Reflection Paper on Client Rights

Jesslyn Guenther

Reflection Paper on Client Rights

Client Right, Confidentiality and Ethics

9/26/2012

Reflection Paper on Client Rights

According to the American Counseling Association, clients have the right to be counseled by counselors who encourage client growth and development in ways that foster the interest and welfare of clients and promote formation of a healthy relationship. Counselors must actively attempt to understand the diverse cultural backgrounds of the client they serve. Counselors must also explore their own cultural identities and how these affect their values and beliefs about the counseling process (ACA). I truly believe that it is the clients right to have a counselor that understands themselves and their biases so they can separate these biases from their relationship with the client and put all their attention to the client’s needs and what the client feels and believes in to truly be able to help the client.

The client has the right to be explained to the nature of all services provided. They have the right to know the purposes, goals, techniques, procedures, limitations, potential risks and benefits of services. They have the right to know the counselor’s qualifications, credentials and relevant experience. The client has the right to know if the counselor changes a role from the original or most recent contracted relationship, for example, if the counselor wants to change from a non-forensic evaluative role to a therapeutic role, changing from a counselor to a researcher role or changing from a counselor to a mediator role (ACA). It is very important and ethically right for the client to be well informed of why they are in counseling and what goals you and your client hope to achieve. It is also their right to know who you as the counselor are and what qualifications you have to be their counselor. If changes need to be made in reference to your counseling skills, you need to inform the client of these changes and explain to them in a way that will not lose their trust to be counseled, why you no longer qualify to be their counselor.

The primary responsibility for counselors is to respect the dignity and to promote the welfare of their clients. The client has the right to choose whether to enter or remain in a counseling relationship and need adequate information about the counseling process. Counselors have an obligation to review in writing and verbally with the clients the rights and responsibilities of both the counselor and the client. The client has the right to know the cost of services and has the right to be informed of all client rights (Pathways Counseling). The client has the right to know exactly what the counseling session all involves, including what the costs will be for the counselor’s services. Everything should be told to the client and written out so the client can sign a written consent to be counseled and what the counseling all involves so there is no question later on about what was or wasn’t explained to the client.

Counselors must maintain records necessary for rendering professional services to their clients. The records must include sufficient and timely documentation which accurately reflects client progress and services provided. Clients have the right to review these records on request (ACA). Counselors should keep good records of what was discussed and what physical reactions the client had during the counseling session. This should be done so that you can look back on these records in case of any discrepancies between the counselor and the client down the road. If the client agrees, the best records can be kept by audio or video taping the session. Also, another reason to keep good records is so the counselor will know where to pick up the conversation at their next session, so they will sound like they really have been paying attention and really care about the client. I know this from experience because if there is a six month gap between visits to my doctor, he will bring up something that we talked about the last time I saw him. I know that he couldn’t possibly remember our conversation, especially because he has so many patients, but I know he wrote it down and it makes me feel really good that he brings it up. It’s like we just had the conversation the day before.

The client has the right to work jointly with the counselor and to participate in the on- going counseling plans that offer reasonable promise of success and are consistent with abilities and circumstances of clients (ACA). The client will feel good and have more trust in the counselor if they involve the client in what should be done to help the client to improve and to come up with a solution to their problem. The client will feel like they are working together to come up with a solution.

The client has the right to confidentiality and to be provided with an explanation of its limitations, as in certain situations in which confidentiality must be breached. The client also has the right to know how supervisors and/or treatment team professionals are involved (ACA). The client needs to know that all conversations with their counselor will be kept confidential except in the case of the client threatening to hurt themselves or someone else. Ethics are very important in a counselor/client relationship but The law has to be taken very seriously and when the law is broken or threatened to be broken, the counselor must report it but only give information that pertains to the law that may be broken.

The client has the right to refuse observation techniques such as one-way mirrors, tape recorders, televisions, movies or photographs (Community Counseling Center). Audio or video taping can be very useful in keeping good records of the counselor/client sessions but they can never be used without the consent of the client. Written consent is the best consent for the counselor to get from the client because then down the road the client can’t deny that they gave consent to be video or audiotaped. I know if I was the client and I was recorded without my consent, I would be very upset and never return to that counselor. Especially in this day and age with computers and peoples videos going viral, we must be very careful with anything that is audio or video taped.

The client has the right to receive counseling services in a humane setting, for example, a place that is least restrictive, clean, comfortable, free of toxic chemicals, etc. (Community Counseling Center). I think about what kind of environment that I would like if I was being counseled and that would be a nice warm inviting room, with earth-tone colors and pictures of landscapes. I would like to have the option of where I want to sit so I would hope that there are different chairs or a couch to choose from. I don’t like to be closed in so I look for the exits in case I want to get up and leave. I think having a plant in the room makes the room look cozy and more like home. I don’t feel comfortable in cold, sterile environments that smell like antiseptic.

The client has the right not to be discriminated against for receiving service on the basis of race, ethnicity, age, color, religion, sex, national origin, or disability (Pathways Counseling). This is another example of why counselors need to know themselves and their own biases so they can put them aside and treat every client equally and without prejudice. I myself try not to be prejudice but I sometimes find myself stereotyping some people because of what I learned growing up. When I find myself doing this, I immediately stop myself because I know that it is wrong.

The client has the right to file a grievance and has the right to have oral or written instructions concerning the procedure for filing grievances (Pathways Counseling). I agree with this. When I go to the doctor or even my own therapist, there are pamphlets that inform me about who I would contact in case I have any complaints about the service that I have received. I know that one place I can contact is the Consumer Advocacy Division.

There are many client rights and there are good reasons for these rights. Most reasons are to protect the client but many of these rights also protect the counselor. Like in any profession there are rules that need to be followed and if they are followed then things seem to go more smoothly. Going to a counselor is a lot like going to a doctor, CPA or even a lawyer. Your most important responsibility is to your client and giving them every right they deserve.

References

ACA Code of Ethics, American Counseling Association, 2005, www.counseling.org

Community Counseling Center - Client Rights, Jan. 20, 2010, http://www.cccohio.com/policy/client_rights.php

Who is Your Clients’ Rights Advocate, OCRA, http://www.disabilityrightsca.org/ocra/ocrabios.html

Client Advocacy Services, Consumer Advocacy, http://www.odmhsas.org/clientadv.htm

Pathways Counseling and Growth Center – Client Rights, Ralph Thompson, Ph. D., Executive Director, http://www.pathwayscounselingcenter.com/rights.html