Professional, Legal and Ethical Issues in Guidance and Counseling
This course will introduce students to a variety of professional, legal and ethical issues that a counselor may encounter in the professional practice of guidance and counseling. It will focus on relevant skills which would help ensure safe and responsible counseling practice. Case vignettes that present typical ethical dilemmas faced by counselors will be provided and analyzed in accordance to global and local counseling standards. Topics include addressing sexual orientation and serving diverse populations, ethical issues in online counseling, and ethical and legal issues in confidentiality and multiple relationships. The course will end with a discussion of how counselors’ ethical practices affect their overall advocacies in promoting better mental health to diverse client populations.