Instructor Manual: Welfel, Ethics in Counseling and Psychotherapy, 7e, 2026, 9780357936184; Chapter 1: Introduction to Professional Ethics: A
Psychology and Philosophy for Ethical Practice
Instructor Manual
Welfel, Ethics in Counseling and Psychotherapy, 7e, 2026, 9780357936184;
Chapter 1: Introduction to Professional Ethics: A Psychology and Philosophy for Ethical Practice
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Purpose and Perspective of the Chapter......................................................................2
Chapter Objectives........................................................................................................2
What’s New in This Chapter........................................................................................2
Chapter Outline.............................................................................................................3
Additional Exercises and Activities..............................................................................9
Class Exercises and Assignments.............................................................................................................. 9
Discussion Questions............................................................................................................................... 11
Cases for Discussion................................................................................................................................ 12
a
© 2026 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly 1
accessible website, in whole or in part.
,Instructor Manual: Welfel, Ethics in Counseling and Psychotherapy, 7e, 2026, 9780357936184; Chapter 1: Introduction to Professional Ethics: A
Psychology and Philosophy for Ethical Practice
PURPOSE AND PERSPECTIVE OF THE CHAPTER
The purpose of this chapter is to introduce a mental health professional’s duty to engage in ethical
practice, which includes considering the client’s welfare as the highest priority, respecting the dignity and
autonomy of clients, practicing competently, using power responsibly, and enhancing their profession’s
reputation through responsible conduct. When facing ethical dilemmas, therapists can draw on literature
from developmental psychology, professional codes of ethics, philosophical literature, and books and
articles by ethics experts to guide their decision making. Despite these resources, professionals must
ultimately take personal responsibility for ethical behavior and decision making, and ethical missteps can
still occur. Common ethical violations include sexual misconduct, multiple relationships, breaches of
confidentiality, and negligent responses to client needs, with male therapists statistically more prone to
sexual misconduct. While there is often overlap between ethics codes and laws, conflicts can arise, and
professionals must understand laws and the codes of ethics, and their underlying principles to navigate
such conflicts.
CHAPTER OBJECTIVES
The following objectives are addressed in this chapter:
LO 1.1 Describe the five ethical ideals and values of the profession.
LO 1.2 Apply the four components of moral behavior as identified by James Rest.
LO 1.3 Describe the intent of an ethics code and present advantages and limitations of codes.
LO 1.4 Identify at least two ethical philosophies that contribute to sound ethical judgments.
LO 1.5 Summarize how unethical behaviors contribute to negative client outcomes and hurt the
profession.
LO 1.6 Present a useful strategy when ethics and law conflict.
LO 1.7 Identify the most important way to handle a conflict between personal and professional values.
[return to top]
WHAT’S NEW IN THIS CHAPTER
For a complete list of changes for this chapter, refer to the Transition Guide provided for this product.
[return to top]
CHAPTER OUTLINE
I. Introduction to Professional Ethics: A Psychology and Philosophy for Ethical Practice (PPT
slides 5-6)
a
© 2026 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly 2
accessible website, in whole or in part.
,Instructor Manual: Welfel, Ethics in Counseling and Psychotherapy, 7e, 2026, 9780357936184; Chapter 1: Introduction to Professional Ethics: A
Psychology and Philosophy for Ethical Practice
1. Overall, clients benefit from mental health services, though at times clients
experience deterioration effects as a result of a clinician’s incompetent services,
insensitivity to ethical practice, or disregard for the welfare of clients
2. Concern for protecting the welfare of clients is at the core of the rationale for
developing professional ethics
3. Therapists can draw on literature from developmental psychology, professional
codes of ethics, philosophical literature, and books and articles by ethics experts
to guide ethical practice and decision making
II. Foundations and Resources for Ethical Practice (LO 1.1; PPT slides 7-8)
A. Five Dimensions of Professional Ethics- representing the ethical ideals and values of the
profession
1. Having sufficient knowledge, skill, judgment, and character to practice
competently
a. Includes quality initial education, supervised practice, and continuing
education
2. Respecting the human dignity and freedom (autonomy) of the client(s)
3. Using the power inherent in the professional’s role responsibly
4. Acting in ways that promote public confidence in the profession
5. Placing the welfare of the client(s) as the professional’s highest priority
III. Literature from Developmental Psychology (LO 1.2; PPT slides 9-11)
1. Includes literature on morality and moral reasoning, of which ethical practice and
ethical decision making are a subset
2. Provides a framework for conceptualizing the process of ethical decision making
A. Components of Moral Behavior (Rest, 1983)
a. Moral action is any behavior that can affect the welfare of another person
1. Moral Sensitivity- the process of recognizing the situation as one with
implications for the welfare of another
a. Ethical fading- propensity to not realize that a particular issue has ethical
implications
b. Case Example (The Case of Mitchell and Maria)
2. Moral Reasoning- the process of thinking through the alternatives once a
situation has been recognized as having a moral dimension
a. Includes cognitive and emotional aspects
b. Stage models of moral development are posited that are based partly on
both biological maturity and social experience.
(1) Some research suggest that counselors at higher stages of moral
development make more ethical decisions
3. Moral Motivation- the decision whether to act once a counselor has evaluated the
options and determined what is most moral
a. Factors that interfere with moral motivation and impact ethical action
include
(1) Emotions
(2) Competing values
(3) Cognitive dissonance
a
© 2026 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly 3
accessible website, in whole or in part.
, Instructor Manual: Welfel, Ethics in Counseling and Psychotherapy, 7e, 2026, 9780357936184; Chapter 1: Introduction to Professional Ethics: A
Psychology and Philosophy for Ethical Practice
(4) Work environment
(5) Social and political factors
4. Moral Character- the virtues a counselor possesses that aid in carrying out a
moral action to its conclusion
a. Required virtues to act morally
(1) Compassion
(2) Integrity
(3) Conscientiousness
IV. Codes of Ethics (LO 1.3; PPT slides 12-17)
1. Counselors- Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice of the American
Counseling Association (2014)
2. Psychologists- Ethical Principles and Code of Conduct for Psychologists of the
American Psychological Association (2017)
3. Marriage and family therapists- Code of Ethics of the Association of Marriage
and Family Therapists (2012)
4. School counselors- Ethical Standards for School Counselors (2022)
5. Represent the official statements of the profession about the expectations of
members
(1) Members are held accountable for actions that violate the codes
(2) Codes identify the ethical goals and values of the profession and
guide professionals through common ethical pitfalls
6. Two components
(1) Principles- foundational and aspirational goals that help frame
the codes but are not enforceable
(2) Standards- enforceable “rules” of the code
A. Advantages and Limitations of Codes of Ethics
1. Advantages
a. Support for facing an ethical question
b. Represent the best judgment of one’s peers about common problems and
shared professional values
c. Demonstrates mental health professionals’ commitment to protecting the
public welfare
2. Disadvantages
a. Codes are written broadly
b. Profession changes rapidly, and codes may become outdated prior to
publication
c. Codes are developed in agreement with organizations that have
additional values and priorities, so they do not necessarily represent an
ethical ideal
d. Can focus too much attention on minor issues of the profession and
distract from major questions
(1) Case Example (The Case of Dr. Remmard and Ms. Harks)
e. Ethics codes do not provide easy answers to complex questions
V. Literature from Philosophy (LO 1.4; PPT slides 18-23)
a
© 2026 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly 4
accessible website, in whole or in part.
Psychology and Philosophy for Ethical Practice
Instructor Manual
Welfel, Ethics in Counseling and Psychotherapy, 7e, 2026, 9780357936184;
Chapter 1: Introduction to Professional Ethics: A Psychology and Philosophy for Ethical Practice
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Purpose and Perspective of the Chapter......................................................................2
Chapter Objectives........................................................................................................2
What’s New in This Chapter........................................................................................2
Chapter Outline.............................................................................................................3
Additional Exercises and Activities..............................................................................9
Class Exercises and Assignments.............................................................................................................. 9
Discussion Questions............................................................................................................................... 11
Cases for Discussion................................................................................................................................ 12
a
© 2026 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly 1
accessible website, in whole or in part.
,Instructor Manual: Welfel, Ethics in Counseling and Psychotherapy, 7e, 2026, 9780357936184; Chapter 1: Introduction to Professional Ethics: A
Psychology and Philosophy for Ethical Practice
PURPOSE AND PERSPECTIVE OF THE CHAPTER
The purpose of this chapter is to introduce a mental health professional’s duty to engage in ethical
practice, which includes considering the client’s welfare as the highest priority, respecting the dignity and
autonomy of clients, practicing competently, using power responsibly, and enhancing their profession’s
reputation through responsible conduct. When facing ethical dilemmas, therapists can draw on literature
from developmental psychology, professional codes of ethics, philosophical literature, and books and
articles by ethics experts to guide their decision making. Despite these resources, professionals must
ultimately take personal responsibility for ethical behavior and decision making, and ethical missteps can
still occur. Common ethical violations include sexual misconduct, multiple relationships, breaches of
confidentiality, and negligent responses to client needs, with male therapists statistically more prone to
sexual misconduct. While there is often overlap between ethics codes and laws, conflicts can arise, and
professionals must understand laws and the codes of ethics, and their underlying principles to navigate
such conflicts.
CHAPTER OBJECTIVES
The following objectives are addressed in this chapter:
LO 1.1 Describe the five ethical ideals and values of the profession.
LO 1.2 Apply the four components of moral behavior as identified by James Rest.
LO 1.3 Describe the intent of an ethics code and present advantages and limitations of codes.
LO 1.4 Identify at least two ethical philosophies that contribute to sound ethical judgments.
LO 1.5 Summarize how unethical behaviors contribute to negative client outcomes and hurt the
profession.
LO 1.6 Present a useful strategy when ethics and law conflict.
LO 1.7 Identify the most important way to handle a conflict between personal and professional values.
[return to top]
WHAT’S NEW IN THIS CHAPTER
For a complete list of changes for this chapter, refer to the Transition Guide provided for this product.
[return to top]
CHAPTER OUTLINE
I. Introduction to Professional Ethics: A Psychology and Philosophy for Ethical Practice (PPT
slides 5-6)
a
© 2026 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly 2
accessible website, in whole or in part.
,Instructor Manual: Welfel, Ethics in Counseling and Psychotherapy, 7e, 2026, 9780357936184; Chapter 1: Introduction to Professional Ethics: A
Psychology and Philosophy for Ethical Practice
1. Overall, clients benefit from mental health services, though at times clients
experience deterioration effects as a result of a clinician’s incompetent services,
insensitivity to ethical practice, or disregard for the welfare of clients
2. Concern for protecting the welfare of clients is at the core of the rationale for
developing professional ethics
3. Therapists can draw on literature from developmental psychology, professional
codes of ethics, philosophical literature, and books and articles by ethics experts
to guide ethical practice and decision making
II. Foundations and Resources for Ethical Practice (LO 1.1; PPT slides 7-8)
A. Five Dimensions of Professional Ethics- representing the ethical ideals and values of the
profession
1. Having sufficient knowledge, skill, judgment, and character to practice
competently
a. Includes quality initial education, supervised practice, and continuing
education
2. Respecting the human dignity and freedom (autonomy) of the client(s)
3. Using the power inherent in the professional’s role responsibly
4. Acting in ways that promote public confidence in the profession
5. Placing the welfare of the client(s) as the professional’s highest priority
III. Literature from Developmental Psychology (LO 1.2; PPT slides 9-11)
1. Includes literature on morality and moral reasoning, of which ethical practice and
ethical decision making are a subset
2. Provides a framework for conceptualizing the process of ethical decision making
A. Components of Moral Behavior (Rest, 1983)
a. Moral action is any behavior that can affect the welfare of another person
1. Moral Sensitivity- the process of recognizing the situation as one with
implications for the welfare of another
a. Ethical fading- propensity to not realize that a particular issue has ethical
implications
b. Case Example (The Case of Mitchell and Maria)
2. Moral Reasoning- the process of thinking through the alternatives once a
situation has been recognized as having a moral dimension
a. Includes cognitive and emotional aspects
b. Stage models of moral development are posited that are based partly on
both biological maturity and social experience.
(1) Some research suggest that counselors at higher stages of moral
development make more ethical decisions
3. Moral Motivation- the decision whether to act once a counselor has evaluated the
options and determined what is most moral
a. Factors that interfere with moral motivation and impact ethical action
include
(1) Emotions
(2) Competing values
(3) Cognitive dissonance
a
© 2026 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly 3
accessible website, in whole or in part.
, Instructor Manual: Welfel, Ethics in Counseling and Psychotherapy, 7e, 2026, 9780357936184; Chapter 1: Introduction to Professional Ethics: A
Psychology and Philosophy for Ethical Practice
(4) Work environment
(5) Social and political factors
4. Moral Character- the virtues a counselor possesses that aid in carrying out a
moral action to its conclusion
a. Required virtues to act morally
(1) Compassion
(2) Integrity
(3) Conscientiousness
IV. Codes of Ethics (LO 1.3; PPT slides 12-17)
1. Counselors- Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice of the American
Counseling Association (2014)
2. Psychologists- Ethical Principles and Code of Conduct for Psychologists of the
American Psychological Association (2017)
3. Marriage and family therapists- Code of Ethics of the Association of Marriage
and Family Therapists (2012)
4. School counselors- Ethical Standards for School Counselors (2022)
5. Represent the official statements of the profession about the expectations of
members
(1) Members are held accountable for actions that violate the codes
(2) Codes identify the ethical goals and values of the profession and
guide professionals through common ethical pitfalls
6. Two components
(1) Principles- foundational and aspirational goals that help frame
the codes but are not enforceable
(2) Standards- enforceable “rules” of the code
A. Advantages and Limitations of Codes of Ethics
1. Advantages
a. Support for facing an ethical question
b. Represent the best judgment of one’s peers about common problems and
shared professional values
c. Demonstrates mental health professionals’ commitment to protecting the
public welfare
2. Disadvantages
a. Codes are written broadly
b. Profession changes rapidly, and codes may become outdated prior to
publication
c. Codes are developed in agreement with organizations that have
additional values and priorities, so they do not necessarily represent an
ethical ideal
d. Can focus too much attention on minor issues of the profession and
distract from major questions
(1) Case Example (The Case of Dr. Remmard and Ms. Harks)
e. Ethics codes do not provide easy answers to complex questions
V. Literature from Philosophy (LO 1.4; PPT slides 18-23)
a
© 2026 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly 4
accessible website, in whole or in part.
