LPC - Licensed Professional Counselor Ethical and Legal Standards Questions and Answers

Question 1

A counselor is working with a 16-year-old client who reveals they are considering suicide. The client pleads with the counselor not to tell their parents. According to the ACA Code of Ethics, which of the following is the counselor's primary responsibility?

Accepted Answer

To breach confidentiality and inform the client's parents or legal guardians.

Answer

The ACA Code of Ethics (Standard B.2.a) states that the general requirement to keep information confidential does not apply when disclosure is required to protect clients from serious and foreseeable harm. Suicidal ideation in a minor falls into this category, making it necessary to breach confidentiality and inform the parents or guardians to ensure the client's safety. While exploring the client's reasons is part of the therapeutic process, the immediate duty to protect from harm takes precedence.

Question 2

During an initial session, a new client signs an informed consent form that outlines the counselor's policies, fees, and the limits of confidentiality. According to ethical standards, when is the process of informed consent complete?

Accepted Answer

It is an ongoing process throughout the counseling relationship.

Answer

The ACA Code of Ethics (Standard A.2.a) emphasizes that informed consent is an ongoing part of the counseling process. Counselors must appropriately document discussions of informed consent throughout the relationship. This means that as new issues arise or treatment plans change, the counselor should revisit and discuss relevant aspects of the informed consent to ensure the client remains fully aware and in agreement with the therapeutic process.

Question 3

An LPC in a small, rural town discovers that a new client is a cashier at the only local grocery store. Which of the following best describes this situation and the most appropriate initial action for the counselor to take?

Accepted Answer

This is a potentially harmful multiple relationship, and the counselor should discuss the potential challenges and boundaries with the client.

Answer

This scenario describes a multiple (or dual) relationship, which occurs when a counselor has another role with a client. The ACA Code of Ethics does not prohibit all nonsexual multiple relationships but requires counselors to manage them with care. In small communities, such relationships can be unavoidable. The most ethical initial step is to discuss the nature of the dual relationship, its potential for impaired judgment or harm, and establish clear professional boundaries with the client as part of the informed consent process.

Question 4

A client's attorney subpoenas a counselor for the client's complete case file for a legal proceeding. The counselor is concerned that releasing the entire file could be harmful to the client. What is the counselor's most appropriate ethical and legal course of action?

Accepted Answer

Consult with their own legal counsel and seek guidance from the court.

Answer

While a subpoena is a legal demand, it does not automatically override a counselor's ethical obligations. The ACA Code of Ethics (Standard B.6.e) allows counselors to limit access to records if there is compelling evidence that access would cause harm. The proper course of action is not to ignore the subpoena but to seek legal advice and potentially request that the court review the records in private (in camera) or issue a protective order to limit the disclosure to only what is necessary, thereby protecting the client from foreseeable harm.

Question 5

The 'duty to warn' established in the Tarasoff v. Regents of the University of California case requires a counselor to take action when a client poses a serious threat of violence. Which of the following conditions is most critical for this duty to be invoked?

Accepted Answer

The threat is made against a reasonably identifiable victim.

Answer

The Tarasoff ruling and subsequent statutes specify that the duty to warn or protect applies when a patient communicates a threat of serious violence against a reasonably identifiable victim or victims. A vague threat or generalized anger does not typically meet the threshold. The specificity of the threat and the identifiability of the potential victim are key components that trigger this legal and ethical obligation to breach confidentiality.

LPC - Licensed Professional Counselor Practice Test

LPC - Licensed Professional Counselor Practice Test

LPC - Licensed Professional Counselor Ethical and Legal Standards Questions and Answers