Professional codes of ethics in counseling associations

Code of Ethics Comparison

Ethical codes are those regulations put by an organization or association to enable them to make a clear decision on understanding what is wrong or right and hence applying this understanding to make informed decisions. There is three main classification of ethical codes, they include code of ethics for corporate or businesses, code of conduct for employees, code of practice (professional ethics).

Code of ethics in business focuses on social issues. It also focuses on organization's belief on issues to do with the mission of the organization, privacy within the organization, quality of services offered by the organization or the environment. Business code of ethics is the one that gives rise to employee's code of conduct. The managers are the ones who determine its effectiveness with their support on various issues by either sanctioning or rewarding the employees.

Code of conduct for employees spells out clearly the procedures to be followed during a certain specific ethical incidence such as when there is a conflict of interest or when an employee is offered a gift and it also provide guidelines to know whether there are any irregularities in the code of ethics, and if so, it gives out the solutions which should be implemented.

Lastly, the code of practice also known as professional ethics is the type which is used by a government, non-governmental organization or a professional body to control that specific profession. The American Association of Christian Counselors and American Counseling Association both operate within these ethical standards. This code of practice stipulates the professional responsibility, whereby the professional is allowed to decide whether an event or a behavior is right or wrong ethically American Association of Christian Counselors, 2010()

General similarities and differences

These two associations also have similarities in the following areas of concern. Such as professional responsibility, ethical standard on supervisors, researchers, educators and writers, they also have similarities in the way they resolve issues.

Both associations are guided towards doing harm to their clients, research participants or trainees. The counselors are required to be aware of their attitude, personal values, behavior and beliefs to avoid imposing values that are not in line with that of the counseling goals (American Counseling Association, 2005).

In both associations, the client has informed consent to choose whether to engage into or remain in the counseling relationship. The clients should be given any information pertaining to the counseling they are to go through either in writing or verbally.

Both associations prohibit sexual or romantic relationship between the clients and their counselors. But in case the relationship involves a former client, both association allow relation leading to marriage but only after five years from the time there was a professional encounter between them and only if the case was resolved in a professional way and not for marriage purposes American Association of Christian Counselors, 2010()

In both associations, the counselor is allowed to refer a client only if he/she is unable to offer the client appropriate counseling needed. The client is first given the referral options to choose from, and the counselor is not entitles to leave a client without providing him/her with proper treatment required. The counselor is only entitled to terminate the counseling sessions if he/she realizes that the counseling may lead to harm from the client (American Counseling Association, 2005).

Another similarity is that they both advocate for respect of a client's rights which include respect, to confidentiality, privacy, explanation of any limitations arising. The counselor is also prohibited from disclosing the client's information but may do so only is it entails a life threatening disease or a court order.

Both associations, the amount of fees levied on the client are determined by the location, time spent with the client and his/her ability to cover his/her counseling cost. But at the same time, Christian counselors are allowed to set their own fee unlike the professional counselors who are entitles to the use of sliding fee structures scaled by the client's ability to pay and other fee reduction strategies which will lower the prices of the services hence increasing accessibility to the poor.

One of the differences is that in American Counseling Association, the counselor is allowed to share the client's information with members of staff, but in American Association of Christian Counselors, the counselor is not allowed to share or disclose the client's information with anyone without a legal consent from the client American Association of Christian Counselors, 2010()

Other differences arise where the proper record is to be kept and its ownership. In Christian counseling, in case the client is from a certain organization then, the records are sent to the client's employer while in professional counseling association; the clients' records are all stored and later destroyed in accordance with the law.

Community Standards

In professional association, research should be planned and conducted in a manner that will be in consistent with the ethical principle, host institution regulation, federal and state laws. Also in addition, the research procedures used should be in line with the cultural diversity of the society. The counselors are only required to work within their boundaries of their competence (American Counseling Association, 2005). While in Christian counseling associations, they believe in honoring scientific standards and research protocol in all their undertakings. The Christian counselors as individual members and as an association will always maintain ethical relations with other mental health association, with the state, other professionals and society at large American Association of Christian Counselors, 2010()

Governmental Law/Regulations

In professional counseling association, the counselors are required by law to understand the ACA codes of ethics and its other applications from a professional organization or any other legal body in which they are members. Failure to have such knowledge does not explain the reason for not acting ethically (American Counseling Association, 2005). While In Christians association, the law and ethical committee has the mandate formulate and promulgate ethical standards among its Christian counselors.

Also, in professional counseling Association, when there is a conflict between ethics and law that cannot be resolved then the counselor is supposed to stick to the requirement of the law. While in Christian counseling association, all their complaints and resolution should be made to the law and ethics committee, where they will invite a full hearing of the complaint if needed and therefore, take appropriate action to resolve the matter.