Upholding Ethical Standards in Counseling: A Case Analysis

Ethical Issue 2 You have been counseling a young mother and her third-grade daughter in the elementary school where you are employed. The mother has been separated from her husband for a month and intends to seek a divorce. Today, the mother begs you to testify on her behalf at a court hearing. Her husband is petitioning the court for custody of the daughter. You have never met the husband, but the mother seems to be a loving parent and you want to help her. QUESTIONS that must be answer 1. Should you agree to go to the hearing and testify for her? Note: NO – ONLY if therapist called to testify as a percipient witness PAGE-269 (book) Ethical, Legal, and Professional Issues in Counseling, 6E 2. Would you be objective and unbiased? Note: if you were officially called into testify- YES- you would be objective and unbiased-go into detail. PAGE-166 (book) Ethical, Legal, and Professional Issues in Counseling, 6E 3. What would your employer think of your testifying? Note: PAGE-146 (book) Ethical, Legal, and Professional Issues in Counseling, 6E 4. Would your testimony be expert/professional or personal/knowledge? Note: PAGE-168 & 420 (book) Ethical, Legal, and Professional Issues in Counseling, 6E It would be professional