The Modern Therapist's Survival Guide with Curt Widhalm and Katie Vernoy

Am I Honoring My Personal Values OR Am I Discriminating? An exploration of ethics for modern therapists

Listen Later
Am I Honoring My Personal Values OR Am I Discriminating? An exploration of ethics for modern therapists

Curt and Katie chat about what therapists should be considering when their strongly held personal values or moral beliefs conflict with a client’s demographics, lifestyle, or choices. We dig deeply into when it’s okay to make a “values-based referral” and when referring out is discrimination.  

This is a law and ethics continuing education podcourse.

Transcripts for this episode will be available at mtsgpodcast.com!

In this podcast episode we explore the difference between honoring our personal values and discrimination

Therapists are people who have their own identities, beliefs, values, and approaches to life. But what happens when those identities come into conflict with the clients that they serve? This CE podcourse explores the ethics behind therapist personal values, when personal values should dictate a client being referred to another treatment provider, and when that referral is actually discriminatory.

What is Julia Ward vs. Eastern Michigan University?
  • An Orthodox Christian, master’s student in counseling requested referring out a LGBTQ+ client
  • This student was dismissed from school because it was seen as discrimination and referrals were not allowed at that school
  • There was a summary judgment and an appeal, leading to further lack of clarity
    • The State of Tennessee has a law that allows therapists to deny services to clients
    • The law trying to overcome ethics codes
    • The ACA protested by moving their annual convention out of the state Tennessee
      • How do ethics codes handle the conflict between discrimination and holding to personal values?
      • Do no harm, be truthful, practice within your competence
      • Equity, fidelity and the call to not discriminate with a call to learn and expand competence with clients, and avoid abandoning clients
        • How do we decide whether we can or should refer out a client based on our firmly held beliefs?
        • Ethical decision-making and our responsibility based on our license
        • Sorting out client need, competence, and the benefit of the therapeutic relationship (i.e., common factors)
        • Referral is a last resort and should be based on client need (not therapist preference)
        • Advertising and branding for clients to self-select
        • What happens when clients disclose things later in treatment
        • The differences in the task for clinicians in private practice versus clients in organizations
          • Receive Continuing Education for this Episode of the Modern Therapist’s Survival Guide

          Once you’ve listened to this episode, to get CE credit you just need to go to learn.moderntherapistcommunity.com/pages/podcourse, register for your free profile, purchase this course, pass the post-test, and complete the evaluation! Once that’s all completed - you’ll get a CE certificate in your profile or you can download it for your records.

          Continuing Education Approvals:

          You can verify CE approvals here: Continuing Education Information

          Resources for Modern Therapists mentioned in this Podcast Episode:

          We’ve pulled together resources mentioned in this episode and put together some handy-dandy links. Please note that some of the links below may be affiliate links, so if you purchase after clicking below, we may get a little bit of cash in our pockets. We thank you in advance!

          Saving Psychotherapy by Benjamin E. Caldwell, PsyD

          *The full reference list can be found in our show notes at mtsgpodcast.com as well as on the course on our learning platform.

          Stay in Touch with Curt, Katie, and the whole Therapy Reimagined #TherapyMovement:

          Link tree: https://linktr.ee/therapyreimagined

          ...more
          View all episodesView all episodes
          Download on the App Store
          The Modern Therapist's Survival Guide with Curt Widhalm and Katie VernoyBy Curt Widhalm, LMFT and Katie Vernoy, LMFT
          • 4.4
          • 4.4
          • 4.4
          • 4.4
          • 4.4

          4.4

          235 ratings

          More shows like The Modern Therapist's Survival Guide with Curt Widhalm and Katie Vernoy

          View all
          The Trauma Therapist by Guy Crawford Macpherson

          The Trauma Therapist

          528 Listeners

          Therapy Chat by Laura Reagan, LCSW-C

          Therapy Chat

          685 Listeners

          Being Well with Forrest Hanson and Dr. Rick Hanson by Rick Hanson, Ph.D., Forrest Hanson

          Being Well with Forrest Hanson and Dr. Rick Hanson

          2,467 Listeners

          Counselor Toolbox Podcast with DocSnipes by Dr. Dawn-Elise Snipes

          Counselor Toolbox Podcast with DocSnipes

          617 Listeners

          Therapist Uncensored Podcast by Sue Marriott LCSW, CGP & Ann Kelley PhD

          Therapist Uncensored Podcast

          1,388 Listeners

          Psychologists Off the Clock by Debbie Sorensen, Jill Stoddard, Yael Schonbrun, Michael Herold & Emily Edlynn

          Psychologists Off the Clock

          322 Listeners

          The Couples Therapist Couch by Shane Birkel

          The Couples Therapist Couch

          267 Listeners

          Attachment Theory in Action by The Knowledge Center

          Attachment Theory in Action

          152 Listeners

          Psychiatry & Psychotherapy Podcast by David Puder, M.D.

          Psychiatry & Psychotherapy Podcast

          1,324 Listeners

          Light Up The Couch by Clearly Clinical

          Light Up The Couch

          321 Listeners

          The One Inside: An Internal Family Systems (IFS) podcast by Tammy Sollenberger

          The One Inside: An Internal Family Systems (IFS) podcast

          269 Listeners

          Notice That by Jen Savage, Melissa Benintendi, and Bridger Falkenstien

          Notice That

          310 Listeners

          The Leading Edge in Emotionally Focused Therapy by theleadingedgeineft

          The Leading Edge in Emotionally Focused Therapy

          214 Listeners

          Dear Therapists with Lori Gottlieb and Guy Winch by iHeartPodcasts

          Dear Therapists with Lori Gottlieb and Guy Winch

          2,337 Listeners

          Trauma Rewired by Jennifer Wallace & Elisabeth Kristof

          Trauma Rewired

          305 Listeners