Professional Counseling Orientation & Ethical Practice

TL; DR

• The Professional Counseling Orientation & Ethical Practice course is among the core classes offered at the beginning of a graduate counseling program. It provides aspiring school counselors with the framework needed to work ethically and effectively with students, families, and schools. It covers professional identity, ACA and ASCA ethical codes, confidentiality, mandated reporting, cultural competence, and decision-making in complex school environments.

Counseling is a dynamic profession as diverse as its practitioners and the populations they support. Clinical mental health counseling, rehabilitation, and school counseling are among the specializations prospective counselors can pursue, and within each discipline, there are opportunities to build expertise and skills.

Given the diverse frameworks, theories, and skills counselors employ, it is crucial to identify and uphold the core competencies and ethics that guide professional practice. The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), the accrediting body for counseling programs in the United States, has established the blueprint for a curriculum that best prepares future counselors.

School counselors, in particular, are tasked with roles and responsibilities unique to their specialty, such as program management and classroom instruction. Despite the variability of duties in the daily life of a school counselor, the ultimate objective for all counselors is to respect, support, and empower the individuals and groups they serve.

If you are interested in learning more about the importance of professional counseling orientation and ethics, read below.

What Is Professional Counseling Orientation?

In a CACREP-accredited counseling education program, establishing a prospective counselor’s professional orientation and ethical framework is crucial. Thus, the Professional Counseling Orientation and Ethical Practice is among the core classes offered at the beginning of a graduate program. Laying the foundation for practice across all specializations, students learn the history of counseling, core duties and responsibilities to clients, ethical frameworks and practices, and advocating for the growth of counseling as a profession.

Although responsibilities vary across the specialties counselors can pursue, professional organizations such as the American Counseling Association, the American School Counselor Association, and the National Rehabilitation Counselor Association provide practitioners with specific guidance and best practices for their respective specialties, all while upholding the core tenets of counseling.

Key Differences Between Counseling and Related Fields

Counseling is one of several professions supporting the mental and social-emotional health of others. Though duties and responsibilities may overlap, each profession has its own professional organizations and guiding principles. In school settings, professionals collaborate to ensure the best outcomes for students.

• Counselors. Along with academic, mental health, and social-emotional support, school counselors also manage and deliver inclusive, data-informed programs aimed at increasing student achievement and access to opportunities.
• Social workers. Like counselors, school social workers address students’ mental and emotional needs. However, social workers manage individual cases, offering assistance with procuring resources and navigating systems. School counselors, on the other hand, provide broader support and programming.
• School Psychologists. School psychologists assess and support the progress of students with learning or behavior struggles. This is often completed through referrals, regular evaluations, and IEP or Section 504 planning.
• Psychiatrists. Psychiatrists are medical doctors who can determine learning, behavioral, or mental health diagnoses. They are typically less involved in students’ daily routines and plans, though their input is crucial to many students’ outcomes.

Ethical Practices in School Counseling

Ethics are the guiding principles that counselors follow to ensure the physical, emotional, and legal safety of the individuals and populations with whom they work. For school counselors, working with minors and their families or guardians means that ethics is the cornerstone of all programs, lessons, and interactions.

ACA Code of Ethics

CACREP-accredited programs, including school counseling master’s programs, prepare students for professional practice using the American Counseling Association’s (ACA) code of ethics:

• Autonomy. Individuals have the right to govern and make their own decisions.
• Nonmaleficence. The counselor’s obligation to “do no harm” to clients.
• Beneficence. Promoting the well-being and best interests of the individual.
• Justice. Recognizing and treating each person with dignity, respect, and fairness.
• Fidelity. The commitment to a therapeutic relationship is built on trust and honoring professional principles such as confidentiality.
• Veracity. Honesty, openness, and transparency with clients.

ASCA Ethical Standards

In addition to ACA’s code of ethics, school counselors follow the ethical standards and responsibilities established by the American School Counseling Association (ASCA). This code of ethics is specific to the profession, including the duties, expectations, and populations served by school counselors.

• Responsibility to students. The ASCA ethical standards place the most emphasis on the work school counselors perform on behalf of students:
  • Supporting student growth
  • Respecting parents’ rights while honoring confidentiality
  • Student personal safety and legal considerations
  • Implementing a comprehensive school counseling program
  • Academic, career, and social-emotional support and planning
  • Maintaining healthy professional relationships
  • Advocacy, referrals, and collaboration with other professionals
  • Facilitating groups and peer support programs
  • Advocating and increasing access for marginalized groups
  • Maintaining student records according to FERPA
  • Reporting child abuse, harassment, and hate incidents,
  • Responsible administration and interpretation of evaluations and assessments
  • Promoting health digital citizenship,
  • Adhering to ethical codes in virtual or distance learning settings.
  • Responsibilities to parents/guardians, school, and self. Supporting students in the K-12 setting requires a holistic, collaborative approach that engages all individuals involved in a child’s life.
• Parents. Recognizing and respecting the parents/guardians as the primary forces in their child’s life, and providing appropriate support, resources, and advocacy in the best interests of the student.
• The school. School counselors are expected to maintain professional relationships, deliver a comprehensive school counseling program, and advocate for their roles.
• The self. In addition to other requirements, school counselors must meet licensure or certification standards, engage in professional development, and practice within their scope of training and expertise.
• School counselor directors, administrators, and supervisors. The ASCA code of ethics outlines expectations and responsibilities for Individuals in supervisory roles.
• School counseling practicum/internship site supervisors. As with school counseling directors, site supervisors for graduate students must adhere to specific standards.
• Maintenance of standards. The ASCA code of ethics outlines procedures for cases in which ethical guidelines are breached.
• Ethical decision making. A decision-making model is included to guide consideration of next steps in ethical dilemmas. This model applies the ACA’s ethical principles of autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, justice, veracity, and fidelity.

School Counselors, FERPA, and Mandated Reporting

A core tenet of counseling is confidentiality. This ensures that information disclosed in a counseling setting remains between the counselor and the client. Exceptions to this are if the counselor believes the client is a danger to themself, if abuse is suspected, or a duty to warn others. Because violations of confidentiality carry legal implications, graduate counseling coursework examines legislation pertinent to counselors.

For those working in schools, it is vital to be knowledgeable about the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, or FERPA, which was passed in 1974. This federal law protects student records, including identifiable personal information.

Educators, including teachers and staff, are also considered mandated reporters who must report suspected cases of child abuse or neglect to protective service agencies. Although it is not a federal law, all 50 states have statutes that designate which professionals are mandated reporters. School counselors are often involved in mandated reporting, as they are frequently the first responders to student concerns. They can also guide other individuals through the reporting process.

What Are Some Topics Covered In Professional Counseling Orientation and Ethical Practice?

As a fundamental course in a graduate counseling program, Professional Counseling Orientation and Ethical Practice addresses a wide range of topics, including the history, core responsibilities, credentialing, and legislation. School counselors apply the knowledge gained from this course to the specifications of the population and setting for which they work:

• Confidentiality and informed consent. Because school counselors work with minors, it is crucial to communicate frequently with families while also respecting the student’s right to privacy.
• Boundaries and professionalism. Maintaining appropriate relationships, documenting, and limiting instances of personal disclosure are essential aspects of school counseling professionalism.
• Ethical decision-making models. The American School Counseling Association offers several models to guide decision-making in ethical dilemmas.
• Cultural competence and equity-based practice. School counselors work with a diverse student population. Drawing on diverse cultures, socioeconomic backgrounds, and abilities, a school counselor aims to remove barriers to access, ensuring that all students have equitable opportunities.
• Legal issues specific to school settings. In addition to FERPA, school counselors examine legislation and issues pertinent to working with students and their families, including the Civil Rights Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.

How Do Programs Teach Professional Counseling Orientation and Ethical Practice?

Master’s Degree Counseling programs utilize a variety of instructional methods and media, including readings, discussions, written assignments, and formative and cumulative assessments. Because Professional Counseling Orientation and Ethical Practice is considered fundamental, it is often among the first courses taken by graduate students in a Master’s Degree Counseling program. Students who plan to become school counselors usually take this course alongside school-specific classes, such as Foundations of School Counseling.

In fully online, asynchronous programs, instructors often post discussion questions based on readings, and students are expected to engage in productive discourse. In-person or hybrid programs may use an online learning platform but should also include in-person discussions and experiential activities, such as interviews and role-play.

Why Professional Counseling Orientation and Ethical Practice Matter for School Counselors

School counselors must navigate multiple systems and institutions, including education, families, legal, and medical systems, among others. Having a strong professional identity, understanding of core responsibilities, and maintaining an ethical framework ensures that the rights outlined in the ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors are upheld:

• Students are respected and treated with dignity.
• All students are physically and emotionally safe from in-person and virtual harassment, bullying, and violence.
• School programs are equitable, accessible to all students, and promote academic, social-emotional, and career growth.
• School counselors affirm and advocate for all students from all backgrounds, regardless of, but not limited to, ethnicity, racial identity, citizenship status, socioeconomic status, spiritual or religious identity, or family or housing status.
• Support and resources for individual growth and development.
• Age and developmentally appropriate lessons and information regarding career exploration and opportunities throughout their K-12 education.
• Confidentiality is honored and respected to the extent permitted by law, the student’s safety, and the parents’/guardians’ rights.

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