Ethics & Professional Standards in Career Counseling Flashcards

A career counselor is asked to serve as an expert witness in a wrongful termination lawsuit involving a former client. The most significant ethical concern is:

Answer: Violating client confidentiality without a valid release or court order

Testifying about a former client's information without proper authorization or a court order violates confidentiality.

When counseling clients from cultures with collectivist values, ethical multicultural practice requires the counselor to:

Answer: Recognize that family and community input may be central to the client's career decisions

Culturally responsive practice acknowledges that collectivist clients may legitimately involve family and community in career decisions.

Which ethical principle is most directly at stake when a career counselor continues to see a client beyond their area of competence rather than making a referral?

Answer: Nonmaleficence

Nonmaleficence—do no harm—is violated when a counselor provides services outside their competence, risking client harm.

A career counselor maintains a blog where they post case vignettes to illustrate career development concepts. Ethically, these vignettes must:

Answer: Be sufficiently disguised so clients cannot be identified, even with written consent obtained

Disguising identifying details protects client confidentiality even in educational or illustrative contexts.

Under the NCDA Code of Ethics, how long must career counselors typically retain client records after termination of services?

Answer: Dependent on applicable state law and agency policy

Record retention requirements are governed by state laws and institutional policies, which the NCDA code requires counselors to follow.

A career counselor receives a LinkedIn connection request from a current client. The most ethical course of action is to:

Answer: Decline and address the request in session as a potential boundary issue

Social media connections with current clients can blur professional boundaries and should be declined and discussed therapeutically.

The ethical duty of 'veracity' in career counseling primarily obligates the counselor to:

Answer: Be truthful with clients even when the truth is uncomfortable

Veracity is the ethical obligation to be honest and truthful with clients in all professional communications.