A.9 affirms an individual's right of determination to make their own choices regarding their level of care. Hence the standard acknowledges that a patient has the right to request their doctor to hasten their death and that the counselor should neither be morally or religiously inclined when making such a decision. The standard aims at helping the client to optimize their quality of life and live a decent life until their demise. The idea is that the patient has the right to make a choice, get emotional support, and meet holistic needs while they are still alive. The role of the counselor is qualified as being that of coming up with a plan that will enhance their client's ability to make rational decisions independently.

Overall, Standard A.9.b of the ACA code of ethics recognizes the recognition of personal and moral issues that underlie end-of-life options for clients. The counselor has the opportunity to choose whether they can work with a terminally ill client or not. If a counselor feels that their personal views or morality does not permit them to see clients who are exploring end-of-life options. However, should the counselor decide to counsel the client, he should aptly integrate the client's spiritual, social, physical, and family needs to develop a plan that would help them through the final developmental stage of life.

Sexuality, Separation, and Divorce

According to the AACC code of ethics, a Christian counselor should not advocate for or condone sexual immorality, whether it is premarital or extra-marital sex. At all times, the counselor should refer to God's design for sex, which is within holy matrimony. Typically, the counselor should encourage sexual celibacy and not condone any involvement in homosexuality, bisexuality, or transgender behavior. Even as they support the client to work through issues of the non-acceptable sexual behaviors, they should reinforce biblically-prescribed behavior. In the case of separation and divorce, the Christian counselor should not directly recommend divorce but should assist the client in understanding biblical parameters without endorsing divorce. In analyzing decisions, the counselor should seek to offer choices to litigation when divorce is inevitable.

In like manner, the code of ethics stipulates that the Christian counselor does not tolerate or advocate for substance abuse, addictive behaviors, abortion, or related activities, where there is no justified medical reason. In such instances, the counselor will inform the client of the potential emotional and psychological consequences such as suicidal ideation, heightened risk of depression, and anxiety. The counselor will also provide alternatives to abortion and leave the client to make the decision.

In contrast, the ACA code of ethics mandates counselors to refrain from imposing their attitudes, behaviors, beliefs, and values on their clients. Counselors are required to respect the choice that their clients have made on sexual orientation or desire to terminate marriage relationships. Specifically, when the counselor's values are inconsistent with those of the client, he should resist the temptation to impose his values. Instead, the counselor is supposed to guide the client towards achieving their goals. Also, counselors are required to remain culturally sensitive, especially when dealing with the cultural meanings that clients attach to confidentiality.

In regards to sexuality and marriage counseling, it is apparent that the AACC code of ethics has its underpinnings on the biblical perspective, and Godly principles must be upheld when guiding the client towards their goal. The idea AACC code of ethics is that the counselor must always guide his client towards what is biblically acceptable, without condoning or encouraging any behavior or practices that contravene biblical principles. Therefore, Christian counselors are bound to adhere to a predefined set of objectives towards which they must always guide their clients. On the contrary, the ACA code of ethics is quite flexible because the counselor should not impose their values on the client. As an example, if a client is a homosexual, the ACA standards hold that the counselor should not try to dissuade the client from reconsidering his sexual orientation.

The ACA and AACC code of ethics have apparent differences, with the latter being more rigid and based on predefined biblical principles. Nonetheless, both sets are similar in terms of discouraging any form of discrimination against the client based on religion or sexual orientation, among other basis outlined in the law. In both sets of ethics, counselors must always respect different views from clients without any prejudice. Importantly, both sets of ethics emphasize the need for confidentially unless there is a justification.