As a developing counselor, I realize the importance of understanding my own values and
morals. These values and morals affect my views on what is important and acceptable to me. I
think it is important for me to be aware of these vales and morals, comprising my ethical views,
because they have the potential to affect the clients I may work with. If I am not aware of my
ethical views, then I may be more likely to unknowingly project them on a client, which could
interfere in the counselor-client relationship.
First, I will discuss what I value about myself. I value the motivation I have towards
working hard. I believe that if I am going to spend my time doing something, I should do it well,
and to the best of my ability. If I do not, I am wasting time. I also value the role I have in my
family, as a granddaughter, niece, daughter and the oldest child. I think many of the qualities I
posses are the result of filling these roles in the lives of others. I have learned how to be a leader,
how to be patient, understanding, a listener and empathetic, which are all qualities I value about
myself.
I will next discuss what I value about myself, but now, as a counselor. The quality I
value most about myself, as a counselor, is my ability to listen to others objectively, without
passing judgment. I am especially good at doing this when I know I am listening to a person that
simply wants to be listened to and understood, which is typical of a counseling session. I think
this helps me to be empathetic, which is an important characteristic of a good counselor.
In evaluating my ethics, it is valuable to think about the expectations I have of myself and
of my clients. First, I will address what I would never do to any of my clients. I think the most
important thing for me to remember is that I would never want to push my beliefs on my client.
While I am empathetic towards others, I am also very convicted in what I believe, so I would
have to be conscious to remain objective and not let those beliefs constrict what my clients
would share with me. Further, I would never want to waste my clients’ time by not giving them
my full attention or not doing my best to provide them with beneficial meetings. Lastly, I would
never want to violate my clients’ confidentiality. I believe that if a person is willing to trust me
with intimate details of their life, then I need to be respectful of that person and their openness.
While I have these expectations for myself, I also have expectations of my clients. I
would, first, expect my clients’ to tell me if they were not finding the sessions beneficial or if
their needs were not being met in counseling. Being aware would allow me to change the
structure of the session, ask different questions or perhaps refer the client if the client was
interested. My next expectation is that my client would make an effort to make changes or make
known that they are not making changes so we could try an alternative approach. Finally, I
would expect my clients’ to respect me as a person, similar to how I would treat them with
respect.
I will last address what three values are most important to my beliefs about life. The first
value I hold is that all people deserve to be loved. There is something to love about every
person, and after finding that, the relationship becomes so much more important. Next, I value
time and believe that people deserve my time. It is easy for me to become consumed by
homework and “to-do” lists, but I continually remind myself that people have souls, homework
does not, and for that reason people deserve my time, my attention and my understanding.
Finally, I value the able body God has given me. In high school my dance teacher constantly told
me, “God gave you two legs, so you might as well use them”. I know He also gave me a capable
mind and a heart for relationships, as well as many other gifts, which I have previously
addressed, and will benefit my relationships with my clients in the future.