Am I Honoring My Personal Values OR Am I Discriminating? An exploration of ethics for modern therapists

Curt and Katie chat about what therapists should be considering when their strongly held personal values or moral beliefs conflict with a client’s demographics, lifestyle, or choices. We dig deeply into when it’s okay to make a “values-based referral” and when referring out is discrimination.  

This is a law and ethics continuing education podcourse.

Transcripts for this episode will be available at mtsgpodcast.com!

In this podcast episode we explore the difference between honoring our personal values and discrimination

Therapists are people who have their own identities, beliefs, values, and approaches to life. But what happens when those identities come into conflict with the clients that they serve? This CE podcourse explores the ethics behind therapist personal values, when personal values should dictate a client being referred to another treatment provider, and when that referral is actually discriminatory.

What is Julia Ward vs. Eastern Michigan University?

• An Orthodox Christian, master’s student in counseling requested referring out a LGBTQ+ client
• This student was dismissed from school because it was seen as discrimination and referrals were not allowed at that school
• There was a summary judgment and an appeal, leading to further lack of clarity

The State of Tennessee has a law that allows therapists to deny services to clients

• The law trying to overcome ethics codes
• The ACA protested by moving their annual convention out of the state Tennessee

How do ethics codes handle the conflict between discrimination and holding to personal values?

• Do no harm, be truthful, practice within your competence
• Equity, fidelity and the call to not discriminate with a call to learn and expand competence with clients, and avoid abandoning clients

How do we decide whether we can or should refer out a client based on our firmly held beliefs?

• Ethical decision-making and our responsibility based on our license
• Sorting out client need, competence, and the benefit of the therapeutic relationship (i.e., common factors)
• Referral is a last resort and should be based on client need (not therapist preference)
• Advertising and branding for clients to self-select
• What happens when clients disclose things later in treatment
• The differences in the task for clinicians in private practice versus clients in organizations

Receive Continuing Education for this Episode of the Modern Therapist’s Survival Guide

Once you’ve listened to this episode, to get CE credit you just need to go to learn.moderntherapistcommunity.com/pages/podcourse, register for your free profile, purchase this course, pass the post-test, and complete the evaluation! Once that’s all completed - you’ll get a CE certificate in your profile or you can download it for your records.

Continuing Education Approvals:

You can verify CE approvals here: Continuing Education Information

Resources for Modern Therapists mentioned in this Podcast Episode:

We’ve pulled together resources mentioned in this episode and put together some handy-dandy links. Please note that some of the links below may be affiliate links, so if you purchase after clicking below, we may get a little bit of cash in our pockets. We thank you in advance!

Saving Psychotherapy by Benjamin E. Caldwell, PsyD

*The full reference list can be found in our show notes at mtsgpodcast.com as well as on the course on our learning platform.

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