Ethics in counsellor education : a sample orientation manual

Abstract

This project draws attention to ethics in counsellor education, showing that ethics is critical to the formation of new counsellors, not simply an add-on component in counsellor training. This project demonstrates that beginning counsellors, before they commence employment, must have a strong ethical foundation. It examines both formal counsellor education and the supervisory relationship central to a practicum or internship and shows that the goal of ethics education must be to develop ethically competent professionals, not simply practitioners who are familiar with a specific ethics code. An orientation manual developed for a fictional community counselling agency, attached as an appendix to this project, illustrates how ethics education can be incorporated into the training of novice counsellors and new staff in an agency. Though it has both strengths and limitations, this manual can be adapted for actual use. Further research, particularly in the use of formal ethics courses in counsellor training and the nuances of the supervisory relationship, is recommended.