Assignment Prompt & Instructions
Is there anyone available to help me with an article review?
– 2 years ago
**files (3)**
– ## ArticleReviewInstructions_PleaseReadCarefully.docx
– ## ProfessionalismEthicsandValueBasedConflictsArticle1.pdf
– SocialJusticeandMulticulturalIssuesArticle1.pdf
**## ArticleReviewInstructions_PleaseReadCarefully.docx**
## Article Review Instructions: Please Read Carefully
 Page 4 of 4
Article Review Instructions: Please Read Carefully
You will write an article review, relevant to this week's learning module and readings. You will select the article yourself by searching the UWA Library Databases. The article you choose should be a research article (has a hypothesis that is empirically tested). Pick an article relevant to a topic covered in the weekly readings. Each review is worth 20 points. The review should be 1-2 single-spaced pages in a 12-point font. It is in your best interest to submit your review before it is due so you may check your originality report and correct any spelling and grammatical errors identified by the software program.
The purpose of the review is to provide students knowledge of how research is conducted and reported. The main part of your review needs to include the following information. Please comment on these aspects of the article as part of your review. Provide only the briefest summary of content. What I am most interested in is your critique and connection to weekly readings.
**Reference.** Listed at the top of the paper in APA style.
**Introduction. Read the introduction carefully. The introduction should contain:**
· A thorough literature review that establishes the nature of the problem to be addressed in the present study (the literature review is specific to the problem)
· The literature review is current (generally, articles within the past 5 years)
· A logical sequence from what we know (the literature review) to what we don't know (the unanswered questions raised by the review and what this study intended to answer
· The purpose of the present study
· The specific hypotheses/research questions to be addressed.
· State the overall purpose of the paper. What was the main theme of the paper?
· What new ideas or information were communicated in the paper?
· Why was it important to publish these ideas?
**Methods. The methods section has three subsections. The methods sections should contain:**
· The
**participants** and the population they are intended to represent (are they described as well in terms of relevant demographic characteristics such as age, gender, ethnicity, education level, income level, etc?).
· The number of participants and how the participants were selected for the study
· A description of the
**tools/measures** used and research design employed.
· A detailed description of the procedures of the study including participant instructions and whether incentives were given.
**Results. The results section should contain a very thorough summary of results of all analyses. This section should include:**
· Specific demographic characteristics of the sample
· A thorough narrative description of the results of all statistical tests that addressed specific hypotheses
· If there are tables and figures, are they also described in the text?
· If there are tables and figures, can they be interpreted "stand alone" (this means that they contain sufficient information in the title and footnotes so that a reader can understand what is being presented without having to go back to the text)?
**Discussion. The discussion is where the author "wraps up the research". This section should include:**
· A simple and easy to understand summary of what was found
· Where the hypotheses supported or refuted?
· A discussion of how the author's findings compares to those found in prior research
· The limitations of the study
· The implications of the findings to basic and applied researchers and to practitioners
**Critique.**
In your opinion, what were the strengths and weaknesses of the paper or document? Be sure to think about
**your impressions** and the reasons for them. Listing what the author wrote as limitations is not the same thing as forming your own opinions and justifying them to the reader.
· Were the findings important to a reader?
· Were the conclusions valid? Do you agree with the conclusions?
· If the material was technical, was the technical material innovative?
**Conclusion.**
Once you provide the main critique of the article, you should include a final paragraph that gives me your overall impression of the study. Was the study worthwhile? Was it well-written and clear to those who may not have as much background in the content area? What was the overall contribution of this study to our child development knowledge base?
**APA Format Review**
If you are unfamiliar or a bit “rusty” on your APA format, you may want to use the tutorial available through the APA website which is listed on your syllabus.
**Grading Criteria**
I will grade your paper based upon:
· How well you followed directions (as indicated in this page)
· How thoroughly you used examples to support the critique
· How accurately you used APA format
· your organization, grammar, and spelling
· Integration of assigned weekly readings
**image1.gif**
**## ProfessionalismEthicsandValueBasedConflictsArticle1.pdf**
Journal of Counseling & Development ■ April 2014 ■ Volume 92 131
Special Section:
Professionalism, Ethics, and
Value-Based Conflicts in Counseling
© 2014 by the American Counseling Association. All rights reserved.
DOI: 10.1002/j.1556-6676.2014.00138.x
The primary purpose of a code of ethics, for any profession, is
to establish norms and expectations for practitioners in order
to collectively minimize the risk of harm to clients and the
general public (Welfel, 2010). In a broader sense, a code of
ethics is also a reflection of the profession’s collective values
and moral principles. Indeed, the establishment of a code of
ethics, which communicates a normative orientation to the
service of others and a commitment to protect the welfare
of clients, is considered the “hallmark of professionalism”
(Gorman & Sandefur, 2011, p. 279). Promulgation of a code
of ethics places the needs and interests of clients over and
above the personal needs or values of any individual member
of the profession (DeMitchell, Hebert, & Phan, 2013; Gor-
man & Sandefur, 2011). A code of ethics helps to ensure
the primacy of client welfare by articulating a profession’s
collective set of values and communicating standards of prac-
tice for all members of that profession. Because laws set the
minimum standards of acceptable behavior, ethical standards
often exceed the legal requirements articulated in federal and
state laws (Corey, Corey, & Callanan, 2011). Entry into and
continued association with a profession requires all of its
practitioners to make a commitment that they will abide by
the profession’s code of ethics and the profession’s collective
values as reflected in that code.
By all measures, counseling is a profession (Gorman
& Sandefur, 2011). Counseling is a vocation that requires
individuals to obtain specific, university-based training to
acquire expertise in a specialized set of knowledge and
skills; confers status and power upon its members; has an
Perry C. Francis and Suzanne M. Dugger, Department of Leadership and Counseling, Eastern Michigan University. Correspon-
dence concerning this article should be addressed to Perry C. Francis, Department of Leadership and Counseling, Eastern Michigan
University, 135 Porter Building, Ypsilanti, MI 48197 (e-mail: pfrancis@emich.edu).
Professionalism, Ethics, and
Value-Based Conflicts in Counseling:
An Introduction to the Special Section
Perry C. Francis and Suzanne M. Dugger, Guest Editors
This introduction to this special section of the Journal of Counseling & Development explores the importance of a code
of ethics to the establishment and maintenance of a profession. Recognizing a code of ethics as a communication of
a profession’s collective values and expectations, the editors of this special section acknowledge the dilemmas that
arise when a counselor’s personal values do not align with the profession’s collective values. The authors of each
article address value-based conflicts in counseling.
Keywords: counselor training, ethics, litigation, religion, LGBT
established national association through which it establishes
a collective identity, communicates professional values, dis-
seminates scholarly research, and advocates for its members;
and regulates itself through licensure and a code of ethics.
Although counselors vary with regard to specializations
and/or the settings in which they practice, they are united as a
single profession through the American Counseling Associa-
tion (ACA). Through this umbrella association, counselors
of varied specializations come together for the purposes of
promoting a shared professional identity, protecting clients,
and promulgating the ACA Code of Ethics (ACA, 2005) to
which all members must adhere. In addition, many counselors
join divisions within ACA, which are focused on more spe-
cialized areas of practice (e.g., college or school counseling)
or shared goals or ideals (e.g., social justice). When these
divisions have established their own code of ethics, those
codes are designed to supplement, not supplant, the ACA
Code of Ethics. As such, their members are responsible for
adhering to those specialized ethical standards and the ACA
Code of Ethics.
Values and Expectations Communicated
by the ACA Code of Ethics
The collective values of the counseling profession are com-
municated in the ACA Code of Ethics (ACA, 2005). Included
within these values and most relevant to this special section
are the recognition of each client’s inherent worth and dignity;
a respect for each client’s uniqueness, autonomy, and right
Journal of Counseling & Development ■ April 2014 ■ Volume 92132
Francis & Dugger
to self-determination; an honoring of human growth and
development; and a respect for diversity within our clientele
and a valuing of cultural competence in counselors. Related
to the communication of these values, ACA (2005) also com-
municated expectations for professional behavior, stating “the
primary responsibility of counselors is to respect the dignity
and promote the welfare of clients” (Standard A.1.a.).
Toward this goal, professional counselors are expected
to conduct themselves in ways that demonstrate a genuine
valuing of each client as a unique individual, that honor each
client’s right to make choices in accordance with his or her
own personal beliefs and standards, and that facilitate each
client’s growth within a myriad of developmental domains
(ACA, 2005, preamble). Professional counselors are also ex-
pected to constantly strive toward increased levels of cultural
competence (Standard C.2.a.) and to avoid discriminatory
practices with respect to a wide variety of cultural dimen-
sions (Standard C.5.). Indeed, competence as a professional
counselor is contingent upon one’s ability to “embrace a
cross-cultural approach in support of the worth, dignity,
potential, and uniqueness of people within their social and
cultural contexts” (ACA, 2005, preamble). In respecting the
diversity of clients, professional counselors must be “aware
of their own values, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors and avoid
imposing values” (ACA, 2005, Standard A.4.b.).
Values, Power, and Potential for Harm
In light of the prohibition against counselors imposing their
values on clients, counselors should recognize the ways in
which their personal values may be directly or indirectly
communicated to clients and be aware of how the power
differential that exists within each counseling relationship
may result in the imposition of their values. Although most
counselors understand that directly communicating their
values to clients is unacceptable, concerted effort and con-
stant vigilance are necessary to avoid communicating their
values indirectly. Without such vigilance, counselors may
inadvertently communicate their personal values through
nonverbal and extraverbal responses to client disclosures,
by which client stories they focus on and which they avoid,
by how convincingly they communicate caring and respect
for a client, by which interventions they select, by the sug-
gestions they make or the homework they assign, and by
their willingness to continue seeing a client. In such ways,
counselors may intentionally or inadvertently communicate
their personal values to their clients.
Although communication of one’s own values within an
equal, reciprocal relationship would not constitute an imposi-
tion of values, communication of one’s personal values within
an unequal relationship with a vulnerable client can result in
the imposition of values. Zinnbauer and Pargament (2000)
showed that, when a counselor’s values are communicated
during psychotherapy, clients demonstrate a tendency to
move toward adopting those values. Factors likely to contrib-
ute to such influence include the power differential present
within the counseling relationship, the counselor’s perceived
expertise, and the client’s vulnerability. Individuals who are
most vulnerable to this potential imposition of values include
clients or students in any setting where the choice of a coun-
selor may be restricted (e.g., K–12 schools, small colleges
and universities) or where professional services are limited
to a handful of potential practitioners (e.g., clients in rural
or underserved areas).
To be sure, though, the potential for an abuse of power
exists in every counseling relationship, and clients are vul-
nerable to undue influence and microaggressions that can
occur when a counselor communicates any personal values
that are contrary to those of the client (Sue, 2010; Zinnbauer
& Pargament, 2000). When clients are struggling with issues
about which they feel confused, conflicted, or ambivalent,
even the most subtle communication of personal values has
a likelihood of swaying a client to act in accordance with
the counselor’s values rather than facilitating the client’s
exploration of his or her own values. In this way, values can
be imposed. Therefore, the expectation that counselors take
special care in not imposing their values is especially impor-
tant in demonstrating respect for each client’s right to make
choices in accordance with his or her own personal beliefs
and standards and in avoiding discriminatory practices. In the
absence of such restraint, counselors place clients at risk for
harm in ways that may be blatant or subtle and rationalized
as a means to providing the best care for the client (Shiles,
2009; Sue, 2010).
Value Conflicts
Although the ACA Code of Ethics (ACA, 2005) prescribes
expectations for professional behavior, the ultimate hope is
that each individual counselor will internalize the profession’s
collective values. The preamble of the ACA Code of Ethics
delineates this:
Professional values are an important way of living out an
ethical commitment. Values inform principles. Inherently held
values that guide our behaviors or exceed prescribed behaviors
are deeply ingrained in the counselor and developed out of
personal dedication, rather than the mandatory requirement
of an external organization. (ACA, 2005, preamble)
Such internalization, however, does not always occur. This
lack of internalization is most likely when there are areas of
conflict between an individual’s personal values and the pro-
fession’s collective values as articulated by the ACA Code of
Ethics (ACA, 2005). Such value conflicts are the focus of this
special section. Specifically, this special section is designed
to address the dilemmas that occur when an individual coun-
selor’s personal values conflict with the profession’s collective
Journal of Counseling & Development ■ April 2014 ■ Volume 92 133
Introduction to the Special Section
values as communicated in its code of ethics. At the heart of
these dilemmas is the issue of how best to protect clients from
harm that may result from counselors acting in accordance
with their personal values and in violation of the collective
values of the profession.
Recent and Not-So-Recent
Value Conflicts
Recent court cases (i.e., Keeton v. Anderson-Wiley, 2010; Ward
v. Wilbanks, 2009) challenged the profession about what to do
when the personally held values of counselors are in conflict
with the ACA Code of Ethics (ACA, 2005). The aformentioned
court cases focused on a specific conflict between the personal
values of some counselors and the collective values of the
profession. Whereas the profession values diversity, prohibits
discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation (and many
other factors), and requires that “counselors gain knowledge,
personal awareness, sensitivity, and skills pertinent to work-
ing with a diverse client population” (ACA, 2005, Standard
C.2.a.), some counselors and counselors-in-training object to
the idea of providing counseling services to nonheterosexual
clients in any manner that could be mistaken for acceptance
of their lifestyle. They contend that any requirement for them
to do so is discriminatory against their constitutional right to
practice in accordance with their religious beliefs. In contrast,
the profession (via ACA) argued that communication of
such beliefs reflects an imposition of one’s personal values
and that a refusal to see nonheterosexual clients represents
discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation (Ex. at Sep.
30, 2009; see also http://www.counseling.org/resources/pdfs/
EMUamicusbrief.pdf).
Central to this dilemma for some counselors is a belief
that the only ways to honor their personal and/or religious
beliefs as counselors are by directly communicating one’s
values to the client, refusing to discuss same-sex relation-
ships with clients, or implementing a policy of automatically
referring nonheterosexual clients to other counselors. We
respectfully disagree with this belief and offer a discussion
of a much less recent dilemma to illustrate another pos-
sibility. Whereas sexual orientation and gay rights are the
hot-button issues of the day that most frequently conflict
with religious beliefs, a different issue caused similar con-
troversy in the 1960s. That decade was marked by the sexual
revolution and an increasing level of societal acceptance of
sexual activity outside of marriage. This issue, too, caused
great consternation for people who held religious beliefs
against such activity.
One can easily imagine a counselor in 1965 feeling deeply
conflicted when faced with a client engaged in sexual activ-
ity outside of marriage; the counselor’s conflict would have
reflected religious beliefs that were opposed to such activity.
If counselors also believed that the only way they could honor
their religious convictions was to communicate their values to
the client, refuse to discuss extramarital sexual relationships
with clients, or implement a policy of automatically referring
those clients to other counselors, how would this action have
affected those clients? As it happens, Carl Rogers encountered
just such a client, and his session with “Gloria” was recorded
on a widely disseminated training video that is still used today
(Shostrom, 1965) and is now available on YouTube.
Although we do not know what religious beliefs Carl
Rogers held or whether he experienced any value conflict
when counseling Gloria, we do know that (a) Gloria revealed
her participation in casual sexual relationships after her re-
cent divorce and (b) her counselor could have experienced
a value conflict in this situation. In a particularly tender
point in the session, Gloria expressed feeling guilty about
engaging in these sexual relationships and guilty for lying
to her daughter about it. When Gloria directly asked Carl
Rogers what she should do, she was clearly vulnerable to
an imposition of his values. Consider how the following
possible responses—none of which were made by Carl
Rogers—could have affected Gloria:
• “This is your life and you can do as you like, but I
believe that sex outside of marriage is a sin.”
• “Your sexual relationships aren’t something I am
comfortable discussing with you. What else would
you like to talk about?”
• “I know a great counselor across town who specializes
in these issues, and I would like to refer you.”
Our hope is that the potential harm that could befall Glo-
ria as a result of such responses is clearly evident. Already
feeling guilty, Gloria was especially vulnerable to signs
of disapproval or rejection. Carl Rogers’s actual response
offered neither. Additionally, and very importantly, his
response also did not communicate acceptance. Instead, he
acknowledged hearing Gloria’s plea for advice about what
to do and communicated that, although he wished he could
tell her what she should do, this was a very personal deci-
sion that only she could make.
For counselors facing any similar dilemma involving a
conflict between their personal value system and the pro-
fession’s values, we suggest that this approach may offer
a way to resolve the conflict. This nondirective approach
does not violate the ACA Code of Ethics (ACA, 2005) and
allows a counselor to honor personal religious beliefs. It
simply does not involve communicating those beliefs to the
client via direct statements; indirect, selective attention to
topics; or referrals.
Focus of the Special Section
Each of the articles in this special section addresses the issue
of value conflicts and explores means by which they might be
Journal of Counseling & Development ■ April 2014 ■ Volume 92134
Francis & Dugger
reconciled. The section begins with three articles addressing
the recent Ward v. Wilbanks (2009) court case. In the open-
ing article, Suzanne Dugger and Perry Francis describe the
case and offer insights into the lessons learned. Next, ACA’s
chief professional officer, David Kaplan, analyzes the ethi-
cal implications of the case and describes ACA’s position on
the issues raised by this case. Then, Barbara Herlihy, Mary
Hermann, and Leigh Greden explore the legal and ethical
implications of using religious beliefs as the basis for refusing
to counsel certain clients.
The section then shifts from this narrow focus on the
Ward v. Wilbanks (2009) case to a broader exploration of
value-based conflicts within the counseling profession. In her
article, Irene Ametrano addresses ways in which counselor
educators can teach ethical decision making and help students
reconcile their personal values with the profession’s values.
Also addressing ways to prepare future counselors to deal
with values conflicts, Joy Whitman and Markus Bidell’s article
explores ways to bridge the gap between religious beliefs and
affirmative counselor education. In the next article, Markus
Bidell explores the experience of individual counselors expe-
riencing discord between their conservative religious beliefs
and the expectation that they, as professional counselors,
will not discriminate in offering positive regard to clients.
Next, Michael Kocet and Barbara Herlihy reveal their newly
developed model for ethical decision making. This model is
focused on addressing value-based conflicts that may arise
within a counseling relationship.
Finally, this special section concludes with two articles
dedicated to exploring the perspectives of various religions
pertaining to sexual orientation and value conflicts. Richard
Balkin, Richard Watts, and Saba Ali offer Jewish, Christian,
and Muslim perspectives on the intersection of faith, race,
and sexual orientation. In the final article, Devika Choudhuri
and Kurt Kraus address ways in which Buddhist perspec-
tives may be useful in reconciling value conflicts that arise
in counseling.
References
American Counseling Association. (2005). ACA code of ethics. Alex-
andria, VA: Author.
Corey, G., Corey, M. S., & Callanan, P. (2011). Issues and ethics in the
helping professions (8th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.
DeMitchell, T. A., Hebert, D. J., & Phan, L. T. (2013). The university
curriculum and the constitution: Personal beliefs and professional
ethics in graduate school counseling programs. Journal of College
and University Law, 39, 303–344.
Gorman, E. H., & Sandefur, R. L. (2011). “Golden Age,” quiescence,
and revival: How the sociology of professionals became the student
of knowledge-based work. Work and Occupation, 38, 275–302.
Keeton v. Anderson-Wiley, No. 1:10-CV-00099-JRH-WLB, 733 F.
Supp. 2d 1368 (S.D. Ga., Aug. 20, 2010).
Shiles, M. (2009). Discriminatory referrals: Uncovering a potential
ethical dilemma facing practitioners. Ethics & Behavior, 19,
142–155.
Shostrom, E. L. (Producer). (1965). Three approaches to psychotherapy
I [Video recording]. Corona Del Mar, CA: Psychological & Edu-
cational Films.
Sue, D. W. (2010). Microaggressions in everyday life: Race, gender,
and sexual orientation. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Ward v. Wilbanks, No. 09-CV-11237, Doc. 1 (E.D. Mich., Apr. 2, 2009).
Welfel, E. R. (2010). Ethics in counseling and psychotherapy: Stan-
dards, research, and emerging issues (4th ed.). Belmont, CA:
Brooks/Cole.
Zinnbauer, B. J., & Pargament, K. I. (2000). Working with the sacred:
Four approaches to religious and spiritual issues in counseling.
Journal of Counseling & Development, 78, 162–171.
Copyright of Journal of Counseling & Development is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and
its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the
copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email
articles for individual use.
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**## ArticleReviewInstructions_PleaseReadCarefully.docx**
## Article Review Instructions: Please Read Carefully
 Page 4 of 4
Article Review Instructions: Please Read Carefully
You will write an article review, relevant to this week's learning module and readings. You will select the article yourself by searching the UWA Library Databases. The article you choose should be a research article (has a hypothesis that is empirically tested). Pick an article relevant to a topic covered in the weekly readings. Each review is worth 20 points. The review should be 1-2 single-spaced pages in a 12-point font. It is in your best interest to submit your review before it is due so you may check your originality report and correct any spelling and grammatical errors identified by the software program.
The purpose of the review is to provide students knowledge of how research is conducted and reported. The main part of your review needs to include the following information. Please comment on these aspects of the article as part of your review. Provide only the briefest summary of content. What I am most interested in is your critique and connection to weekly readings.
**Reference.** Listed at the top of the paper in APA style.
**Introduction. Read the introduction carefully. The introduction should contain:**
· A thorough literature review that establishes the nature of the problem to be addressed in the present study (the literature review is specific to the problem)
· The literature review is current (generally, articles within the past 5 years)
· A logical sequence from what we know (the literature review) to what we don't know (the unanswered questions raised by the review and what this study intended to answer
· The purpose of the present study
· The specific hypotheses/research questions to be addressed.
· State the overall purpose of the paper. What was the main theme of the paper?
· What new ideas or information were communicated in the paper?
· Why was it important to publish these ideas?
**Methods. The methods section has three subsections. The methods sections should contain:**
· The
**participants** and the population they are intended to represent (are they described as well in terms of relevant demographic characteristics such as age, gender, ethnicity, education level, income level, etc?).
· The number of participants and how the participants were selected for the study
· A description of the
**tools/measures** used and research design employed.
· A detailed description of the procedures of the study including participant instructions and whether incentives were given.
**Results. The results section should contain a very thorough summary of results of all analyses. This section should include:**
· Specific demographic characteristics of the sample
· A thorough narrative description of the results of all statistical tests that addressed specific hypotheses
· If there are tables and figures, are they also described in the text?
· If there are tables and figures, can they be interpreted "stand alone" (this means that they contain sufficient information in the title and footnotes so that a reader can understand what is being presented without having to go back to the text)?
**Discussion. The discussion is where the author "wraps up the research". This section should include:**
· A simple and easy to understand summary of what was found
· Where the hypotheses supported or refuted?
· A discussion of how the author's findings compares to those found in prior research
· The limitations of the study
· The implications of the findings to basic and applied researchers and to practitioners
**Critique.**
In your opinion, what were the strengths and weaknesses of the paper or document? Be sure to think about
**your impressions** and the reasons for them. Listing what the author wrote as limitations is not the same thing as forming your own opinions and justifying them to the reader.
· Were the findings important to a reader?
· Were the conclusions valid? Do you agree with the conclusions?
· If the material was technical, was the technical material innovative?
**Conclusion.**
Once you provide the main critique of the article, you should include a final paragraph that gives me your overall impression of the study. Was the study worthwhile? Was it well-written and clear to those who may not have as much background in the content area? What was the overall contribution of this study to our child development knowledge base?
**APA Format Review**
If you are unfamiliar or a bit “rusty” on your APA format, you may want to use the tutorial available through the APA website which is listed on your syllabus.
**Grading Criteria**
I will grade your paper based upon:
· How well you followed directions (as indicated in this page)
· How thoroughly you used examples to support the critique
· How accurately you used APA format
· your organization, grammar, and spelling
· Integration of assigned weekly readings
**image1.gif**
**## ProfessionalismEthicsandValueBasedConflictsArticle1.pdf**
Journal of Counseling & Development ■ April 2014 ■ Volume 92 131
Special Section:
Professionalism, Ethics, and
Value-Based Conflicts in Counseling
© 2014 by the American Counseling Association. All rights reserved.
DOI: 10.1002/j.1556-6676.2014.00138.x
The primary purpose of a code of ethics, for any profession, is
to establish norms and expectations for practitioners in order
to collectively minimize the risk of harm to clients and the
general public (Welfel, 2010). In a broader sense, a code of
ethics is also a reflection of the profession’s collective values
and moral principles. Indeed, the establishment of a code of
ethics, which communicates a normative orientation to the
service of others and a commitment to protect the welfare
of clients, is considered the “hallmark of professionalism”
(Gorman & Sandefur, 2011, p. 279). Promulgation of a code
of ethics places the needs and interests of clients over and
above the personal needs or values of any individual member
of the profession (DeMitchell, Hebert, & Phan, 2013; Gor-
man & Sandefur, 2011). A code of ethics helps to ensure
the primacy of client welfare by articulating a profession’s
collective set of values and communicating standards of prac-
tice for all members of that profession. Because laws set the
minimum standards of acceptable behavior, ethical standards
often exceed the legal requirements articulated in federal and
state laws (Corey, Corey, & Callanan, 2011). Entry into and
continued association with a profession requires all of its
practitioners to make a commitment that they will abide by
the profession’s code of ethics and the profession’s collective
values as reflected in that code.
By all measures, counseling is a profession (Gorman
& Sandefur, 2011). Counseling is a vocation that requires
individuals to obtain specific, university-based training to
acquire expertise in a specialized set of knowledge and
skills; confers status and power upon its members; has an
Perry C. Francis and Suzanne M. Dugger, Department of Leadership and Counseling, Eastern Michigan University. Correspon-
dence concerning this article should be addressed to Perry C. Francis, Department of Leadership and Counseling, Eastern Michigan
University, 135 Porter Building, Ypsilanti, MI 48197 (e-mail: pfrancis@emich.edu).
Professionalism, Ethics, and
Value-Based Conflicts in Counseling:
An Introduction to the Special Section
Perry C. Francis and Suzanne M. Dugger, Guest Editors
This introduction to this special section of the Journal of Counseling & Development explores the importance of a code
of ethics to the establishment and maintenance of a profession. Recognizing a code of ethics as a communication of
a profession’s collective values and expectations, the editors of this special section acknowledge the dilemmas that
arise when a counselor’s personal values do not align with the profession’s collective values. The authors of each
article address value-based conflicts in counseling.
Keywords: counselor training, ethics, litigation, religion, LGBT
established national association through which it establishes
a collective identity, communicates professional values, dis-
seminates scholarly research, and advocates for its members;
and regulates itself through licensure and a code of ethics.
Although counselors vary with regard to specializations
and/or the settings in which they practice, they are united as a
single profession through the American Counseling Associa-
tion (ACA). Through this umbrella association, counselors
of varied specializations come together for the purposes of
promoting a shared professional identity, protecting clients,
and promulgating the ACA Code of Ethics (ACA, 2005) to
which all members must adhere. In addition, many counselors
join divisions within ACA, which are focused on more spe-
cialized areas of practice (e.g., college or school counseling)
or shared goals or ideals (e.g., social justice). When these
divisions have established their own code of ethics, those
codes are designed to supplement, not supplant, the ACA
Code of Ethics. As such, their members are responsible for
adhering to those specialized ethical standards and the ACA
Code of Ethics.
Values and Expectations Communicated
by the ACA Code of Ethics
The collective values of the counseling profession are com-
municated in the ACA Code of Ethics (ACA, 2005). Included
within these values and most relevant to this special section
are the recognition of each client’s inherent worth and dignity;
a respect for each client’s uniqueness, autonomy, and right
Journal of Counseling & Development ■ April 2014 ■ Volume 92132
Francis & Dugger
to self-determination; an honoring of human growth and
development; and a respect for diversity within our clientele
and a valuing of cultural competence in counselors. Related
to the communication of these values, ACA (2005) also com-
municated expectations for professional behavior, stating “the
primary responsibility of counselors is to respect the dignity
and promote the welfare of clients” (Standard A.1.a.).
Toward this goal, professional counselors are expected
to conduct themselves in ways that demonstrate a genuine
valuing of each client as a unique individual, that honor each
client’s right to make choices in accordance with his or her
own personal beliefs and standards, and that facilitate each
client’s growth within a myriad of developmental domains
(ACA, 2005, preamble). Professional counselors are also ex-
pected to constantly strive toward increased levels of cultural
competence (Standard C.2.a.) and to avoid discriminatory
practices with respect to a wide variety of cultural dimen-
sions (Standard C.5.). Indeed, competence as a professional
counselor is contingent upon one’s ability to “embrace a
cross-cultural approach in support of the worth, dignity,
potential, and uniqueness of people within their social and
cultural contexts” (ACA, 2005, preamble). In respecting the
diversity of clients, professional counselors must be “aware
of their own values, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors and avoid
imposing values” (ACA, 2005, Standard A.4.b.).
Values, Power, and Potential for Harm
In light of the prohibition against counselors imposing their
values on clients, counselors should recognize the ways in
which their personal values may be directly or indirectly
communicated to clients and be aware of how the power
differential that exists within each counseling relationship
may result in the imposition of their values. Although most
counselors understand that directly communicating their
values to clients is unacceptable, concerted effort and con-
stant vigilance are necessary to avoid communicating their
values indirectly. Without such vigilance, counselors may
inadvertently communicate their personal values through
nonverbal and extraverbal responses to client disclosures,
by which client stories they focus on and which they avoid,
by how convincingly they communicate caring and respect
for a client, by which interventions they select, by the sug-
gestions they make or the homework they assign, and by
their willingness to continue seeing a client. In such ways,
counselors may intentionally or inadvertently communicate
their personal values to their clients.
Although communication of one’s own values within an
equal, reciprocal relationship would not constitute an imposi-
tion of values, communication of one’s personal values within
an unequal relationship with a vulnerable client can result in
the imposition of values. Zinnbauer and Pargament (2000)
showed that, when a counselor’s values are communicated
during psychotherapy, clients demonstrate a tendency to
move toward adopting those values. Factors likely to contrib-
ute to such influence include the power differential present
within the counseling relationship, the counselor’s perceived
expertise, and the client’s vulnerability. Individuals who are
most vulnerable to this potential imposition of values include
clients or students in any setting where the choice of a coun-
selor may be restricted (e.g., K–12 schools, small colleges
and universities) or where professional services are limited
to a handful of potential practitioners (e.g., clients in rural
or underserved areas).
To be sure, though, the potential for an abuse of power
exists in every counseling relationship, and clients are vul-
nerable to undue influence and microaggressions that can
occur when a counselor communicates any personal values
that are contrary to those of the client (Sue, 2010; Zinnbauer
& Pargament, 2000). When clients are struggling with issues
about which they feel confused, conflicted, or ambivalent,
even the most subtle communication of personal values has
a likelihood of swaying a client to act in accordance with
the counselor’s values rather than facilitating the client’s
exploration of his or her own values. In this way, values can
be imposed. Therefore, the expectation that counselors take
special care in not imposing their values is especially impor-
tant in demonstrating respect for each client’s right to make
choices in accordance with his or her own personal beliefs
and standards and in avoiding discriminatory practices. In the
absence of such restraint, counselors place clients at risk for
harm in ways that may be blatant or subtle and rationalized
as a means to providing the best care for the client (Shiles,
2009; Sue, 2010).
Value Conflicts
Although the ACA Code of Ethics (ACA, 2005) prescribes
expectations for professional behavior, the ultimate hope is
that each individual counselor will internalize the profession’s
collective values. The preamble of the ACA Code of Ethics
delineates this:
Professional values are an important way of living out an
ethical commitment. Values inform principles. Inherently held
values that guide our behaviors or exceed prescribed behaviors
are deeply ingrained in the counselor and developed out of
personal dedication, rather than the mandatory requirement
of an external organization. (ACA, 2005, preamble)
Such internalization, however, does not always occur. This
lack of internalization is most likely when there are areas of
conflict between an individual’s personal values and the pro-
fession’s collective values as articulated by the ACA Code of
Ethics (ACA, 2005). Such value conflicts are the focus of this
special section. Specifically, this special section is designed
to address the dilemmas that occur when an individual coun-
selor’s personal values conflict with the profession’s collective
Journal of Counseling & Development ■ April 2014 ■ Volume 92 133
Introduction to the Special Section
values as communicated in its code of ethics. At the heart of
these dilemmas is the issue of how best to protect clients from
harm that may result from counselors acting in accordance
with their personal values and in violation of the collective
values of the profession.
Recent and Not-So-Recent
Value Conflicts
Recent court cases (i.e., Keeton v. Anderson-Wiley, 2010; Ward
v. Wilbanks, 2009) challenged the profession about what to do
when the personally held values of counselors are in conflict
with the ACA Code of Ethics (ACA, 2005). The aformentioned
court cases focused on a specific conflict between the personal
values of some counselors and the collective values of the
profession. Whereas the profession values diversity, prohibits
discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation (and many
other factors), and requires that “counselors gain knowledge,
personal awareness, sensitivity, and skills pertinent to work-
ing with a diverse client population” (ACA, 2005, Standard
C.2.a.), some counselors and counselors-in-training object to
the idea of providing counseling services to nonheterosexual
clients in any manner that could be mistaken for acceptance
of their lifestyle. They contend that any requirement for them
to do so is discriminatory against their constitutional right to
practice in accordance with their religious beliefs. In contrast,
the profession (via ACA) argued that communication of
such beliefs reflects an imposition of one’s personal values
and that a refusal to see nonheterosexual clients represents
discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation (Ex. at Sep.
30, 2009; see also http://www.counseling.org/resources/pdfs/
EMUamicusbrief.pdf).
Central to this dilemma for some counselors is a belief
that the only ways to honor their personal and/or religious
beliefs as counselors are by directly communicating one’s
values to the client, refusing to discuss same-sex relation-
ships with clients, or implementing a policy of automatically
referring nonheterosexual clients to other counselors. We
respectfully disagree with this belief and offer a discussion
of a much less recent dilemma to illustrate another pos-
sibility. Whereas sexual orientation and gay rights are the
hot-button issues of the day that most frequently conflict
with religious beliefs, a different issue caused similar con-
troversy in the 1960s. That decade was marked by the sexual
revolution and an increasing level of societal acceptance of
sexual activity outside of marriage. This issue, too, caused
great consternation for people who held religious beliefs
against such activity.
One can easily imagine a counselor in 1965 feeling deeply
conflicted when faced with a client engaged in sexual activ-
ity outside of marriage; the counselor’s conflict would have
reflected religious beliefs that were opposed to such activity.
If counselors also believed that the only way they could honor
their religious convictions was to communicate their values to
the client, refuse to discuss extramarital sexual relationships
with clients, or implement a policy of automatically referring
those clients to other counselors, how would this action have
affected those clients? As it happens, Carl Rogers encountered
just such a client, and his session with “Gloria” was recorded
on a widely disseminated training video that is still used today
(Shostrom, 1965) and is now available on YouTube.
Although we do not know what religious beliefs Carl
Rogers held or whether he experienced any value conflict
when counseling Gloria, we do know that (a) Gloria revealed
her participation in casual sexual relationships after her re-
cent divorce and (b) her counselor could have experienced
a value conflict in this situation. In a particularly tender
point in the session, Gloria expressed feeling guilty about
engaging in these sexual relationships and guilty for lying
to her daughter about it. When Gloria directly asked Carl
Rogers what she should do, she was clearly vulnerable to
an imposition of his values. Consider how the following
possible responses—none of which were made by Carl
Rogers—could have affected Gloria:
• “This is your life and you can do as you like, but I
believe that sex outside of marriage is a sin.”
• “Your sexual relationships aren’t something I am
comfortable discussing with you. What else would
you like to talk about?”
• “I know a great counselor across town who specializes
in these issues, and I would like to refer you.”
Our hope is that the potential harm that could befall Glo-
ria as a result of such responses is clearly evident. Already
feeling guilty, Gloria was especially vulnerable to signs
of disapproval or rejection. Carl Rogers’s actual response
offered neither. Additionally, and very importantly, his
response also did not communicate acceptance. Instead, he
acknowledged hearing Gloria’s plea for advice about what
to do and communicated that, although he wished he could
tell her what she should do, this was a very personal deci-
sion that only she could make.
For counselors facing any similar dilemma involving a
conflict between their personal value system and the pro-
fession’s values, we suggest that this approach may offer
a way to resolve the conflict. This nondirective approach
does not violate the ACA Code of Ethics (ACA, 2005) and
allows a counselor to honor personal religious beliefs. It
simply does not involve communicating those beliefs to the
client via direct statements; indirect, selective attention to
topics; or referrals.
Focus of the Special Section
Each of the articles in this special section addresses the issue
of value conflicts and explores means by which they might be
Journal of Counseling & Development ■ April 2014 ■ Volume 92134
Francis & Dugger
reconciled. The section begins with three articles addressing
the recent Ward v. Wilbanks (2009) court case. In the open-
ing article, Suzanne Dugger and Perry Francis describe the
case and offer insights into the lessons learned. Next, ACA’s
chief professional officer, David Kaplan, analyzes the ethi-
cal implications of the case and describes ACA’s position on
the issues raised by this case. Then, Barbara Herlihy, Mary
Hermann, and Leigh Greden explore the legal and ethical
implications of using religious beliefs as the basis for refusing
to counsel certain clients.
The section then shifts from this narrow focus on the
Ward v. Wilbanks (2009) case to a broader exploration of
value-based conflicts within the counseling profession. In her
article, Irene Ametrano addresses ways in which counselor
educators can teach ethical decision making and help students
reconcile their personal values with the profession’s values.
Also addressing ways to prepare future counselors to deal
with values conflicts, Joy Whitman and Markus Bidell’s article
explores ways to bridge the gap between religious beliefs and
affirmative counselor education. In the next article, Markus
Bidell explores the experience of individual counselors expe-
riencing discord between their conservative religious beliefs
and the expectation that they, as professional counselors,
will not discriminate in offering positive regard to clients.
Next, Michael Kocet and Barbara Herlihy reveal their newly
developed model for ethical decision making. This model is
focused on addressing value-based conflicts that may arise
within a counseling relationship.
Finally, this special section concludes with two articles
dedicated to exploring the perspectives of various religions
pertaining to sexual orientation and value conflicts. Richard
Balkin, Richard Watts, and Saba Ali offer Jewish, Christian,
and Muslim perspectives on the intersection of faith, race,
and sexual orientation. In the final article, Devika Choudhuri
and Kurt Kraus address ways in which Buddhist perspec-
tives may be useful in reconciling value conflicts that arise
in counseling.
References
American Counseling Association. (2005). ACA code of ethics. Alex-
andria, VA: Author.
Corey, G., Corey, M. S., & Callanan, P. (2011). Issues and ethics in the
helping professions (8th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.
DeMitchell, T. A., Hebert, D. J., & Phan, L. T. (2013). The university
curriculum and the constitution: Personal beliefs and professional
ethics in graduate school counseling programs. Journal of College
and University Law, 39, 303–344.
Gorman, E. H., & Sandefur, R. L. (2011). “Golden Age,” quiescence,
and revival: How the sociology of professionals became the student
of knowledge-based work. Work and Occupation, 38, 275–302.
Keeton v. Anderson-Wiley, No. 1:10-CV-00099-JRH-WLB, 733 F.
Supp. 2d 1368 (S.D. Ga., Aug. 20, 2010).
Shiles, M. (2009). Discriminatory referrals: Uncovering a potential
ethical dilemma facing practitioners. Ethics & Behavior, 19,
142–155.
Shostrom, E. L. (Producer). (1965). Three approaches to psychotherapy
I [Video recording]. Corona Del Mar, CA: Psychological & Edu-
cational Films.
Sue, D. W. (2010). Microaggressions in everyday life: Race, gender,
and sexual orientation. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Ward v. Wilbanks, No. 09-CV-11237, Doc. 1 (E.D. Mich., Apr. 2, 2009).
Welfel, E. R. (2010). Ethics in counseling and psychotherapy: Stan-
dards, research, and emerging issues (4th ed.). Belmont, CA:
Brooks/Cole.
Zinnbauer, B. J., & Pargament, K. I. (2000). Working with the sacred:
Four approaches to religious and spiritual issues in counseling.
Journal of Counseling & Development, 78, 162–171.
Copyright of Journal of Counseling & Development is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and
its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the
copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email
articles for individual use.
**SocialJusticeandMulticulturalIssuesArticle1.pdf**
This file is too large to display. [View in new window](https://www.sweetstudy.com/files/socialjusticeandmulticulturalissuesarticle1-pdf-10162759)
**## ArticleReviewInstructions_PleaseReadCarefully.docx**
## Article Review Instructions: Please Read Carefully
 Page 4 of 4
Article Review Instructions: Please Read Carefully
You will write an article review, relevant to this week's learning module and readings. You will select the article yourself by searching the UWA Library Databases. The article you choose should be a research article (has a hypothesis that is empirically tested). Pick an article relevant to a topic covered in the weekly readings. Each review is worth 20 points. The review should be 1-2 single-spaced pages in a 12-point font. It is in your best interest to submit your review before it is due so you may check your originality report and correct any spelling and grammatical errors identified by the software program.
The purpose of the review is to provide students knowledge of how research is conducted and reported. The main part of your review needs to include the following information. Please comment on these aspects of the article as part of your review. Provide only the briefest summary of content. What I am most interested in is your critique and connection to weekly readings.
**Reference.** Listed at the top of the paper in APA style.
**Introduction. Read the introduction carefully. The introduction should contain:**
· A thorough literature review that establishes the nature of the problem to be addressed in the present study (the literature review is specific to the problem)
· The literature review is current (generally, articles within the past 5 years)
· A logical sequence from what we know (the literature review) to what we don't know (the unanswered questions raised by the review and what this study intended to answer
· The purpose of the present study
· The specific hypotheses/research questions to be addressed.
· State the overall purpose of the paper. What was the main theme of the paper?
· What new ideas or information were communicated in the paper?
· Why was it important to publish these ideas?
**Methods. The methods section has three subsections. The methods sections should contain:**
· The
**participants** and the population they are intended to represent (are they described as well in terms of relevant demographic characteristics such as age, gender, ethnicity, education level, income level, etc?).
· The number of participants and how the participants were selected for the study
· A description of the
**tools/measures** used and research design employed.
· A detailed description of the procedures of the study including participant instructions and whether incentives were given.
**Results. The results section should contain a very thorough summary of results of all analyses. This section should include:**
· Specific demographic characteristics of the sample
· A thorough narrative description of the results of all statistical tests that addressed specific hypotheses
· If there are tables and figures, are they also described in the text?
· If there are tables and figures, can they be interpreted "stand alone" (this means that they contain sufficient information in the title and footnotes so that a reader can understand what is being presented without having to go back to the text)?
**Discussion. The discussion is where the author "wraps up the research". This section should include:**
· A simple and easy to understand summary of what was found
· Where the hypotheses supported or refuted?
· A discussion of how the author's findings compares to those found in prior research
· The limitations of the study
· The implications of the findings to basic and applied researchers and to practitioners
**Critique.**
In your opinion, what were the strengths and weaknesses of the paper or document? Be sure to think about
**your impressions** and the reasons for them. Listing what the author wrote as limitations is not the same thing as forming your own opinions and justifying them to the reader.
· Were the findings important to a reader?
· Were the conclusions valid? Do you agree with the conclusions?
· If the material was technical, was the technical material innovative?
**Conclusion.**
Once you provide the main critique of the article, you should include a final paragraph that gives me your overall impression of the study. Was the study worthwhile? Was it well-written and clear to those who may not have as much background in the content area? What was the overall contribution of this study to our child development knowledge base?
**APA Format Review**
If you are unfamiliar or a bit “rusty” on your APA format, you may want to use the tutorial available through the APA website which is listed on your syllabus.
**Grading Criteria**
I will grade your paper based upon:
· How well you followed directions (as indicated in this page)
· How thoroughly you used examples to support the critique
· How accurately you used APA format
· your organization, grammar, and spelling
· Integration of assigned weekly readings
**image1.gif**
**## ProfessionalismEthicsandValueBasedConflictsArticle1.pdf**
Journal of Counseling & Development ■ April 2014 ■ Volume 92 131
Special Section:
Professionalism, Ethics, and
Value-Based Conflicts in Counseling
© 2014 by the American Counseling Association. All rights reserved.
DOI: 10.1002/j.1556-6676.2014.00138.x
The primary purpose of a code of ethics, for any profession, is
to establish norms and expectations for practitioners in order
to collectively minimize the risk of harm to clients and the
general public (Welfel, 2010). In a broader sense, a code of
ethics is also a reflection of the profession’s collective values
and moral principles. Indeed, the establishment of a code of
ethics, which communicates a normative orientation to the
service of others and a commitment to protect the welfare
of clients, is considered the “hallmark of professionalism”
(Gorman & Sandefur, 2011, p. 279). Promulgation of a code
of ethics places the needs and interests of clients over and
above the personal needs or values of any individual member
of the profession (DeMitchell, Hebert, & Phan, 2013; Gor-
man & Sandefur, 2011). A code of ethics helps to ensure
the primacy of client welfare by articulating a profession’s
collective set of values and communicating standards of prac-
tice for all members of that profession. Because laws set the
minimum standards of acceptable behavior, ethical standards
often exceed the legal requirements articulated in federal and
state laws (Corey, Corey, & Callanan, 2011). Entry into and
continued association with a profession requires all of its
practitioners to make a commitment that they will abide by
the profession’s code of ethics and the profession’s collective
values as reflected in that code.
By all measures, counseling is a profession (Gorman
& Sandefur, 2011). Counseling is a vocation that requires
individuals to obtain specific, university-based training to
acquire expertise in a specialized set of knowledge and
skills; confers status and power upon its members; has an
Perry C. Francis and Suzanne M. Dugger, Department of Leadership and Counseling, Eastern Michigan University. Correspon-
dence concerning this article should be addressed to Perry C. Francis, Department of Leadership and Counseling, Eastern Michigan
University, 135 Porter Building, Ypsilanti, MI 48197 (e-mail: pfrancis@emich.edu).
Professionalism, Ethics, and
Value-Based Conflicts in Counseling:
An Introduction to the Special Section
Perry C. Francis and Suzanne M. Dugger, Guest Editors
This introduction to this special section of the Journal of Counseling & Development explores the importance of a code
of ethics to the establishment and maintenance of a profession. Recognizing a code of ethics as a communication of
a profession’s collective values and expectations, the editors of this special section acknowledge the dilemmas that
arise when a counselor’s personal values do not align with the profession’s collective values. The authors of each
article address value-based conflicts in counseling.
Keywords: counselor training, ethics, litigation, religion, LGBT
established national association through which it establishes
a collective identity, communicates professional values, dis-
seminates scholarly research, and advocates for its members;
and regulates itself through licensure and a code of ethics.
Although counselors vary with regard to specializations
and/or the settings in which they practice, they are united as a
single profession through the American Counseling Associa-
tion (ACA). Through this umbrella association, counselors
of varied specializations come together for the purposes of
promoting a shared professional identity, protecting clients,
and promulgating the ACA Code of Ethics (ACA, 2005) to
which all members must adhere. In addition, many counselors
join divisions within ACA, which are focused on more spe-
cialized areas of practice (e.g., college or school counseling)
or shared goals or ideals (e.g., social justice). When these
divisions have established their own code of ethics, those
codes are designed to supplement, not supplant, the ACA
Code of Ethics. As such, their members are responsible for
adhering to those specialized ethical standards and the ACA
Code of Ethics.
Values and Expectations Communicated
by the ACA Code of Ethics
The collective values of the counseling profession are com-
municated in the ACA Code of Ethics (ACA, 2005). Included
within these values and most relevant to this special section
are the recognition of each client’s inherent worth and dignity;
a respect for each client’s uniqueness, autonomy, and right
Journal of Counseling & Development ■ April 2014 ■ Volume 92132
Francis & Dugger
to self-determination; an honoring of human growth and
development; and a respect for diversity within our clientele
and a valuing of cultural competence in counselors. Related
to the communication of these values, ACA (2005) also com-
municated expectations for professional behavior, stating “the
primary responsibility of counselors is to respect the dignity
and promote the welfare of clients” (Standard A.1.a.).
Toward this goal, professional counselors are expected
to conduct themselves in ways that demonstrate a genuine
valuing of each client as a unique individual, that honor each
client’s right to make choices in accordance with his or her
own personal beliefs and standards, and that facilitate each
client’s growth within a myriad of developmental domains
(ACA, 2005, preamble). Professional counselors are also ex-
pected to constantly strive toward increased levels of cultural
competence (Standard C.2.a.) and to avoid discriminatory
practices with respect to a wide variety of cultural dimen-
sions (Standard C.5.). Indeed, competence as a professional
counselor is contingent upon one’s ability to “embrace a
cross-cultural approach in support of the worth, dignity,
potential, and uniqueness of people within their social and
cultural contexts” (ACA, 2005, preamble). In respecting the
diversity of clients, professional counselors must be “aware
of their own values, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors and avoid
imposing values” (ACA, 2005, Standard A.4.b.).
Values, Power, and Potential for Harm
In light of the prohibition against counselors imposing their
values on clients, counselors should recognize the ways in
which their personal values may be directly or indirectly
communicated to clients and be aware of how the power
differential that exists within each counseling relationship
may result in the imposition of their values. Although most
counselors understand that directly communicating their
values to clients is unacceptable, concerted effort and con-
stant vigilance are necessary to avoid communicating their
values indirectly. Without such vigilance, counselors may
inadvertently communicate their personal values through
nonverbal and extraverbal responses to client disclosures,
by which client stories they focus on and which they avoid,
by how convincingly they communicate caring and respect
for a client, by which interventions they select, by the sug-
gestions they make or the homework they assign, and by
their willingness to continue seeing a client. In such ways,
counselors may intentionally or inadvertently communicate
their personal values to their clients.
Although communication of one’s own values within an
equal, reciprocal relationship would not constitute an imposi-
tion of values, communication of one’s personal values within
an unequal relationship with a vulnerable client can result in
the imposition of values. Zinnbauer and Pargament (2000)
showed that, when a counselor’s values are communicated
during psychotherapy, clients demonstrate a tendency to
move toward adopting those values. Factors likely to contrib-
ute to such influence include the power differential present
within the counseling relationship, the counselor’s perceived
expertise, and the client’s vulnerability. Individuals who are
most vulnerable to this potential imposition of values include
clients or students in any setting where the choice of a coun-
selor may be restricted (e.g., K–12 schools, small colleges
and universities) or where professional services are limited
to a handful of potential practitioners (e.g., clients in rural
or underserved areas).
To be sure, though, the potential for an abuse of power
exists in every counseling relationship, and clients are vul-
nerable to undue influence and microaggressions that can
occur when a counselor communicates any personal values
that are contrary to those of the client (Sue, 2010; Zinnbauer
& Pargament, 2000). When clients are struggling with issues
about which they feel confused, conflicted, or ambivalent,
even the most subtle communication of personal values has
a likelihood of swaying a client to act in accordance with
the counselor’s values rather than facilitating the client’s
exploration of his or her own values. In this way, values can
be imposed. Therefore, the expectation that counselors take
special care in not imposing their values is especially impor-
tant in demonstrating respect for each client’s right to make
choices in accordance with his or her own personal beliefs
and standards and in avoiding discriminatory practices. In the
absence of such restraint, counselors place clients at risk for
harm in ways that may be blatant or subtle and rationalized
as a means to providing the best care for the client (Shiles,
2009; Sue, 2010).
Value Conflicts
Although the ACA Code of Ethics (ACA, 2005) prescribes
expectations for professional behavior, the ultimate hope is
that each individual counselor will internalize the profession’s
collective values. The preamble of the ACA Code of Ethics
delineates this:
Professional values are an important way of living out an
ethical commitment. Values inform principles. Inherently held
values that guide our behaviors or exceed prescribed behaviors
are deeply ingrained in the counselor and developed out of
personal dedication, rather than the mandatory requirement
of an external organization. (ACA, 2005, preamble)
Such internalization, however, does not always occur. This
lack of internalization is most likely when there are areas of
conflict between an individual’s personal values and the pro-
fession’s collective values as articulated by the ACA Code of
Ethics (ACA, 2005). Such value conflicts are the focus of this
special section. Specifically, this special section is designed
to address the dilemmas that occur when an individual coun-
selor’s personal values conflict with the profession’s collective
Journal of Counseling & Development ■ April 2014 ■ Volume 92 133
Introduction to the Special Section
values as communicated in its code of ethics. At the heart of
these dilemmas is the issue of how best to protect clients from
harm that may result from counselors acting in accordance
with their personal values and in violation of the collective
values of the profession.
Recent and Not-So-Recent
Value Conflicts
Recent court cases (i.e., Keeton v. Anderson-Wiley, 2010; Ward
v. Wilbanks, 2009) challenged the profession about what to do
when the personally held values of counselors are in conflict
with the ACA Code of Ethics (ACA, 2005). The aformentioned
court cases focused on a specific conflict between the personal
values of some counselors and the collective values of the
profession. Whereas the profession values diversity, prohibits
discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation (and many
other factors), and requires that “counselors gain knowledge,
personal awareness, sensitivity, and skills pertinent to work-
ing with a diverse client population” (ACA, 2005, Standard
C.2.a.), some counselors and counselors-in-training object to
the idea of providing counseling services to nonheterosexual
clients in any manner that could be mistaken for acceptance
of their lifestyle. They contend that any requirement for them
to do so is discriminatory against their constitutional right to
practice in accordance with their religious beliefs. In contrast,
the profession (via ACA) argued that communication of
such beliefs reflects an imposition of one’s personal values
and that a refusal to see nonheterosexual clients represents
discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation (Ex. at Sep.
30, 2009; see also http://www.counseling.org/resources/pdfs/
EMUamicusbrief.pdf).
Central to this dilemma for some counselors is a belief
that the only ways to honor their personal and/or religious
beliefs as counselors are by directly communicating one’s
values to the client, refusing to discuss same-sex relation-
ships with clients, or implementing a policy of automatically
referring nonheterosexual clients to other counselors. We
respectfully disagree with this belief and offer a discussion
of a much less recent dilemma to illustrate another pos-
sibility. Whereas sexual orientation and gay rights are the
hot-button issues of the day that most frequently conflict
with religious beliefs, a different issue caused similar con-
troversy in the 1960s. That decade was marked by the sexual
revolution and an increasing level of societal acceptance of
sexual activity outside of marriage. This issue, too, caused
great consternation for people who held religious beliefs
against such activity.
One can easily imagine a counselor in 1965 feeling deeply
conflicted when faced with a client engaged in sexual activ-
ity outside of marriage; the counselor’s conflict would have
reflected religious beliefs that were opposed to such activity.
If counselors also believed that the only way they could honor
their religious convictions was to communicate their values to
the client, refuse to discuss extramarital sexual relationships
with clients, or implement a policy of automatically referring
those clients to other counselors, how would this action have
affected those clients? As it happens, Carl Rogers encountered
just such a client, and his session with “Gloria” was recorded
on a widely disseminated training video that is still used today
(Shostrom, 1965) and is now available on YouTube.
Although we do not know what religious beliefs Carl
Rogers held or whether he experienced any value conflict
when counseling Gloria, we do know that (a) Gloria revealed
her participation in casual sexual relationships after her re-
cent divorce and (b) her counselor could have experienced
a value conflict in this situation. In a particularly tender
point in the session, Gloria expressed feeling guilty about
engaging in these sexual relationships and guilty for lying
to her daughter about it. When Gloria directly asked Carl
Rogers what she should do, she was clearly vulnerable to
an imposition of his values. Consider how the following
possible responses—none of which were made by Carl
Rogers—could have affected Gloria:
• “This is your life and you can do as you like, but I
believe that sex outside of marriage is a sin.”
• “Your sexual relationships aren’t something I am
comfortable discussing with you. What else would
you like to talk about?”
• “I know a great counselor across town who specializes
in these issues, and I would like to refer you.”
Our hope is that the potential harm that could befall Glo-
ria as a result of such responses is clearly evident. Already
feeling guilty, Gloria was especially vulnerable to signs
of disapproval or rejection. Carl Rogers’s actual response
offered neither. Additionally, and very importantly, his
response also did not communicate acceptance. Instead, he
acknowledged hearing Gloria’s plea for advice about what
to do and communicated that, although he wished he could
tell her what she should do, this was a very personal deci-
sion that only she could make.
For counselors facing any similar dilemma involving a
conflict between their personal value system and the pro-
fession’s values, we suggest that this approach may offer
a way to resolve the conflict. This nondirective approach
does not violate the ACA Code of Ethics (ACA, 2005) and
allows a counselor to honor personal religious beliefs. It
simply does not involve communicating those beliefs to the
client via direct statements; indirect, selective attention to
topics; or referrals.
Focus of the Special Section
Each of the articles in this special section addresses the issue
of value conflicts and explores means by which they might be
Journal of Counseling & Development ■ April 2014 ■ Volume 92134
Francis & Dugger
reconciled. The section begins with three articles addressing
the recent Ward v. Wilbanks (2009) court case. In the open-
ing article, Suzanne Dugger and Perry Francis describe the
case and offer insights into the lessons learned. Next, ACA’s
chief professional officer, David Kaplan, analyzes the ethi-
cal implications of the case and describes ACA’s position on
the issues raised by this case. Then, Barbara Herlihy, Mary
Hermann, and Leigh Greden explore the legal and ethical
implications of using religious beliefs as the basis for refusing
to counsel certain clients.
The section then shifts from this narrow focus on the
Ward v. Wilbanks (2009) case to a broader exploration of
value-based conflicts within the counseling profession. In her
article, Irene Ametrano addresses ways in which counselor
educators can teach ethical decision making and help students
reconcile their personal values with the profession’s values.
Also addressing ways to prepare future counselors to deal
with values conflicts, Joy Whitman and Markus Bidell’s article
explores ways to bridge the gap between religious beliefs and
affirmative counselor education. In the next article, Markus
Bidell explores the experience of individual counselors expe-
riencing discord between their conservative religious beliefs
and the expectation that they, as professional counselors,
will not discriminate in offering positive regard to clients.
Next, Michael Kocet and Barbara Herlihy reveal their newly
developed model for ethical decision making. This model is
focused on addressing value-based conflicts that may arise
within a counseling relationship.
Finally, this special section concludes with two articles
dedicated to exploring the perspectives of various religions
pertaining to sexual orientation and value conflicts. Richard
Balkin, Richard Watts, and Saba Ali offer Jewish, Christian,
and Muslim perspectives on the intersection of faith, race,
and sexual orientation. In the final article, Devika Choudhuri
and Kurt Kraus address ways in which Buddhist perspec-
tives may be useful in reconciling value conflicts that arise
in counseling.
References
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andria, VA: Author.
Corey, G., Corey, M. S., & Callanan, P. (2011). Issues and ethics in the
helping professions (8th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.
DeMitchell, T. A., Hebert, D. J., & Phan, L. T. (2013). The university
curriculum and the constitution: Personal beliefs and professional
ethics in graduate school counseling programs. Journal of College
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Gorman, E. H., & Sandefur, R. L. (2011). “Golden Age,” quiescence,
and revival: How the sociology of professionals became the student
of knowledge-based work. Work and Occupation, 38, 275–302.
Keeton v. Anderson-Wiley, No. 1:10-CV-00099-JRH-WLB, 733 F.
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Shostrom, E. L. (Producer). (1965). Three approaches to psychotherapy
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Sue, D. W. (2010). Microaggressions in everyday life: Race, gender,
and sexual orientation. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Ward v. Wilbanks, No. 09-CV-11237, Doc. 1 (E.D. Mich., Apr. 2, 2009).
Welfel, E. R. (2010). Ethics in counseling and psychotherapy: Stan-
dards, research, and emerging issues (4th ed.). Belmont, CA:
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