Description
Choose one of the following vignettes below to consider possible ethical issues that may occur when working with children and their families. Write a 5 to 7-page response to either case answering each of the key points listed below:
As you consider the case describe any ethical issues that you can identify and be sure to cite the portions of the AAMFT ethics code that seem relevant.
Describe your decision-making process to reach your therapeutic decisions. Be sure to use your MFT treatment theory to help you assess what to do.
Discuss how you will implement your choices in ways that help the clients continue to benefit from therapy.
- Case # 1
At your intake session for Jimmy (age 14), you first meet with both of his parents. They report that Jimmy is a great kid, but they are worried because his grades have dropped and they think he spends too much time alone in his room. To them, he seems distant and moody; so, they are worried about the impact his behavior is having on his two younger sisters (ages 9 and 6).
- After a brief break, you take a few minutes to meet with Jimmy while his parents wait in the waiting room. When you ask him about all the time he spends alone, he says it is mostly spent texting girls. While getting to know Jimmy, he also discloses that he has smoked pot a few times a week since last summer and his parents do not know. As soon as he says it, he becomes nervous and asks you not to tell his parents because they ‘would kill me’ if they found out.
Or
- Case # 2
During your first session with Jimmy (age 10), you take a few minutes to meet with him while his parents wait in the waiting room. They are concerned that Jimmy is too anxious, that’s why they brought him to therapy. They complain that he is irritable and he seems ‘depressed’. Both parents agree this has become worse over the past year, but they do not know why.
While getting to know Jimmy, he discloses that his parents regularly drink alcohol and smoke pot in the home. Sometimes he worries about being in the car with them because he has seen the ads on TV about drunk driving. Jimmy says Dad offers him pot and thinks if Jimmy would just smoke some pot, then he would be less anxious and they would not have to do this therapy thing; but he told Jimmy not to tell mom.
Support your assignment with at least three scholarly resources. In addition to these specified resources, other appropriate scholarly resources, including older articles, may be included.
Explanation & Answer
Attached.
1
Ethical Issues in Family Therapy: Case Study of Jimmy
Student's Name
Institutional Affiliation
Course Number
May 19, 2024
2
Ethical Issues in Family Therapy: Case Study of Jimmy
The selected case study #1 demonstrates that ethical problems can appear in family
therapy, such as confidentiality, drug abuse, and the safety of all family members. By
employing the ethics of AAMFT and the narrative tools, therapists will be able to navigate
the challenges successfully. The ethical dilemmas on behalf of Jimmy, who is 14 years old
and whose conduct triggered various concerns among his parents, are the main concern of
this article. Through the case, this paper explores the decision-making process and suggests
strategies to work with Jimmy and his family.
Ethical Issues Identified
Confidentiality vs. Parental Rights
The most important ethical question in Jimmy's situation is whether to respect his
right to confidentiality or his parents' right to be informed about his state. Confidentiality is
an essential element of the therapeutic relationship, which is the most important one for the
establishment of trust and to make possible free communication. Following the "American
Association of Marriage and Family Therapists" (AAMFT) Code of Ethics, therapists are to
make sure that the privacy of clients is protected (AAMFT, 2015, Principle 2.1). Although
this principle is not absolute, it is particularly true for minors. The parents' anxiety about
Jimmy's behavior and its influence on the whole family, therefore, creates a suitable ground
for transparency. The difficulty is that if Jimmy learns that his counselor is aware of
marijuana use, this may harm the relationship between them, and hence, he may not disclose
such vital information in the future (Grotevant et al., 1994).
Substance Use Disclosure
The disclosure of Jimmy's use of marijuana a few times a week since the summer of
the previous year manifests itself in a series of ethical questions. According to the AAMFT
3
Code of Ethics, therapists should take all necessary steps to prevent clients from committing
self-harm or harming others (AAMFT, 2015, Principle 2.2). Substance use at Jimmy's age
carries legal, health, and developmental risks. The therapist must decide how to address this
issue responsibly without alienating Jimmy. Reporting Jimmy's substance use to his pare...
