Connection Between the Reading and School Counseling Specialty
The reading explicates how the ACA Code of Ethics should be applied to the area of counseling and provides a reference to the Best Practice Guidelines for counseling experts in group work. Since a group modality may be viewed as a possible intervention when dealing with school-aged individuals, a professional in the field of school counseling needs to be familiar with the best practices connected to group work. According to Yalom and Leszcz (2005), group therapy is a very useful method of psychotherapy with benefits at least on par with those of individual psychotherapy.
Personal Reflections on the Reading
As I read the article, I recognized that group workers, due to their emphasis on commitment and connectedness to group members, inevitably accept a measure of ethical precarity. As a result, one should always pay close attention to planning, executing, and analyzing groups, taking ethical, legal, and cultural considerations into account.
Cultural Considerations in Light of Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competencies
Group workers may do themselves a favor by keeping an eye out for new research on the cultural difficulties facing their clientele and by presenting information and gaining informed consent in age- and culture-appropriate manners (Thomas & Pender, 2008).
Ethical and Legal Considerations
Likewise, school counselors must be cognizant of ethical norms since they engage with children at formative periods in their emotional and cognitive development. Some examples of ethical concerns include protecting individuals’ privacy, honoring other cultures, and providing everyone with the same opportunities.
Given this, considering such legal dilemmas as confidentiality, child abuse, and student safety should be a priority. Non-reporting child abuse, for example, might result in severe legal consequences. Lastly, legal difficulties arise frequently when school counselors are tasked with handling student threats of harm against themselves or others.
Identifying Missing Elements in the Content
Nevertheless, the content of the article, in my opinion, lacked practical advice on putting together complete group counseling models and data on the licensing and regulation of group counselors.
References
Thomas, R. V., & Pender, D. A. (2008). Association for specialists in group work: Best practice guidelines 2007 revisions. The Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 33(2), 111–117. Web.
Yalom, I. D., & Leszcz, M. (2005). Theory and Practice of Group Psychotherapy. Basic Books.