Legal and Ethical Considerations for Group and Family Therapy Discussion Essay Samples -1

Psychotherapy is a proven method in the treatment of various psychiatric disorders in both the individual and group setting. Individual therapy consists of the application of a therapeutic process with an individual and the treating clinician and group therapy applies the same concept but consists of two or more individuals seeking therapeutic intervention. Regardless of the setting, the practicing clinician muse be aware of the legal and ethical implications that come with treating clients in both individual and group psychotherapy sessions. Legal and Ethical Considerations for Group and Family Therapy Discussion Essay Samples.

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Legal and Ethical Considerations in Individual and Group Therapy

According to Wheeler (2014), group therapy offers the ability to increase access to care for clients, to diversify one’s practice by offering services other than individual, couples, or family therapy, while at the same time affording clients a cost-effective and evidence-based intervention for addressing their mental health issues. Legal and Ethical Considerations for Group and Family Therapy Discussion Essay Samples. In both individual and group therapy settings there are certain guidelines that must be maintained to prevent consequential ethical or legal implications. in both individual and group therapy, privacy and confidentiality must be maintained unless the clinician has just cause to believe that either the individual client or a member of a group is a danger to themselves or another person. However, in group therapy these rules do not just span between one client and the treating clinician and the therapist must be cognizant of this fact. According to Breeskin (2011), “Anything that is said between any two or more group members at any time is part of the group and is confidential.”  Legal and Ethical Considerations for Group and Family Therapy Discussion Essay Samples.

Another ethical implication seen in both individual and group therapy is informed consent. Informed consent allows the client or clients to have enough information regarding the services provided within the therapeutic environment so that they can decide whether they will participate. All clients should be given an orientation to the therapeutic setting including appropriate boundaries, limits, goal setting, and expected behaviors. In group therapy, all legal implications associated with maintaining the privacy of participants protected health information still applies as seen with individual therapy. Participants within the group should be encouraged during the orientation phase and throughout the duration of the group to maintain the confidentiality of all group members. According to McClanahan (2014), confidentiality should become one of the most important group norms, and it should be discussed openly, throughly and often among group members. This implication also applies to group therapy settings involving minors. Guardians must be informed of the application of confidentiality and given disclosure that complete confidentiality cannot be promised as seen in individual therapy settings. According to Ware & Dillman-Taylor (2014), similar to any intervention involving multiple people, therapists cannot promisr complete confidentiality because of one’s lack of control of other members and possible situations of required reporting and must be discussed with parents.

When providing services to clients in the group or family setting versus those in the individual therapy environment, the therapeutic environment might be impacted if these factors are not taken into account. The therapist must be aware that the therapeutic dynamic is altered when dealing with a group versus a individual therapy session. Client trust and therapeutic alliance will need to established not only with the group facilitator but also with the group participants to meet the goals of the formation of the particular group session. Group members should feel free to interact within the therapeutic environment without fear of intimidation, judgment or unnecessary disclosure of their private thoughts or experiences. The principles of interpersonal learning, group cohesiveness, and catharsis are all impacted by some of these considerations. The competent psychotherapist will also be aware of their abilities in providing effective treatment using the appropriate treatment modalities. According to Wheeler (2014), proficiency in specific theoretical orientations is a necessity for all practicing psychotherapists, but awareness of the nuances, ambiguities, and subtleties of interpersonal interaction, and how to handle them in the immediacy of the clinical encounter to therapeutic effect; are indispensable. Legal and Ethical Considerations for Group and Family Thera