MC Master of Counseling: Ethical Guidelines and Professional Conduct 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A counselor discovers that a client is engaged in a romantic relationship with another current client of the same practice. What is the MOST appropriate initial response?
- Immediately disclose this to both clients
- Consult with a supervisor or ethics board before taking action (Correct answer)
- Terminate services with both clients to avoid dual relationships
- Do nothing, as this falls outside the therapeutic relationship
Correct answer: Consult with a supervisor or ethics board before taking action
Consulting with a supervisor or ethics board ensures the counselor handles the complex dual-relationship concern appropriately and in accordance with ethical codes.
Question 2: Under the ACA Code of Ethics, what is the counselor's obligation when a client presents with a condition outside the counselor's area of competence?
- Continue treating the client while reading about the condition
- Refer the client to a more qualified professional (Correct answer)
- Decline to document the condition in session notes
- Ask the client to self-direct their own treatment plan
Correct answer: Refer the client to a more qualified professional
Counselors must practice only within their areas of competence and refer clients when their needs exceed the counselor's training or expertise.
Question 3: A counselor working in a school setting is asked by a teacher to share what a student disclosed in a counseling session. What should the counselor do?
- Share the information since the teacher has a professional role
- Decline and explain the limits of confidentiality to the teacher (Correct answer)
- Disclose only general themes without identifying information
- Consult the student's parents before deciding
Correct answer: Decline and explain the limits of confidentiality to the teacher
Student disclosures are confidential and cannot be shared with teachers unless a specific exception applies, such as imminent danger.
Question 4: Which of the following BEST describes the ethical principle of veracity in counseling?
- Treating all clients with equal respect regardless of background
- Being honest and non-deceptive in all professional communications (Correct answer)
- Maintaining a therapeutic relationship free of power imbalance
- Protecting client information from unauthorized disclosure
Correct answer: Being honest and non-deceptive in all professional communications
Veracity refers to truthfulness and honesty in all interactions, ensuring clients receive accurate information about the counseling process.
Question 5: A client tells their counselor they plan to stop taking prescribed psychiatric medication without telling their psychiatrist. The counselor should FIRST:
- Immediately contact the psychiatrist on the client's behalf
- Explore the client's reasons and educate about risks within the session (Correct answer)
- Document the statement and take no further action
- End the session and refer the client back to psychiatry
Correct answer: Explore the client's reasons and educate about risks within the session
The counselor should first explore the client's reasoning and provide psychoeducation, respecting autonomy while addressing potential safety concerns.
Question 6: When is it ethically permissible for a counselor to accept a small gift from a client?
- Never; all gifts must be refused regardless of context
- When the gift is of minimal value and refusal would harm the therapeutic relationship (Correct answer)
- When the counselor discloses it in the next session notes
- Only when the client's treatment has been formally terminated
Correct answer: When the gift is of minimal value and refusal would harm the therapeutic relationship
The ACA Code of Ethics acknowledges that in some cultural contexts, refusing a small gift may be harmful; counselors must use clinical judgment and consider the impact on the relationship.
Question 7: A counselor who experiences strong negative feelings toward a client that interfere with treatment is experiencing:
- Transference
- Countertransference (Correct answer)
- Compassion fatigue
- Role reversal
Correct answer: Countertransference
Countertransference occurs when a counselor's own feelings, experiences, or reactions are triggered by the client and may interfere with objectivity.
MC Master of Counseling: Ethical Guidelines and Professional Conduct 2
A counselor discovers that a client is engaged in a romantic relationship with another current client of the same practice.
What is the MOST appropriate initial response?