Ethical Decision Making

Different Types of Ethics

No discussion of ethics would be complete without acknowledging that counselors face confusing descriptions of various types of ethics. An examination of any textbook on ethics would lead the reader through a general discussion of some combination of philosophical, principle, professional, aspirational, mandatory, and virtue ethics.

Philosophical ethics describes the study of ethics through the lens of a theoretical perspective. The theory one chooses to use as a foundation determines how one interprets the Tightness or wrongness or worthiness of certain behaviors. Because of its theoretical nature, this type of ethics has limited utility in a counseling practice. In contrast, principle ethics are pragmatic in nature. Principle ethics are based on moral principles. They are described as a collection of duties and a process that provide counselors an immediate method they can follow in order to remedy an ethical dilemma, and the process establishes a format for ethical practice and decision making in the future. Principle-based decision making centers on one's behavior and choices as they relate to socially acceptable practices.

Professional ethics are the agreed upon acceptable practices of a professional organization. These practices are typically codified by the membership and provide a guide for both aspirational and mandatory forms of ethics. Aspirational ethics illustrate the highest standard of ethical practice. Counselors whose practice is guided by aspirational ethics understand and act on the letter and spirit of the ethical codes. Aspirational ethics [Page 183]call counselors to evaluate their personal behaviors and motivation as well as the ethical code to ensure their clients receive services that exceed the expected standard of care. Aspirational ethics are often identified in ethical codes as the “best practices.”

Mandatory ethics are those minimum standards by which all counselors should practice. Counselors who practice at this level are considering what they “must” and “must not” do; this is practicing the letter, but not the spirit, of the ethical code. Mandatory ethics are often identified in ethical codes as “standards of practice.”

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