Question:
Case: Counseling and sexual orientationYou are the best (more knowledgeable and experienced) psychologist”counselor in a relatively small town.
You are a fundamentalist Christian, who is shocked at the rise in homosexual behaviors and gay culture.
One day, a gay client who was referred to your by a colleague and had failed to treat this client, comes knocking at your door.
Because of your extensive practice experience, it is clear that this person will need to be listened to in detail about his/her LGBT/lesbian beliefs, behavior and commitment to the gay/lesbian cause.
This prospect can cause a moral dilemma.
What should you do?
If you decide to refuse, explain your decision in an ethical manner. Bear in mind that your town is only 30 miles away from the nearest city with alternatives.
How do you approach a potential client if they accept you as their client? But first, explain your decision.
Second, explain what you will be guided by in whatever course of action you decide to take.
Instructions1.
You can use the AJ Method to solve this problem.2.
Argumentative essays are a way to argue for moral-decision making using the above-mentioned technique (AJ).
Answer to Question: PHIL100 Introduction To Philosophy
I take great pride in being the best psychologist and counselor in my area.
A 30-mile drive from the town is required to find a psychologist/counsel with expertise and experience similar to mine.
People respect me.
I’m invited to participate as chief guest at almost all social work and humanitarian events held in the town where I live.
The people of my community and the governmental institutions regard me as one their most valuable citizens.
Additionally, I receive multiple benefits as the best psychologist in the area.
I am one of three trustees in my local school district. One high school, one junior college and one elementary school are all within my jurisdiction.
Many people have come to see me when I am in town.
Numerous famous people have taken sessions from me, many of whom are still in touch.
Because they were able achieve good results.
They often recommend me to their friends or family.
In my 28 years experience in psychology, this is how I came across many people and different mindsets.
It’s very fascinating to see how people perceive their surroundings.
One of my long clients was quiet and sad about everything that was happening in his lives, while another lady was joyful about the episodes that were occurring in her life for a period of time.
One was very particular about his clothes and another, a middle-aged man, was so hesitant about his family that it cost him his 3 year old daughter.
The human mind is full with suspense. What will happen to it? No one can say, but some symptoms can help predict.
We psychologists favor one way of living over the other.
This is exactly what I do for almost 20 years.
I follow Christian fundamentalism as well.
Although I was raised in a communist home (my father is a well-known cardiologist of his time), I was always drawn to Christ from the beginning. I heard stories about miracles that he performed and the pain he went through.
I believe that the Bible is inspired by God’s Word.
While I might be called a racist, I don’t like listening to the criticisms about me. I believe in God alone and I follow the principles he has taught his followers.
A man in his late 30’s came into my chamber on a lovely day.
Samuel Henderson, a colleague, referred him. However, the client was too sick to be treated.
To be honest, I did not like his appearance.
I was both frustrated by the way he spoke to me and the way he looked at my face.
I was in a dilemma about whether to accept this client.
I am a strong believer in Christ and follower of his teachings, so it was wrong for me to have any interaction with someone from the homosexual group. As a psychologist, however, it is my duty help anyone who comes to see me with their expectations.
I was lost in my own thoughts and asked the client for help after a week.
It caused me to think deeply.
It was extremely difficult for me.
I’m not supposed to hear about homosexuality and the activities a particular client. So I cancelled any further meetings.
I realized that the client had expected me to be the best psychologist and counselor in town.
This is also my field, and this client comes from a very strong connection.
He should be accepted as a client. Many clients come to me through personal connections.
Amidst all these circumstances, I decided to support the person.
Yes, I did send him to an equivalent facility in another part of the country.AJ Method
The AJ Method focuses on ethical analyzing and reasoning about any issue.
The AJ Technique is nonpartisan. It includes a thorough examination of each issue. The last stride involves being firm about the issue.
In the case above, the counselee information was gathered according to the AJ Technique. This information was used to determine the plan for the thinking procedure.
The counseling process in this case can use this type method.
Justification plays an important role here.
The case revealed that I had no choice but to abandon my Christianity fundamentalism to help this man and to guide him in the right direction.
Our religion does NOT support homosexual marriages.
The AJ method makes it easy to resolve any type of ethical issues or critical reasoning.
It needs a moral strategy that can be rejected rationally on the ground for moral reasoning.
It is a reflection of ethics that has a little luck. It ends in a creative manner, acknowledging the consistency with the principles.
Role Of Ethics
There are many types of ethics.
Utilitarianism asserts that the amount of satisfaction and enduring that a man makes is what matters most (Peters).
Acting appropriately means that you increase the amount of satisfaction and reduce the amount of misery around.
Kantians ethical theory, in contrast to Kantians’s focus on activities’ outcomes, focuses more on the stresses and standards behind them (Ward).
In order to act appropriately, you must be inspired and guided by general rules that are respectful of everyone (Hursthouse).
According to the theory of contract, morals are only as important as the understandings between individuals.
VanHooft says that making the best decisions requires you to agree with the understandings made by the members of a balanced community.
Virtue ethical theory puts moral considerations on connections before other variables.
The next step is to act properly. This means that you must build, reinforce, and keep up solid connections.
This shows that one is able to care for others and the connections within which they are part.
Care ethicists recognize the importance of connections for moral thinking (Swets).
This case centers on Virtue ethics. This brings to light the moral dilemma and the reasons for it.
The belief and instruction of the religion did not support homosexuality. But, in order to maintain my virtue ethics, I was forced to help this homosexual man.
Refer to this Reference ListDewey, J. 2016. Ethics.
Read Books Ltd.Hursthouse, R. 2013. Normative virtue ethics. ETHICA, 645.Noddings, N. 2013.
Caring: A relational view of ethics and moral teaching.
Univ of California Press. ChicagoPeters, R. S. 2015.
Ethics and Education (Routledge Revivals). Routledge.Swets, J. A. 2014.
An assortment of papers that discuss signal detection theory in psychology and diagnostics.
Psychology Press.
Van Hooft S. Understanding virtue ethics. Routledge.Ward, K. 2014.
Ethics and Christianity (Vol. 12). Routledge.