Making Ethical Decisions

Abstract

Effective performance by mental health professionals in the therapeutic context largely depends on their skill, knowledge, and judgment. In the course of their work, practitioners will confront dilemmas that are difficult to resolve. Mental health professionals often meet situations requiring sound ethical decision-making ability. Ethical decisions that impact other lives should not be entirely intuitive but instead should be made after careful deliberation regarding the ethical justification for various potential actions. Not all issues require the same amount of deliberation or thought, but with more familiarity with ethical codes and ethics literature, a mental health professional can have a set of tools and accelerate the decision-making process. Ethical codes and literature can encompass principles that assist in making proper ethical decisions and provide models that professionals can utilize when confronted with ethical questions and dilemmas in their work.