Introduction
Family therapists help people address the issues that deteriorate their relationships with their most close ones, bringing peace and happiness. In addition to the use of effective tools and techniques that have been developed throughout decades, family therapists have to use ethical standards and values to ensure the provision of top-quality care (Nichols & Davis, 2020). This paper includes a brief analysis of the ethical aspects of family therapy.
Values in Family Therapy
Ethical decision-making often implies using a set of values a person relies on. However, adherence to values in family therapy has become a topic of heated debate (Katafiasz et al., 2020). Researchers and practitioners have expressed doubts that a family therapist can ground interventions on any values as they can contradict the principal goals and approaches in the field or clients’ beliefs. However, these concerns are irrelevant as the positive effects of value-based therapy outweigh the negative ones (if any). Clearly, it is necessary to adhere to a set of fundamental values that are often incremental in significant religions. These values include beneficence, respect, trust, dignity, and causing no harm (American Association of Christian Counselors [AACC], 2014). These are some of the most common values shared by millions or rather billions of people across the globe. By grounding therapies on these values, the family therapist can ensure the provision of care that brings ultimate change, essential for clients’ wellbeing and resilience building.
Family Therapists’ Personal Values when Working with Clients
As mentioned above, the therapists’ values have an impact on the way therapy is developed and implemented. My central belief regarding the family is that it is the domain for a person’s complete peacefulness. This belief has an effect on my practice and the approaches I find the most preferable for clients. Thus, I try to make sure that clients will work hard to save their families and themselves. At that, I admit that separation or even divorce can be the only option in some cases, although these cases are quite infrequent. My firm belief is that having a family equals working on its prosperity in all respects. Hearing other family members and articulating one’s concerns and aspirations are indispensable parts of this work.
Values to Develop a Proper Therapeutic Relationship with a Family in Treatment
Such values as dignity, respect, and benevolence are three pillars of proper communication between the family therapist and the family. These values are critical for becoming an influential figure that can encourage clients to grow and contribute to the sustainable development of their families (Triplett et al., 2022). Family therapists, respecting their clients and having families’ welfare as their highest priority, express their respect and ensure that clients’ dignity is maintained. This attitude is instrumental in creating trusting relationships and effective communication between therapists and families. Sincerity and rapport are critical components of this communication, but they can hardly be achieved without the therapists’ adherence to the abovementioned values.
Codes of Ethics
The American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC) developed a code of ethics for family therapists in 2017, and it is still relevant. This code of ethics was chosen as it is consistent with my values and worldviews. In addition, this document is helpful in following the principles that guide the development of effective therapies for a broad audience as they are based on the principles of beneficence, dignity, and competence (AACC, 2014). Although some people have doubts about the focus on the so-called White and Christian value basis, this code can be utilized with diverse ethnic, cultural, age, and socioeconomic groups. Of course, family therapists must enhance their cultural awareness by implementing continuous research and self-developing. In some cases, due to cultural peculiarities, some approaches can be inapplicable, but the central ones (mentioned above) will always be beneficial.
Christian Worldview and the Ethical Treatment of Families
As mentioned above Christian worldview can contribute considerably to the provision of high-quality therapy and helping families to endure the most difficult situations. Eppler et al. (2019) stress that the use of a set of values and religious beliefs is beneficial in family therapy if cultural peculiarities of family members are considered. Christianity is one of the most widespread religions, which can be explained by the principles it promulgates. Therapists adhering to major Christian laws and values can assist families in finding the reason for the difficulties they experience and develop ways to address these issues. Being patient, respectful, dignified, and compassionate are all Christian values that are pivotal for the establishment of lasting peace in any family.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is necessary to note that value-based family therapy is the most effective approach to bringing peace and welfare to people. Family therapists should validate that their values are consistent with some major principles promoted by significant religions in the world. These values include but are not confined to respect, goodwill, compassion, competence, and dignity. Family therapists will be able to help families to address all issues if these principles are applied. To make certain that the family therapist sticks to the chosen values, this professional should choose a code of ethics and follow the rules and principles on the list.
References
American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC). (2014). AACC code of ethics. Web.
Eppler, C., Cobb, R. A., & Wilson, E. E. (2019). Multifaith perspectives on family therapy models.Journal of Family Psychotherapy, 31(1-2), 1-35. Web.
Katafiasz, H., Patton, R., Tefteller, D., & Takeda, M. (2020). Ethical decision-making in marriage and family therapy: A review of the literature.Journal of Systemic Therapies, 39(4), 29-39. Web.
Nichols, M.P., & Davis, S. D. (2020). The essentials of family therapy (7th ed.). Pearson Education.
Triplett, N. T., Kingzette, A., Slivinski, L., & Niu, T. (2022). Ethics for mental health influencers: MFTs as public social media personalities.Contemporary Family Therapy, (in print). Web.