Ethical Dilemmas in Psychotherapy

Going beyond the basics of ethics, this book guides readers through complex ethical quandaries. It describes an easily applied decision-making process based on positive ethics and bolstered by numerous case examples that will help psychotherapists reach the best solutions possible.

New and experienced psychotherapists alike can find themselves overwhelmed by an ethical quandary where there doesn amp rsquo t seem to be an easy solution. This book presents positive ethics as a means to overcome such ethical challenges. The positive approach focuses on not just avoiding negative consequences, but reaching the best possible outcomes for both the psychotherapist and the client.

The authors outline a clear decision-making process that is based on three practical strategies:

amp bull ethical decision-making models to make the most ethical decision in a situation where two ethical principles conflict,
amp bull the quality enhancement model for reducing the risk of treatment failure, and
amp bull ethics acculturation model to help therapists incorporate personal ethics into their professional roles.

Numerous vignettes illustrate how to apply positive ethics to many different ethical challenges that psychotherapists will likely encounter in practice.

"This volume is a worthwhile addition to the bookshelves of psychologists wanting to expand their understanding of ethical dilemmas in psychotherapy."
—PsycCRITIQUES®

Samuel J. Knapp, EdD, ABPP, has been the director of professional affairs for the Pennsylvania Psychological Association since 987. He also teaches ethics in the doctoral program in clinical psychology at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and in the graduate program in counseling psychology at Lehigh University. Dr. Knapp is board certified in counseling psychology and is a fellow of APA Division 3 (State, Provincial and Territorial Psychological Association Affairs). He served as a member of the task force responsible for rewriting the 2 2 APA amp quot Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct amp quot and received the first award for ethics education from the APA Ethics Committee. Dr. Knapp has written about peer reviewed articles, made more than 3 professional presentations - mostly on ethics - and written or edited books, including, with Leon VandeCreek, Practical Ethics for Psychologists: A Positive Approach (Knapp amp amp VandeCreek, 2 2), now in its second edition. He was the lead author of the second edition of Assessing and Managing Risk in Psychological Practice: An Individualized Approach (Knapp, Younggren, VandeCreek, Harris, amp amp Martin, 2 3) and was editor-in-chief of the APA Handbook of Ethics in Psychology.

Michael C. Gottlieb, PhD, ABPP, practices forensic psychology in Dallas, Texas, and consults on a nationwide basis. He is a clinical professor at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, where he teaches professional ethics and family systems therapy. Dr. Gottlieb is board certified in family psychology (American Board of Professional Psychology) and is a fellow of the American Psychology/Law Society and four other APA divisions. He has completed terms on APA's Ethics Committee and its Committee on Professional Practice and Standards. An active scholar, Dr. Gottlieb has written or cowritten peer-reviewed articles and book chapters and was an associate editor of the APA Handbook of Ethics in Psychology.

Mitchell M. Handelsman, PhD, has been on the faculty of the University of Colorado Denver since 982, where he is now a professor of psychology and a CU President's Teaching Scholar. He is a nationally acclaimed educator who has won awards from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education and APA Division 2 (Society for the Teaching of Psychology), of which he is a fellow. He has served on ethics committees for several hospitals and professional associations, and has chaired the ethics committees of Rose Medical Center in Denver and the Colorado Psychological Association. Dr. Handelsman served for a year in Washington, DC, as an APA Congressional Science Fellow. He is an associate editor of the APA Handbook of Ethics in Psychology and the coauthor, with Sharon K. Anderson, of Ethics for Psychotherapists and Counselors: A Proactive Approach. Overall, Dr. Handelsman has more than 5 refereed publications, more than book chapters, and more than professional presentations.

New and experienced psychotherapists alike can find themselves overwhelmed by an ethical quandary where there doesn't seem to be an easy solution. This book presents positive ethics as a means to overcome such ethical challenges. The positive approach focuses on not just avoiding negative consequences, but reaching the best possible outcomes for both the psychotherapist and the client. The authors outline a clear decision-making process that is based on three practical strategies: the ethics acculturation model to help therapists incorporate personal ethics into their professional roles, the quality enhancement model for dealing with high-risk patients who are potentially harmful, and ethical choice-making strategies to make the most ethical decision in a situation where two ethical principles conflict. Throughout the decision-making process, psychotherapists are encouraged to follow four basic guidelines: Focus on overarching ethical principles Consider intuitive, emotional, and other nonrational factors Accept that some problems have elusive solutions Solicit input from colleagues and consultation groups Numerous vignettes illustrate how to apply positive ethics to many different ethical challenges that psychotherapists will likely encounter in practice.

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