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Bersoff's Ethical Dilemma

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A client has confided many sensitive issues to you in the course of therapy. During the therapy, the client is injured in the workplace and develops post-traumatic symptoms. The Worker's Compensation insurance company pays her claim for medical treatment, but denies any payments for psychotherapy. After repeated attempts to gain coverage for her work-related psychological injuries, the client retains an attorney to represent her at a hearing before the Worker's Compensation Board.

The client's attorney contacts you to share her plan to call you to testify at the Worker's Compensation Board hearing

Please address the following questions:

What are the ethical and therapeutic issues that you must take into account in this situation?

Should you agree to testify? Explain your reasoning (apply an appropriate ethical decision making model from Bersoff or apply another ethical decision making model which you may prefer (e.g., Canadian Psychological Association; NASP, etc.). Use the steps of the decision making model to discuss your decision making process)

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Solution Summary

This solution of 489 words utilizes Bersoff's ethical decision making model to discuss an ethical dilemma regarding a therapist being asked to testify on behalf of a client in a courtroom.

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This type of situation calls into question a variety of ethical and therapeutic issues. As a therapist, privacy of client conversation is at the height of importance. (Providing information to this end would enhance your response). It is essential to maintain confidentiality to ensure that trust is upheld in the relationship. (Explaining why this is important would be useful). The proposed situation has components that would yield a platform of utter disclosure; taking the stand in a courtroom requires complete honesty due to the oath during swearing in. However, this situation is being requested on behalf of the client, which serves to require an altered view of the matter. Considering this, there are ...

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