Ethical issues in group counseling

Ethical and Professional Issues in Group Practice

Those who seek to be professional group leaders must be willing to examine both their ethical standards and their level of competence. Among the ethical issues treated in this chapter are the rights of group members, including informed consent and confidentiality; the psychological risks of groups; personal relationships with clients; socializing among members; the impact of the group leader’s values; addressing spiritual and religious values of group members; working effectively and ethically with diverse clients; and the uses and misuses of group techniques. In my opinion, a central ethical issue in group work pertains to the group leader’s competence. Special attention is given to ways of determining competence, professional training standards, and adjuncts to academic preparation of group counselors. Also highlighted are ethical issues involved in training group workers. The final section outlines issues of legal liability and malpractice.

As a responsible group practitioner, you are challenged to clarify your thinking about the ethical and professional issues discussed in this chapter. Although you are obligated to be familiar with, and bound by, the ethics codes of your professional organization, many of these codes offer only general guidelines. You will need to learn how to make ethical decisions in practical situations. The ethics codes provide a general framework from which to operate, but you must apply these principles to concrete cases. The Association for Specialists in Group Work’s (2008) “Best Practice Guidelines” is reproduced in the Student Manual that accompanies this textbook. You may want to refer to these guidelines often, especially as you study Chapters 1 through 5.

The Rights of Group Participants

My experience has taught me that those who enter groups are frequently unaware both of their basic rights as participants and of their responsibilities. As a group leader, you are responsible for helping prospective members understand what their rights and responsibilities are. This section offers a detailed discussion of these issues.

A Basic Right: Informed Consent

If basic information about the group is discussed at the initial session, the participants are likely to be far more cooperative and active. A leader who does this as a matter of policy demonstrates honesty and respect for group members and fosters the trust necessary for members to be open and active. Such a leader has obtained the informed consent of the participants.

Informed consent is a process that begins with presenting basic information about group treatment to potential group members to enable them to make better decisions about whether or not to enter and how to participate in a group (Fallon, 2006). Members have a right to receive basic information before joining a group, and they have a right to expect certain other information during the course of the group. Discussing informed consent is not a one-time event, and clients should understand at the outset that informed consent is an ongoing process.

It is a good policy to provide a professional disclosure statement to group members that includes written information on a variety of topics pertaining to the nature of the group, including therapists’ qualifications, techniques often used in the group, the rights and obligations of group members, and the risks and benefits of participating in the group. Other information that potential members should have includes alternatives to group treatment; policies regarding appointments, fees, and insurance; and the nature and limitations of confidentiality in a group. Group leaders should not overwhelm members with too much information at one time because an overly lengthy informed consent process may replace a collaborative working relationship with a legalistic framework, which is not in the best interests of group members (Fallon, 2006).

Pregroup Disclosures Here is a list of what group participants have a right to expect before they make the decision to join a group:

• A clear statement regarding the purpose of the group

• A description of the group format, procedures, and ground rules

• An initial interview to determine whether this particular group with this particular leader is at this time appropriate to their needs

• An opportunity to seek information about the group, to pose questions, and to explore concerns

• A discussion of ways the group process may or may not be congruent with the cultural beliefs and values of group members

• A statement describing the education, training, and qualifications of the group leader

• Information concerning fees and expenses including fees for a follow-up session, should there be one; also, information about length of the group, frequency and duration of meetings, group goals, and techniques being employed

• Information about the psychological risks involved in participating in a group

• Knowledge of the circumstances in which confidentiality must be broken because of legal, ethical, or professional reasons

• Clarification of what services can and cannot be provided within the group

• Help from the group leader in developing personal goals

• A clear understanding of the division of responsibility between leader and participants

• A discussion of the rights and responsibilities of group members