Ethical issues, spiritual approaches, and cultural competence in marital counseling

Role of a Counselor in Marital Therapy

Handling Ethical Issues

Professional organizations such as APA and others have rules and guidelines regarding how their members should handle certain situations. However, these are not usually the only guidelines that counselors and other professionals have to follow; i.e. they often have to stick to the rules laid out by government regulatory authorities. Therefore, there exist situations in which counselors end up receiving contradictory information on what to do in certain situations. One such situation is on what to do if the client refuses to divulge a secret. One side of the argument is that counselors ought to stop offering therapy sessions to a couple if they refuse to not be open enough with them, while the other side argues that counselors ought to use their professional judgment when deciding whether or not they should terminate their therapy if the clients keep certain information from them. Regardless of which side counselors take on such a matter, it is important for them to communicate their opinion and stand on the matter before commencing therapy sessions (Boss & Quiimbry, 2006).

Leadership Strategies

1. Theistic Spiritual Strategy

According to authors Richard and Bergin (2005), a spiritual approach to psychotherapy can help clients faster and more effectively in certain situations by tapping into spiritual interventions or resources. The two authors argue that over eighty percent of the population in the Western world claim to belong to one of three major world religions (Islam, Christianity and Judaism). Therefore, it is their argument that spiritual resources and interventions found in these religions can be used to enhance psychological treatment.

2. Appreciative Christian Therapy

This therapy is all about making use of principles of Christian marriages, positive change and appreciative inquiry. Referred to as the Appreciative Christian Therapy model, it taps into deeper levels of faith so as to steer others to stronger marriages. Appreciative Christian Therapy can be used as a model for positive change in Christian, family and marriage therapy (Dishongh, 2009).

i. Therapist Issues

The very first issue that ought to be tackled by the therapist is his/her cultural biases and influences. A therapist ought to find his/her cultural background and assess how their cultural heritage has impacted their own beliefs, behaviors, values, and specifically in relation to intimate relationships norms. For example, the therapist ought to seek to understand their values on communication amid spouses (Strategies for Working with Culturally Diverse Couples in the Hope Focused Coupled Approach, n.d).

ii. Assessment Issues

The assessment of a couple with a different cultural background needs to be comprehensive. It is very important to incorporate questions regarding the problem's presentation and how the couple sees the issue from their own cultural point-of-view. Inquire from both spouses about their responsibilities within the family as stipulated by their cultural norms. Other assessment fields with the culturally diverse couples entail a wide array of norms for the marriage. The therapist should ask questions surrounding such issues like the customary age for marriage in the client's diversity group, what is expected from the husband/wife before and after marriage, basis for partner selection, each spouse's roles, sexual relationship understanding, and what is expected during dealings with outsiders (Strategies for Working with Culturally Diverse Couples in the Hope Focused Coupled Approach, n.d).