ETHICAL CASES

(Individual Analysis)

INSTRUCTION:
Analyze the following cases by providing the following:
 Justification of the case that includes

- What makes the case unethical?

- A brief explanation of the reasons for certain actions done by the main players in each
case;
- What could have been done to minimize or avoid the violation (if any) from happening?

 Citation of specific ethical principle or code of ethics (with page no., letter or number)

CASE PROPER:
1. Client has been in therapy with Therapist H weekly for six years and has already resolved her
presenting issues. Her emotional status has not changed in approximately four years except
she has developed a growing attachment to therapist. H has not strongly recommended
termination, rather, his attitude is “If the client thinks she needs to see me, then she does”.

2. Mr. Austin hired Dr. Dale in a child custody case in the hope of taking custody of his two
sons, aged 9 and 11, from his ex-wife, Mrs. Romero, who held custody. Dr. Dale evaluated Mr.
Austin, his current wife and the two children. In court, Dr. Dale testified that Mr. Austin and his
wife would be better parents and should have custody of the children and Mrs. Romero should
have limited visitation rights. He said the boys preferred their father over their mother. Dr. Dale
never evaluated Mrs. Romero or her current husband, rather, all such information was gained
secondhand. The psychologist for Mrs. Romero highlighted that she had custody of the children
before the current trial, Mr. Austin infrequently saw the children, and he infrequently paid his
child support. Dr. Dale ignored hospital records sent to him by Mrs. Romero indicating the fact
that Mr. Austin was an alcoholic and was probably still drinking. Mrs. Romero lost custody of the
children at the trial. She then received letters from her children stating that their father was
drinking heavily and beating his second wife – the same reasons why Mrs. Romero divorced Mr.
Austin. Mrs. Romero is Anglo but her current husband is Mexican American; she wondered if
that tainted Dr. Dale’s evaluation.

3. Client worked as a records clerk for a community mental health center and Therapist A
supervised her work. Client experienced some personal problems for which she asked therapist
to treat – he agreed. Client ultimately filed an ethics complaint against Therapist A charging that
he blocked her promotion based on evaluations of her as a client rather than as an employee.

4. Therapist, working in a mental health agency, gave client a personalized, pre-made informed
consent form before the session began. During session, the client, a young mother, revealed
that her husband gets angry when their infant daughter cries and severely shakes the child to
stop the crying. Therapist advised client that he must report her husband’s actions as possible
child abuse, along with potential outcomes of the report, and that he will continue counseling
her. Client responded that she would not have revealed this situation had she known it would be
reported. Therapist reminded client that she signed the informed consent form which clearly
stated therapists are legally obligated to report incidents of suspected child abuse. Client
admitted to not having read the document, instead, she signed it along with the other paperwork
for insurance purposes. Client chose to discontinue therapy because she lost trust in therapist.

5. Psychotherapist evaluated an 8 year-old boy at his family’s request due to school problems.
The evaluation involved a developmental and family history, meeting with both parents,
assessing school progress reports, and administering cognitive and personality tests. Therapist
observed that client had a mild perceptual learning disability and was not coping well with
several family stressors, including his mother’s response to paternal infidelity, his father’s recent
learning that the boy is not his child, and other relevant family secrets. Therapist recommended
counseling which the boy had begun. Some weeks later, therapist received a signed release
form from the boy’s school asking for “any” information available concerning the boy’s problem.
Therapist sent a letter to the school explaining the cognitive test results and referring only in
general terms to “emotional stresses in the family that are being attended to.”