Value Rights,

Responsibilities, and
Accountabilities of
Counselors
It is important for counselors to understand
client's rights and responsibilities while the
treatment is going on. The counseling
profession attaches such importance to
ethical standard and principle in counseling.
This module will discussed about the value
rights, responsibilities, and accountabilities
of counselors
 Values and RESPONSIBILITIES
of a Counselor
• General Responsibility. Counselors maintain a high standard of professional
competence and ethical behavior thereby recognizing the need for continuing
education in order to meet this responsibility.
• Respect for Rights. Counselors respect the rights of a client and uphold the
integrity of the counseling profession. They participate in only those practices
which are respectful of the legal, civic, and moral rights of others, and act to
safeguard the dignity and rights of their clients, students, and research participants.
• Boundaries of Competence. Counselors limit their practices within their
professional competence, educational background, and personal experience as
what the laws, rules, guidelines, accreditation and credential are concerned. If the
counseling needs of a client are beyond the counselor’s expertise and competence
appropriate referral must be made.
• Continuing Education. Counselors continuously update
themselves with the current trends and development in the
profession to maintain a high degree of proficiency through
active participation in scientific and professional endeavor.
• Research and Development. Counselors engage in research
activities for the advancement of the counseling profession.
They have the responsibility to disseminate such information
through presentation and publication.
• Ethical Behavior. Counselors uphold the values and ethical
principles operating in this Code. They are expected to
behave as professionals in their counseling sessions as well
as in dealing with their fellow colleagues.
• Sensitivity to Diversity. Counselors recognize and respect
client’s diversity in terms of religion, race, culture, ethnicity,
gender, sexual orientation, education, and socio-economic
status.
• Equal Opportunity. Counselors provide equal opportunity to
everyone to avail of the counseling services in various setting
regardless of age, gender, socioeconomic status, civil status,
religion, culture, ethnicity, disability, and sexual orientation.
• Good Quality of Practice. Counselors maintain a good
quality of practice in the helping profession at all times. They
continually monitor their effectiveness as professionals and
take steps to improve when necessary.
• Knowledge of Legislative Laws. Counselors have a
responsibility to read, understand, and follow Republic Act
9258 (Guidance and Counseling Act of 2004) and its
Implementing Rules and Regulations. Other mandated laws
protecting the interest of clients’ rights should be known to
the practicing counselors.
• Extension of Ethical Responsibilities. Counseling services
and products provided by counselors through classroom
instruction, public lectures, demonstrations, publications,
radio and television programs, computer technology and
other media must meet the appropriate ethical standards of
this Code of Ethics.
 Essentials of Counseling
• Empathy: The ability to communicate understanding of another person’s experience from that
person’s perspective.
• Sincerity: A personal commitment to consistency between what is professed and what is done.
• Integrity: Commitment to being moral in dealings with others, personal straight forwardness,
honesty and coherence.
• Resilience: The capacity to work with the client’s concerns without being personally diminished.
• Respect: Showing appropriate esteem to others and their understanding of themselves.
• Humility: The ability to asses accurately and acknowledge one’s own strengths and weakness.
• Competence: The effective deployment of the skills and knowledge needed to do what is
required.
• Fairness: The consistent application of appropriate criteria to inform decisions and actions.
• Wisdom: Possession of sound judgment that inform practice.
• Courage: The capacity to act in spite of known fears, risks and uncertainty.
 ETHICAL BEHAVIORS OF
COUNSELORS
By nature of the profession, counsellors are to act in
the best interest of their client, promoting client goals,
protecting client rights, maximising good and
minimizing harm (Stein, 1990). This expectation
broadens due to the inherent power of the relationship
between client and counsellor. Ethics including ethical
codes and principles aim to balance the power and
ensure that the counsellor operates for the good of the
client and not for self.
 Primarily, counsellors’ duty of care is to their
clients. When making ethical choices, counsellors
must consider not only themselves, but also the
agency or organisation (if not self-employed),
their profession and the greater community
(Axten, 2002). Counselling does not occur in a
vacuum therefore it is important that counsellors
acknowledge all facets of their practice both
internally and externally.
 ETHICAL PRINCIPLES
The expectations for ethical conduct as expressed in the Code are
based on the following fundamental principles:
• Respecting human rights and dignity
• Respect for the client’s right to be self-governing
• A commitment to promoting the client’s well being
• Fostering responsible caring
• Fair treatment of all clients and the provision of adequate
services
• Equal opportunity to clients availing counseling services
• Ensuring the integrity of practitioner-client
relationship
• Fostering the practitioner’s self-knowledge
and care for self
• Enhancing the quality of professional
knowledge and its application
• Responsibility to the society
 UNETHICAL BEHAVIORS OF
COUNSELORS
Unethical behavior can take many forms:
• Violation of confidentiality.
• Exceeding one’s level of professional competence -
Competence refers to the ability to perform
effectively. Therapists must limit their service to their
training and experience. Claiming expertise one does
not possess relates to the violation of this ethical
standard.
• Imposing one’s values on a client.
• Creating dependency in a client.
• Certain conflicts of interest - No multiple or dual
relationships are allowed. For example, it is unethical
for a therapist to have a sexual or business
relationship with the patient outside the therapeutic
relationship.
• Questionable financial arrangements such as drawing
excessive fees.
• Improper advertising regarding one’s potentials or
credentials.
• Incompetence, that is, inadequate knowledge and the
absence of skills necessary for professional behaviour.
• Lack of integrity, moral commitment and sound
professional judgment to adhere to acceptable
standards of right and wrong action.
• Violating confidences. Information presented in a
counseling relationship is confidential.
• Exceeding the level of professional competence.
Counselors must recognize their strengths and
limitations in serving their clients in the most
competent manner - or refer them to other experts.
• Imposing values on clients. It is a responsibility of counselors
to be aware of his/her values and of their impact on others.
• Creating dependence on the part of the clients to meet the
counselor's own needs, e.g., sexual relations and social
interactions.
• Improper advertising, especially advertising that presents the
counselor as one who has the skills, competence and/or
credentials, that he, or she, does not actually possess.
• Charging fees for private counseling to those who are
entitled to free services through the counselor's employing
institution, and/or using one's job to recruit clients for a
private practice.