Question 1

Counseling is a field that values professional relationship through empowering many individuals, groups and families in accomplishing career goals, wellness, education and mental health. Just like any other profession that operates within codes of values and professional conduct, counseling psychology operational values are significant to ethical commitment in the profession (Gelso, Williams & Fretz 2014). While offering counseling services, it is unethical for a substance abuse counselor to attend the same AA meeting with former client because there could be presence of discriminatory behaviors. When clients have the same AA meetings with substance abuse professional and the meeting is addressed by professionals who are familiar with the substance abuse professional, there is a chance that the addicted professional might not heal from substance abuse like the rest of the clients because of he could be given special treatment. The professional code of counseling ethics demands discriminatory behaviors to be avoided at all costs.

Question 2

Having dual relationships with clients is a delicate concept in psychology. Ethically, having a romantic relationship with former client has been proven to be less healthy profession (Gelso, Williams & Fretz 2014). At the same time, an intimate with former client is discouraged because even after treatment, counseling psychology researchers reveal that the client is still in need of protection and not exploitation. Intimate relationships are discouraged because overlapping roles that may form between the former client and the professional counselor. When issues are not resolved in the relationship and the counselor has his partner as a client, this might hinder the professional from giving exceptional performance according to counseling psychology guidelines.

Question 3

An intimate relationship cannot be avoided between the counselor and former client when it is two years past post-termination and when the relationship does not evidently place a burden on the counselor to be exploitative. The time standards 10.08 also illustrate how counseling ethics cannot prohibit close relationships without looking at the nature of relationship between the counselor and client. For instance, if the former client is the counselor’s fiancée, counseling ethics does not prohibit such a relationship.