, COMPREHENSIVE STUDY TEST BANK: Ethics and Decision Making in
Counseling and Psychotherapy, 5th Edition.
Editors: Robert Rocco Cottone, Vilia M. Tarvydas, Michael T. Hartley
Table of Contents
COMPREHENSIVE STUDY TEST BANK: Ethics and Decision Making in
Counseling and Psychotherapy, 5th Edition. .............................................................. 1
Editors: Robert Rocco Cottone, Vilia M. Tarvydas, Michael T. Hartley ........ 2
PART I: OVERVIEW OF ETHICS AND DECISION MAKING IN COUNSELING
AND PSYCHOTHERAPY ............................................................................................................ 5
Chapter 1: Introduction to Ethical Issues and Decision Making in
Counseling and Psychotherapy ...................................................................................... 5
Chapter Summary............................................................................................................... 5
Chapter Questions.............................................................................................................. 5
Chapter 2: The Mental Health Professions and Counseling Specialties 12
Chapter Summary............................................................................................................ 12
Chapter Questions........................................................................................................... 12
Chapter 3: Value Issues in Counseling..................................................................... 19
Chapter Summary............................................................................................................ 19
Chapter Questions........................................................................................................... 20
Chapter 4: Ethical Decision Making Processes ................................................... 26
Chapter Summary............................................................................................................ 26
Chapter Questions........................................................................................................... 27
Chapter 5: Introduction to Ethical Principles in Counseling ...................... 34
Chapter Summary............................................................................................................ 34
Chapter Questions........................................................................................................... 34
, Chapter 6: Introduction to Ethical and Legal Standards in Counseling
and Psychotherapy ............................................................................................................. 41
Chapter Summary............................................................................................................ 41
Chapter Questions........................................................................................................... 41
COMPLETE TEST BANK ........................................................................................................ 48
Ethics and Decision Making in Counseling and Psychotherapy, 5th
Edition ....................................................................................................................................... 48
Editors: Robert Rocco Cottone, Vilia M. Tarvydas, Michael T. Hartley
.................................................................................................................................................... 48
Chapter 7: Clinical Mental Health Counseling..................................................... 49
Chapter Summary............................................................................................................ 49
Chapter Questions........................................................................................................... 49
Chapter 8: School Counseling ....................................................................................... 56
Chapter Summary............................................................................................................ 56
Chapter Questions........................................................................................................... 57
Chapter 9: Couple, Marital, and Family Counseling ......................................... 64
Chapter Summary............................................................................................................ 64
Chapter Questions........................................................................................................... 64
Chapter 10: Rehabilitation Counseling ................................................................... 71
Chapter Summary............................................................................................................ 71
Chapter Questions........................................................................................................... 72
Chapter 11: Addictions Counseling ........................................................................... 79
Chapter Summary............................................................................................................ 79
Chapter Questions........................................................................................................... 79
Chapter 12: Career Counseling .................................................................................... 87
Chapter Summary............................................................................................................ 87
Chapter Questions........................................................................................................... 87
Chapter 13: Group Counseling ..................................................................................... 94
, Chapter Summary............................................................................................................ 94
Chapter Questions........................................................................................................... 94
Chapter 14: Ethical Climate ......................................................................................... 101
Chapter Summary.......................................................................................................... 101
Chapter Questions......................................................................................................... 102
Chapter 15: Office and Administrative Practices ............................................ 108
Chapter Summary.......................................................................................................... 108
Chapter Questions......................................................................................................... 109
Chapter 16: Ethics of Counseling Supervision .................................................. 115
Chapter Summary.......................................................................................................... 115
Chapter Questions......................................................................................................... 116
Chapter 17: Technology Ethics and Distance Counseling .......................... 122
Chapter Summary.......................................................................................................... 122
Chapter Questions......................................................................................................... 123
Chapter 18: The Ethical Professional Counselor and Psychotherapist
...................................................................................................................................................... 129
Chapter Summary.......................................................................................................... 129
Chapter Questions......................................................................................................... 130
,PART I: OVERVIEW OF ETHICS AND DECISION MAKING IN COUNSELING
AND PSYCHOTHERAPY
Chapter 1: Introduction to Ethical Issues and Decision Making in
Counseling and Psychotherapy
Chapter Summary
This foundational chapter introduces the core concepts of professional ethics
in counseling and psychotherapy. It distinguishes between professional
ethics (standards of conduct established by the profession) and legally
mandated ethics (requirements imposed by law). The chapter explores the
purpose of ethics governance, including the role of professional organizations
in creating and enforcing ethical codes. It emphasizes that ethical decision
making is a skill that must be developed through education, reflection, and
practice. The chapter sets the stage for understanding ethics as an essential
component of professional identity rather than merely a set of rules to follow.
It introduces the concept that ethical dilemmas require careful reasoning and
that counselors must be prepared to navigate complex situations where
competing values and obligations exist .
Chapter Questions.
1. Professional ethics in counseling are best defined as:
A) The same as legal requirements for practice
B) Standards of conduct established by the profession to guide behavior
C) Personal moral values applied to professional situations
D) Rules created by state licensing boards only
Answer: B
Rationale: Professional ethics are standards of conduct established by the
profession itself through its organizations and codes. While they may align
with legal requirements, they are distinct from both law and personal
,morality. Ethics represent the collective wisdom of the profession regarding
appropriate conduct .
2. The primary purpose of ethics governance in counseling is to:
A) Punish counselors who make mistakes
B) Protect the public and ensure professional accountability
C) Limit the number of people entering the profession
D) Create uniformity in treatment approaches
Answer: B
Rationale: Ethics governance serves primarily to protect the public by
establishing standards of conduct and holding professionals accountable. This
protection function is the foundation of professional self-regulation and is
why professions develop ethics codes and enforcement procedures.
3. A key difference between professional ethics and legally mandated
ethics is that:
A) Professional ethics are optional while legal ethics are required
B) Legal ethics are established by professional organizations
C) Professional ethics may exceed minimum legal requirements
D) There is no meaningful difference between them
Answer: C
Rationale: Professional ethics often require behavior that exceeds minimum
legal standards. For example, the law may permit certain disclosures, but
ethical codes may restrict them to protect client welfare. Professionals must
meet both legal requirements and higher ethical standards.
,4. According to the chapter, ethical decision making in counseling
requires:
A) Memorizing all code provisions
B) Developing skills through education, reflection, and practice
C) Relying exclusively on supervisor direction
D) Following intuition rather than rules
Answer: B
Rationale: The chapter emphasizes that ethical decision making is a skill that
must be developed, not simply a matter of memorizing rules. It requires
education about standards, reflection on values and contexts, and practice
applying decision-making models to complex situations.
5. Which statement best reflects the relationship between ethics and
professional identity?
A) Ethics are irrelevant to professional identity
B) Ethics are an essential component of professional identity
C) Professional identity is determined solely by theoretical orientation
D) Ethics only matter when problems arise
Answer: B
Rationale: Ethics are fundamental to professional identity, not an add-on or
afterthought. How counselors understand and enact ethical responsibilities
reflects their conception of what it means to be a professional. Ethics shape
professional values, responsibilities, and relationships.
6. Ethical dilemmas in counseling typically involve:
A) Clear right versus wrong choices
B) Situations where competing values and obligations must be navigated
,C) Only legal questions, not ethical ones
D) Problems that have single correct answers
Answer: B
Rationale: Ethical dilemmas are characterized by competing values,
principles, or obligations that make the right course of action unclear. Unlike
simple ethical violations (clear right vs. wrong), dilemmas require careful
reasoning to determine the best path forward.
7. The chapter suggests that ethics codes serve all of the following
functions EXCEPT:
A) Educating professionals about expected conduct
B) Providing a basis for professional accountability
C) Eliminating all ambiguity in practice
D) Guiding ethical decision making
Answer: C
Rationale: Ethics codes cannot eliminate all ambiguity in practice. They
provide guidance but cannot anticipate every situation. Professionals must
use judgment to apply code provisions to unique circumstances. The other
options are legitimate functions of ethics codes.
8. When professional ethics and legal requirements conflict, counselors
should generally:
A) Always follow the law regardless of ethical considerations
B) Always follow ethics regardless of legal consequences
C) Seek to resolve the conflict through legal and ethical consultation
D) Ignore both and do what feels right
,Answer: C
Rationale: When ethics and law conflict, counselors face complex situations
requiring careful navigation. They should seek legal and ethical consultation,
attempt to resolve the conflict through appropriate channels, and document
their decision-making process. Neither blind adherence to law nor ethics
alone is appropriate without consideration.
9. The concept of "ethics governance" in counseling includes:
A) Only written ethics codes
B) The development, enforcement, and revision of ethical standards
C) State laws exclusively
D) Agency policies only
Answer: B
Rationale: Ethics governance encompasses the entire system by which the
profession establishes, enforces, and updates ethical standards. This includes
code development, ethics committees, adjudication processes, and ongoing
revision to address emerging issues.
10. Which of the following best describes the relationship between
ethics and law?
A) They are identical in all respects
B) They are separate but sometimes overlapping systems of regulation
C) They are completely independent with no relationship
D) Law always supersedes ethics in professional decisions
Answer: B
Rationale: Ethics and law are separate but overlapping systems. Ethical
requirements may exceed legal minimums, and legal requirements may
, address matters beyond ethics codes. Professionals must navigate both
systems and understand their interrelationship.
11. The chapter emphasizes that ethical decision making is a skill
because:
A) It requires practice to apply principles to unique situations
B) Some people are naturally better at it
C) It can be mastered in a single workshop
D) It requires no reflection or judgment
Answer: A
Rationale: Like clinical skills, ethical decision making requires practice to
develop competence. Applying principles and standards to unique situations
requires judgment that improves with experience, reflection, and guided
practice.
12. Professional ethics codes are best understood as:
A) Rigid rules that must be followed literally
B) Living documents that evolve with the profession
C) Suggestions that can be ignored when inconvenient
D) Legal contracts between counselor and client
Answer: B
Rationale: Ethics codes evolve as the profession develops, as new issues
emerge (e.g., technology), and as understanding of ethical practice deepens.
They are revised periodically to remain relevant and responsive to changing
contexts.
Counseling and Psychotherapy, 5th Edition.
Editors: Robert Rocco Cottone, Vilia M. Tarvydas, Michael T. Hartley
Table of Contents
COMPREHENSIVE STUDY TEST BANK: Ethics and Decision Making in
Counseling and Psychotherapy, 5th Edition. .............................................................. 1
Editors: Robert Rocco Cottone, Vilia M. Tarvydas, Michael T. Hartley ........ 2
PART I: OVERVIEW OF ETHICS AND DECISION MAKING IN COUNSELING
AND PSYCHOTHERAPY ............................................................................................................ 5
Chapter 1: Introduction to Ethical Issues and Decision Making in
Counseling and Psychotherapy ...................................................................................... 5
Chapter Summary............................................................................................................... 5
Chapter Questions.............................................................................................................. 5
Chapter 2: The Mental Health Professions and Counseling Specialties 12
Chapter Summary............................................................................................................ 12
Chapter Questions........................................................................................................... 12
Chapter 3: Value Issues in Counseling..................................................................... 19
Chapter Summary............................................................................................................ 19
Chapter Questions........................................................................................................... 20
Chapter 4: Ethical Decision Making Processes ................................................... 26
Chapter Summary............................................................................................................ 26
Chapter Questions........................................................................................................... 27
Chapter 5: Introduction to Ethical Principles in Counseling ...................... 34
Chapter Summary............................................................................................................ 34
Chapter Questions........................................................................................................... 34
, Chapter 6: Introduction to Ethical and Legal Standards in Counseling
and Psychotherapy ............................................................................................................. 41
Chapter Summary............................................................................................................ 41
Chapter Questions........................................................................................................... 41
COMPLETE TEST BANK ........................................................................................................ 48
Ethics and Decision Making in Counseling and Psychotherapy, 5th
Edition ....................................................................................................................................... 48
Editors: Robert Rocco Cottone, Vilia M. Tarvydas, Michael T. Hartley
.................................................................................................................................................... 48
Chapter 7: Clinical Mental Health Counseling..................................................... 49
Chapter Summary............................................................................................................ 49
Chapter Questions........................................................................................................... 49
Chapter 8: School Counseling ....................................................................................... 56
Chapter Summary............................................................................................................ 56
Chapter Questions........................................................................................................... 57
Chapter 9: Couple, Marital, and Family Counseling ......................................... 64
Chapter Summary............................................................................................................ 64
Chapter Questions........................................................................................................... 64
Chapter 10: Rehabilitation Counseling ................................................................... 71
Chapter Summary............................................................................................................ 71
Chapter Questions........................................................................................................... 72
Chapter 11: Addictions Counseling ........................................................................... 79
Chapter Summary............................................................................................................ 79
Chapter Questions........................................................................................................... 79
Chapter 12: Career Counseling .................................................................................... 87
Chapter Summary............................................................................................................ 87
Chapter Questions........................................................................................................... 87
Chapter 13: Group Counseling ..................................................................................... 94
, Chapter Summary............................................................................................................ 94
Chapter Questions........................................................................................................... 94
Chapter 14: Ethical Climate ......................................................................................... 101
Chapter Summary.......................................................................................................... 101
Chapter Questions......................................................................................................... 102
Chapter 15: Office and Administrative Practices ............................................ 108
Chapter Summary.......................................................................................................... 108
Chapter Questions......................................................................................................... 109
Chapter 16: Ethics of Counseling Supervision .................................................. 115
Chapter Summary.......................................................................................................... 115
Chapter Questions......................................................................................................... 116
Chapter 17: Technology Ethics and Distance Counseling .......................... 122
Chapter Summary.......................................................................................................... 122
Chapter Questions......................................................................................................... 123
Chapter 18: The Ethical Professional Counselor and Psychotherapist
...................................................................................................................................................... 129
Chapter Summary.......................................................................................................... 129
Chapter Questions......................................................................................................... 130
,PART I: OVERVIEW OF ETHICS AND DECISION MAKING IN COUNSELING
AND PSYCHOTHERAPY
Chapter 1: Introduction to Ethical Issues and Decision Making in
Counseling and Psychotherapy
Chapter Summary
This foundational chapter introduces the core concepts of professional ethics
in counseling and psychotherapy. It distinguishes between professional
ethics (standards of conduct established by the profession) and legally
mandated ethics (requirements imposed by law). The chapter explores the
purpose of ethics governance, including the role of professional organizations
in creating and enforcing ethical codes. It emphasizes that ethical decision
making is a skill that must be developed through education, reflection, and
practice. The chapter sets the stage for understanding ethics as an essential
component of professional identity rather than merely a set of rules to follow.
It introduces the concept that ethical dilemmas require careful reasoning and
that counselors must be prepared to navigate complex situations where
competing values and obligations exist .
Chapter Questions.
1. Professional ethics in counseling are best defined as:
A) The same as legal requirements for practice
B) Standards of conduct established by the profession to guide behavior
C) Personal moral values applied to professional situations
D) Rules created by state licensing boards only
Answer: B
Rationale: Professional ethics are standards of conduct established by the
profession itself through its organizations and codes. While they may align
with legal requirements, they are distinct from both law and personal
,morality. Ethics represent the collective wisdom of the profession regarding
appropriate conduct .
2. The primary purpose of ethics governance in counseling is to:
A) Punish counselors who make mistakes
B) Protect the public and ensure professional accountability
C) Limit the number of people entering the profession
D) Create uniformity in treatment approaches
Answer: B
Rationale: Ethics governance serves primarily to protect the public by
establishing standards of conduct and holding professionals accountable. This
protection function is the foundation of professional self-regulation and is
why professions develop ethics codes and enforcement procedures.
3. A key difference between professional ethics and legally mandated
ethics is that:
A) Professional ethics are optional while legal ethics are required
B) Legal ethics are established by professional organizations
C) Professional ethics may exceed minimum legal requirements
D) There is no meaningful difference between them
Answer: C
Rationale: Professional ethics often require behavior that exceeds minimum
legal standards. For example, the law may permit certain disclosures, but
ethical codes may restrict them to protect client welfare. Professionals must
meet both legal requirements and higher ethical standards.
,4. According to the chapter, ethical decision making in counseling
requires:
A) Memorizing all code provisions
B) Developing skills through education, reflection, and practice
C) Relying exclusively on supervisor direction
D) Following intuition rather than rules
Answer: B
Rationale: The chapter emphasizes that ethical decision making is a skill that
must be developed, not simply a matter of memorizing rules. It requires
education about standards, reflection on values and contexts, and practice
applying decision-making models to complex situations.
5. Which statement best reflects the relationship between ethics and
professional identity?
A) Ethics are irrelevant to professional identity
B) Ethics are an essential component of professional identity
C) Professional identity is determined solely by theoretical orientation
D) Ethics only matter when problems arise
Answer: B
Rationale: Ethics are fundamental to professional identity, not an add-on or
afterthought. How counselors understand and enact ethical responsibilities
reflects their conception of what it means to be a professional. Ethics shape
professional values, responsibilities, and relationships.
6. Ethical dilemmas in counseling typically involve:
A) Clear right versus wrong choices
B) Situations where competing values and obligations must be navigated
,C) Only legal questions, not ethical ones
D) Problems that have single correct answers
Answer: B
Rationale: Ethical dilemmas are characterized by competing values,
principles, or obligations that make the right course of action unclear. Unlike
simple ethical violations (clear right vs. wrong), dilemmas require careful
reasoning to determine the best path forward.
7. The chapter suggests that ethics codes serve all of the following
functions EXCEPT:
A) Educating professionals about expected conduct
B) Providing a basis for professional accountability
C) Eliminating all ambiguity in practice
D) Guiding ethical decision making
Answer: C
Rationale: Ethics codes cannot eliminate all ambiguity in practice. They
provide guidance but cannot anticipate every situation. Professionals must
use judgment to apply code provisions to unique circumstances. The other
options are legitimate functions of ethics codes.
8. When professional ethics and legal requirements conflict, counselors
should generally:
A) Always follow the law regardless of ethical considerations
B) Always follow ethics regardless of legal consequences
C) Seek to resolve the conflict through legal and ethical consultation
D) Ignore both and do what feels right
,Answer: C
Rationale: When ethics and law conflict, counselors face complex situations
requiring careful navigation. They should seek legal and ethical consultation,
attempt to resolve the conflict through appropriate channels, and document
their decision-making process. Neither blind adherence to law nor ethics
alone is appropriate without consideration.
9. The concept of "ethics governance" in counseling includes:
A) Only written ethics codes
B) The development, enforcement, and revision of ethical standards
C) State laws exclusively
D) Agency policies only
Answer: B
Rationale: Ethics governance encompasses the entire system by which the
profession establishes, enforces, and updates ethical standards. This includes
code development, ethics committees, adjudication processes, and ongoing
revision to address emerging issues.
10. Which of the following best describes the relationship between
ethics and law?
A) They are identical in all respects
B) They are separate but sometimes overlapping systems of regulation
C) They are completely independent with no relationship
D) Law always supersedes ethics in professional decisions
Answer: B
Rationale: Ethics and law are separate but overlapping systems. Ethical
requirements may exceed legal minimums, and legal requirements may
, address matters beyond ethics codes. Professionals must navigate both
systems and understand their interrelationship.
11. The chapter emphasizes that ethical decision making is a skill
because:
A) It requires practice to apply principles to unique situations
B) Some people are naturally better at it
C) It can be mastered in a single workshop
D) It requires no reflection or judgment
Answer: A
Rationale: Like clinical skills, ethical decision making requires practice to
develop competence. Applying principles and standards to unique situations
requires judgment that improves with experience, reflection, and guided
practice.
12. Professional ethics codes are best understood as:
A) Rigid rules that must be followed literally
B) Living documents that evolve with the profession
C) Suggestions that can be ignored when inconvenient
D) Legal contracts between counselor and client
Answer: B
Rationale: Ethics codes evolve as the profession develops, as new issues
emerge (e.g., technology), and as understanding of ethical practice deepens.
They are revised periodically to remain relevant and responsive to changing
contexts.
