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Intregity and professionalism of a Counselor

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Intregity and professionalism of a Counselor
Integrity and Professionalism of a Counselor
Characteristics of effect counseling

10/07/2013

Abstract Therapists fill an essential role in society; they provide a formal emotional outlet in times of intense personal struggle. Because of the nature of this role, it is critical that therapists act professionally and uphold the integrity of their position, so as not to harm their relationship with a client, and by extension, the client’s relationships with others. Being professional and having integrity as a family and marriage counselor should be one’s main goal in their profession. Unfortunately, there are circumstances where professionals have breached the code of ethics, and caused trouble for the client as well as the therapist; serious breaches in ethics can potentially ruin a therapist’s career. In this type of field, as well as other fields in general, there is a line of professionalism and integrity that is involved in that work environment, and must not be crossed. Many therapists have a certain type of professional status that they must uphold in order for their practice to be successful and their clientele to stay with them.

In the past 100 years, therapy has evolved exponentially; there are different types of methods that are particularly in focus. As the therapy realm has evolved it is obvious that it has changed and "it is very much a twenty-first-century version of systems theory that is evident in these approaches, rather than earlier variants of systems theory that were more closely linked to the properties of inanimate systems." (Lebow, 2005) Therapy is continually being improved and expanded upon to better assist the ever changing world that we live in. Since the 1950's there has been dramatic progress in the field of theory. After World War II, "there were huge waiting lists at agencies and so seeing couples or families together, seemed a justifiable way to cut the patient backlog. Earlier roots of the family

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