Ethical Issues in Pastoral Counseling

1. Ethical Issues in Pastoral Counseling C. Jeffrey Terrell, Ph.D., M.Div., President, Psychological Studies Institute

2. Demonstrate competence, but remain alert to your limitations. It is good to remember that when something is not working, you should stop doing it and do something different. Not only is this a basic assumption regarding a solution-focused approach, it is also true regarding the counselee's right to be referred to another counselor when no progress is being made.

3. Demonstrate competence, but remain alert to your limitations. The American Counseling Association (ACA) states in its code of ethics: "If the counselor determines an inability to be of professional assistance to the [counselee], the counselor must either avoid initiating the counseling relationship or immediately terminate the relationship" (1988).

4. Demonstrate competence, but remain alert to your limitations. The American Association of Pastoral Counselors (AAPC) states in its code of ethics: "We do not abandon or neglect clients. If we are unable, or unwilling for appropriate reasons, to provide professional help or continue a professional relationship, every reasonable effort is made to arrange for continuation of treatment with another professional."

5. Demonstrate competence, but remain alert to your limitations. A counselor using a solution-focused approach should be tenacious. My experience reveals that focusing on strengths is effective and in harmony with scriptural revelation. Yet a pastor is ethically constrained to refer if counseling remains ineffective. Keep in mind that major problems are rarely solved simply or quickly. Getting counselees on track to solutions is the priority of SFPC. If, after two or three sessions, the church counselor remains unable to encourage the counselee to achieve an outcome-focused shift in thinking, it is time to refer.

6. Demonstrate competence, but remain alert to your limitations. If, after two or three sessions, the church counselor remains unable to encourage the counselee to achieve an outcome-focused shift in thinking, it is time to refer.

7. Demonstrate competence, but remain alert to your limitations. A pastor or other Christian counselor should be well acquainted with the Christian counseling resources within the community. Professional Christian counseling agencies, peer self-help groups, support groups, crisis intervention services-such as those offered for battered wives or counseling regarding pregnancy, day-treatment programs as well as skill-building workshops-all are helpful as referral or adjunct services.

8. Demonstrate competence, but remain alert to your limitations. Professional Christian counseling agencies, peer self-help groups, support groups, crisis intervention services-such as those offered for battered wives or counseling regarding pregnancy, day-treatment programs as well as skill-building workshops-all are helpful as referral or adjunct services.

9. Demonstrate competence, but remain alert to your limitations. Every minister and church leader who is engaged in the ministry of counseling should also consider the following: Counselors should have access to qualified supervision. Consultation with fellow pastors and counselors is crucial for maintaining professional accountability. The willingness to reach out for consultation is evidence of professional maturity. Consultation is also vital when one is counseling those who may be potentially suicidal or dangerous to others. I strongly encourage membership in a local pastoral counselors association when possible.

10. Demonstrate competence, but remain alert to your limitations. It is imperative that suspected physical problems be examined by a physician when indicated. Also, it is good practice for the pastor to maintain a working relationship with a Christian psychiatrist for purposes of consultation regarding counselees who exhibit bizarre behaviors or are deeply depressed. Counselors should be aware of cultural differences and how they may affect the counseling relationship. A counselor may be acting unethically when cultural differences are not considered.

11. Operate from a clearly defined theoretical framework. Assumptions guide us in the practice of counseling. The counselor must clearly understand these assumptions, and procedures should flow naturally from them. It is important for the counselor to have a clear methodology that he follows when counseling. Sharing some Scriptures or hoping he will think of something that will be helpful does not qualify as a clear theoretical framework for working with individuals who are in crisis.

12. Operate from a clearly defined theoretical framework. Even though the counselee is the expert, the counselor must also be skillful and growing in proficiency in regard to his chosen methodology. He should be improving his skills and knowledge through continuing education, counseling journals, and publications-preferably with a solution-focused emphasis.

13. The rights of the counselee are primary. You cannot give what you do not have. The counselor models spiritual and emotional health. We who are pastors and leaders in the church do not need to be perfect, just honest about our imperfections. When dishonesty, either subtle or obvious, is allowed to take root, the counselor may become more concerned with meeting his own needs than meeting those of the counselee.

14. The rights of the counselee are primary. This dishonesty will be revealed in counseling through various facets of the counselor's personality. He may manifest any of the following: a need to demonstrate power and control, a need for approval and affection, a need to feel respected and appreciated, a need to feel qualified as a counselor, a need to impose theological positions, a need to be needed, or a need to be nurtured. If the counselor has one or more of the above needs, he seeks to meet them through the counselee. He puts his own needs above the counselee's.

15. The rights of the counselee are primary. If the counselor has one or more of the above needs, he seeks to meet them through the counselee. He puts his own needs above the counselee's.

16. The rights of the counselee are primary. If the counselor is depending, consciously or unconsciously, on the counselee for his own emotional fulfillment, he may try to maintain the counselee in a position of dependence. If he is not able to do so, he may begin to resent the counselee or feel uncomfortable in his presence. It is essential to preserve clear guidelines to focus the counseling dialogue. It is more effective, and probably more loving, to conduct the counseling session professionally-with the counselor being primarily conscious of the counselee's need for empowerment.

17. Avoid messy dual relationships. It is quite difficult to be attentive to the counseling relationship while at the same time trying to sustain a personal friendship with the counselee. Although most SFPC is brief in nature, it still places the counselor in a position of authority and influence over the counselee. There is always a danger of indirectly misusing this position.

18. Avoid messy dual relationships. Therefore I always refer family members, elders, deacons, those who work for me, or those with whom I have personal friendships. The reason is simple-counseling changes the relationship. This is not to say that I would not listen to, support, educate, or minister to these individuals. What I avoid is a counseling relationship.

19. Avoid messy dual relationships. The AAPC states, "We recognize the trust placed in and the unique power of the therapeutic relationship. While acknowledging the complexity of some pastoral relationships, we avoid exploiting the trust and dependency of clients. We avoid those dual relationships with clients (e.g., business or close personal relationships) which could impair our professional judgment, compromise the integrity of the treatment, and/or use the relationship for our own gain."

20. Confidentiality must be absolute, unless clearly part of the informed consent process. Most professional codes of ethics maintain that the counselee has a right to be given enough information in order to make an intelligent choice about entering into counseling. For example, it is too late-and unethical-to explain to a teen from the church's youth group that you are going to inform her parents that she is pregnant and considering an abortion after she has revealed these facts to you.

21. Confidentiality must be absolute, unless clearly part of the informed consent process. Of course, not every church counseling session will require disclosure of these responsibilities and limitations. There is a balance between providing too much information and not giving enough. Nevertheless, I have discovered that some kind of "informed-consent document" is helpful. In it the counselor can briefly state in quickly read statements:

22. Confidentiality must be absolute, unless clearly part of the informed consent process. the general goals and benefits of counseling risks involved in counseling limitations and exceptions to confidentiality the rights of minors the counselor's personal qualifications the counselor's responsibilities to the counselee the counselee's responsibility to the counseling process the services the counselee may expect to receive

23. Confidentiality must be absolute, unless clearly part of the informed consent process. Limitations and exceptions to confidentiality need to be given careful attention. Circumstances surrounding confidentiality are not always easily defined and discretion needs to be demonstrated. In general, professional counselors must break confidentiality when it is apparent that the counselee may do serious injury to others or to himself or herself. Abuse to children and the elderly are required by law to be reported.

24. Confidentiality must be absolute, unless clearly part of the informed consent process. In general, professional counselors must break confidentiality when it is apparent that the counselee may do serious injury to others or to himself or herself. Abuse to children and the elderly are required by law to be reported.

25. Confidentiality must be absolute, unless clearly part of the informed consent process. General guidelines for confidentiality include the following circumstances: When the counselee may injure either himself or others (Do not keep a deadly secret.) When the counselor believes that the counselee's behavior is bizarre and that he may require hospitalization. When the counselor believes a counselee under the age of sixteen has been victimized through rape, incest, child abuse, or some other criminal activity.

26. Confidentiality must be absolute, unless clearly part of the informed consent process. It is also important for the counselor to remember that he should have no professional communication with family or friends of a counselee without written permission. Members of the AAPC who charge for their services adhere to the following statement: "We do not disclose client confidences to anyone, except: where mandated by law; to prevent a clear and immediate danger to someone; in the course of a civil, criminal or disciplinary action arising from the counseling where the pastoral counselor is the defendant; for purposes of supervision or consultation; or by previously obtained written permission."

27. Confidentiality must be absolute, unless clearly part of the informed consent process. "We do not disclose client confidences to anyone, except: where mandated by law; to prevent a clear and immediate danger to someone; in the course of a civil, criminal or disciplinary action arising from the counseling where the pastoral counselor is the defendant; for purposes of supervision or consultation; or by previously obtained written permission."

28. Confidentiality must be absolute, unless clearly part of the informed consent process. When discussing a counselee in consultation or supervision, only first names are used or names are changed.

29. Confidentiality must be absolute, unless clearly part of the informed consent process. Although a pastor or Christian leader who is counseling within the local church setting may not be under these legal obligations, he is ethically bound to inform the counselee what his criteria are regarding confidentiality.

30. Don�t use techniques for which you have no training. There are many diagnostic tests and assessment tools that are designed to assess the counselee. Therefore some professional therapists take social, family, and medical data, using personality tests, assess physical behavior, and evaluating thought content and mental status�all in order to add to their knowledge of the counselee and his situation.

31. Don�t use techniques for which you have no training. The church counselor should not use such tools unless he has been specifically trained to do so.

32. Don�t use techniques for which you have no training. Fortunately, SFPC does not depend on gathering information; it s a treatment procedure. Although this counseling approach employs pastoral strengths and training, those who use it, or any other approach for that matter, should receive instruction and supervision.

33. Don�t use techniques for which you have no training. The primary challenge for those who follow a solution-oriented methodology is to use all their knowledge and training to help the counselee to become aware of his own expertise. The counselee is the expert on his life. Therefore we focus on co-creating solutions and trusting the intention of the Spirit.