Ethics can be an extremely difficult subject to define and discuss as it closely related to one’s own unique moral, cultural, and spiritual values. Within the counselling profession however there is a strict ethical framework which must be adhered to. This framework has been developed over the years to insure integrity, confidentiality, and responsibility on the part of the counsellor. In this essay I will discuss briefly the importance of ethics within the counselling profession, I will also outline a few of the major ethical dilemmas that might possibly arise while working in the field of counselling.

“The primary role of the counsellor is not one of merely using techniques. It is essentially an ethical task. Simply stated, it is to
I have given these examples of possible scenarios mentioned above in order to highlight the responsibility of a counsellor to commit to the cultivation and maintenance of good self awareness and constant ongoing self care and reflection. In my opinion it is one of the most important of our ethical duties to ourselves and our clients.
I will now give a brief overview of some of the other pricipals highlighted in the IACP code of ethics. Their code of ethics is based on four overall ethical principles, these principals are as follows:
Principal 1: Respect for the rights and dignity of the client.
This refers to the requirement of the practitioner to treat their clients with the utmost respect at all times, to give due regard to their moral and cultural values, and to treat all information obtained in the counselling process with the strictest of confidence so as to maintain the dignity and unanimity of the client
Principal 2: competence.
This refers to the counsellors dedication toward their own ongoing development of professional skills, ethical awareness, and also the awareness of their own limitations.
Principal 3: Responsibility.
It is the responsibility of the counsellor to ensure that their clients receive the best service possible. It also refers to the responsibility of referring clients to other colleagues or other professionals whom may be more appropriately trained to help them.

Principal 4: Integrity
This refers to the