CHC52015 Diploma of Community Services

Case study 1

Ethical Principle

Theory of Rational Choice or the Rational Action theory talks about the social and economic behaviour of people on the basis of their social environment, which is influencing their decision-making process. This theory depends upon individual choices, assuming that individuals are ought to make personal choices from the available options, thus expressing one of their personal traits through such choice (Hedström & Stern, 2017). The choice that a person make must be based upon certain logic that helps them to choose between two or more alternatives considering their personal preference. This personal preference is judged and interpreted by the rational choice theory as an influence of the social environment of the subject or the rational agent. Different factors are presumed to be considered by a rational agent while he makes a decision based on available information, potential cost, probabilities of events, benefits attached to the preference and the consequences of such preference. In a simpler way, this theory justifies that every human chooses their preferred option on the basis of their convenience and life choice which they calculate by analysing the subsequent cost and benefit, thus prioritising one’s own judgement and desire (Moll & Hoque, 2018).

Relevant Issue

An issue pertaining to the partner choice of the client persists in this case, for the wish to be romantically involved with someone who is around 16 or 17 years old, which is not even an age of maturity. The client being 35 years old and having a desire to have a partner who is half his age is an indication of his preference towards physical attractiveness and sexual desires over a long-term stable relationship which he should be investing in at the age of 35 years.

The rational choice theory justifies the fact that younger women rely more on older men when choosing a life partner due to their economic stability; old men tend to show more interest on women younger to them for their sense of dominance and superiority over women in most societies even today. Thus, the client’s choice to keep away from people his own age and choosing a partner half his age is the concerned issues here (Earp, Sandberg & Savulescu, 2012).

Course of Action

Adhering to the ACA code of conduct, it could be recommended that the client requires psychological counselling in order to be heard his side of the story that makes him keep away from people his age. A case of childhood or teenage bullying could be presumed, which needs psychological attention to know and understand his background that is supposedly the main cause behind his decision to choose a person half his age for a romantic relationship. He needs to be counselled regularly, exchanging thoughts about his decision to be an anti-social along with informing him the adversities of choosing such a young partner, in addition to letting him know that sexual involvement with someone below the age of maturity may bring him legal consequences.

Case study 2

Ethical Principle

As per the provisions of ACA Code of Ethics, a counsellor as a member of the Australian Counselling Association cannot initiate or pursue a relationship, irrespective of its being a sexual or non-sexual relation with his or her clients. Such restriction has been imposed upon both the counsellor and client for a period of 2 years from the last session of counselling they have had. As per the concept of ‘therapeutic relationship’, a counsellor and his client share a relationship of trust and confidentiality, which is although a formal relation, yet it carries a personal angle as they spend a significant amount of time where one listens to the other and shares information. Therefore, this professional boundary of the therapeutic relation must be respected and observed at all times, as otherwise it is a professional breach of code of conduct, liable to be held as an unlawful conduct of the counsellor and subject to legal actions (Kaplan et al., 2017).

Relevant Issue

In this case study, David responded well to the counselling sessions with counsellor Aimee in regard to his depression and anxiety issues, since they started the sessions 2 months back. However, David’s approach towards Aimee for a coffee beyond their counselling session, which is a breach of the ACA code of ethics under the Australian Counselling Association as it restricts counsellors to have a professional relation with their clients only, and no other relation be it sexual or non-sexual (Kaplan et al., 2017). Therefore, David’s approach for a coffee towards Aimee outside the counselling session and Aimee believing it as ‘okay’ is the issue in this case.

This issue in question could lead to a serious legal action against Aimee as she is aware of the fact that a relation or involvement with a client beyond the ‘therapeutic relationship’ is not only a breach of the professional code of conduct but also an illegal conduct.

Course of Action

In regard to Aimee’s responsibility as a professional counsellor, she should be aware of the provisions of the ACA code of ethics that restricts her to be involved with her clients, be it sexual or non-sexual relation (Finlay, 2019). In addition, it is her responsibility to turn down David’s offer to go out for a coffee and convey to it him that it is beyond her capacity as his current counsellor and that she could only go out after a tenure of 2 years from their last session of counselling. Aimee in her capacity as David’s counsellor must explain to him about the adverse consequences that he might face psychologically given his past record of anxiety and depression, if they start going out and gradually start seeing each other in that course. It would not only be a professional breach or an unlawful conduct, it would be ethically wrong as well for her to be informally involved with someone who shared his deepest secrets with her on a professional capacity (Finlay, 2019).

References

ACA Code of Ethics

Earp, B. D., Sandberg, A., & Savulescu, J. (2012). Natural selection, childrearing, and the ethics of marriage (and divorce): Building a case for the neuroenhancement of human relationships. Philosophy & Technology, 25(4), 561-587.

Finlay, L. (2019). Practical ethics in counselling and psychotherapy: A relational approach. Sage.

Hedström, P., & Stern, C. (2017). Rational choice theory. The Wiley‐Blackwell Encyclopedia of Social Theory, 1-7.

Kaplan, D. M., Francis, P. C., Hermann, M. A., Baca, J. V., Goodnough, G. E., Hodges, S., ... & Wade, M. E. (2017). New concepts in the 2014 ACA Code of Ethics. Journal of Counseling & Development, 95(1), 110-120.

Moll, J., & Hoque, Z. (2018). Rational choice theory. Methodological issues in accounting research (Second edition).[2nd ed.], 8-18.

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