Ethical Issues in Spiritual-based Therapy

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In today's world, ethics are generally perceived as a set of societal standards that encompass the norms of the community or group. Individuals within that group each hold their own individualized set of ethics that guide and determine their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors that either help or harm others (Ruggiero, 2004). In other words, ethics are deemed as a personal set of human values used by an individual or group in order to guide their actions, and to recognize any obligation in which they might have. The focus of ethics is the moral decisions which individuals must make in a constantly changing world that is transforming from generation to generation. However, ethics are in fact subjective in nature and vary amongst individuals depending upon which ethical standards the individual or society upholds and follows regarding their daily moral choices.

Within various professional fields, ethical guidelines are a set of standards of conduct that the therapeutic professionals and researchers consider in ethical and professional decision making. These guidelines are intended to be of assistance when professionals are challenged by ethical dilemmas. Due to the fact that professionals within the psychological field function in many ways and carry out many roles, ethical standards are important to abide by. Ruggiero (2004), states that professionals enter into relationships with clients, other psychologists, educators, students, families, groups and communities who are all referred to as "subjects" in these standards. These individuals lead multifaceted roles within their professions as observers, analysts, commentators, and so on.

Ethical standards for professionals were adopted by various committees and include the ethical standard areas of responsibilities to clients, colleagues and professional associates, school and community, self, the profession, and maintenance of standards (Gallegher & Tuch, 1999). The ethical standards are developed to clarify the nature of ethical responsibilities held in common by such professionals. Such standards are addressed to those individuals within a profession who are encouraged to follow these guidelines when working with their targeted population (i.e. children, students, families, etc.). Regarding their work environment, professionals are to treat colleagues with professional respect, courtesy and fairness at all times, and promotes awareness and adherence to appropriate guidelines regarding confidentiality.

The importance of ethics within psychological practice has been a topic of debate and study for several years, and numerous individuals have begun to examine why individuals and society should be ethical, as well as where such ethical obligations originated from within various cultures. Ethics and morality are found within every aspect of our lives, and can involve the areas of education, research, religion, society, legality, and so on. How each area affects a person's life depends upon the individual interpretation of ethical reasoning in which the person holds. What an individual believes and why, as well as how those beliefs are acted out is what defines ethics. In general, ethics support the individual in decision-making, and often remain constant throughout various situations in life, thereby affecting the treatment and practice of psychology in various global environments (Ford, 2006). In addition, ethics vary depending upon the individual's background, the attitudes of others, and the individual's desire for responsibility regarding a particular area of subject matter. Ultimately, these guidelines are intended to be of assistance when professionals are challenged by ethical and multicultural dilemmas, such as those presented when religion and spirituality are present within the therapeutic setting.

Ethics Defined:

The importance of ethics within psychological and religion-based research has been a topic of debate and study for several years, and numerous individuals have begun to examine why individuals and society should be ethical, as well as where such ethical obligations originated. In addition, the perceptions of professionals within each specialization ...