wee7 disc 2

Professional counselors face immense challenges when working with terminally ill patients. Deciding how to offer support is challenging with this population group. Providing treatment for terminally ill clients may illicit personal beliefs and values. As a counselor, you must not only consider the client’s needs, but also assess how providing treatment aligns with the guidelines proposed by the codes of ethics and legal mandates. A counselor’s professional judgment is rooted in personal beliefs and values; however, it is also molded by the foundational definitions of ethics learned in the counseling profession. Learning how to integrate professional codes of ethics into your personal moral compass is a critical skill for practicing ethical counseling.

For this Discussion, you have been asked to counsel a terminally ill client who is considering hastening his own death. Consider what personal values this triggers in you. Investigate what the ethical codes say about this. Think about your potential course of action.

Post by Day 3 an explanation of your personal values that may be triggered by this case. Then, explain one potential ethical challenge related to counseling terminally ill patients. Finally, explain the potential course of action you may take in this case. Use the codes of ethics to support this action.