The Role of Ethics in Career Counselling in the 21st Century

Abstract

Ethics remain the backbone of counselling in the unfolding complicated and interconnected global space where technology has made change a constant in life style. Counselling practice is guided by code of ethics and standards which provide a common base for the application and interpretation of assessment and evaluation tools in counselling work. A common thread running through all the codes of ethical standards are ethical requirements which calls on practitioners to observe some common theme of values and principles in the delivery of counselling services. But beyond the documented standards and guides are the mores and conventions which though have no legal and enforceable powers, form the basis of resolution of ethical issues in counselling. These foundational issues are values, principles and ethical traits in practitioners. The paper will develop a framework that links these concepts in explaining ethics in counselling, while some contemporary and evolving ethical issues like culture, law, morality, counsellor-client confidentiality, rights of minors, education and training, Gender and racial discrimination et all, which impacts on counselling work will be discussed.