EP95 Panel 16 - Key Ethical Considerations - Cloe Madanes, Lic. Psychol.; Margaret Singer, PhD; Thomas Szasz, MD; Jeffrey K. Zeig, PhD
- Average Rating:
- Not yet rated
- Topic Areas:
- Topical Panels | Psychotherapy | Therapist Development | Ethical Practice | Managed Care | Professional Practice
- Categories:
- Evolution of Psychotherapy | Evolution of Psychotherapy 1995 | Pioneers in Couples and Family Therapy
- Faculty:
- Cloe Madanes, HDL, LIC | Margaret Singer, PhD | Thomas Szasz, MD | Jeffrey Zeig, PhD
- Course Levels:
- Master Degree or Higher in Health-Related Field
- Duration:
- 59:33
- Format:
- Audio Only
- Original Program Date:
- Dec 16, 1995
- License:
- Never Expires.
Description
Description:
Educational Objectives:
- To compare and contrast clinical and philosophical perspectives of experts.
*Sessions may be edited for content and to preserve confidentiality*
Outline:
Conference Introduction
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Cloe Madanes opens by outlining core ethical themes: self-determination vs. predetermination, personal vs. systems responsibility, and action vs. talk in therapy.
Ethical Issues in Therapy
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Therapists face dilemmas helping clients who have done harm.
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Emphasis on solving unsolvable human problems with integrity.
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Diagnostic labels can dehumanize—therapists must avoid undue influence and respect human rights.
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Therapists are responsible for the outcomes of their interventions.
Morality, Ethics, and Law
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Important to distinguish between ethics (professional rules), morality (personal values), and law (legal obligations).
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Mislabeling for insurance, dual relationships, and long-term therapy raise legal and ethical concerns.
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New methods must be justified both clinically and legally.
Therapist as Social Agent
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Therapists should understand their role within a broader social and cultural context.
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Must acknowledge personal values without imposing them on clients.
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Goal is to support clients in forming their own values and making meaningful choices.
Ethical Training and Practice
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Trainers must ensure students stay current with research and ethical standards.
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Informed consent is essential, especially with experimental or "fad" therapies.
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Transparency with clients and insurance providers is critical.
Managed Care Challenges
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Ethical, legal, and moral conflicts often arise under managed care systems.
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Managed care may contradict psychotherapy's goals, especially with rigid treatment plans.
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Debate on who sets ethical codes—therapists must take responsibility for decisions.
Alternatives to the Medical Model
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Therapists can practice ethically without relying on DSM diagnoses, but this requires legal awareness and supportive supervision.
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Advocacy with lawmakers and professional organizations may be needed to align laws with ethical practice.
Human Rights and Values
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A participant questions the ethics of holding the conference in Las Vegas due to gambling.
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Panel responds that personal responsibility is key, and the location is practical.
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Emphasis on upholding humanistic ethics and universal human rights in psychotherapy.
Closing Reflections
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Ethical practice requires ongoing learning, adaptation, and deep respect for clients’ dignity and autonomy.
Credits
Faculty
Cloe Madanes, HDL, LIC Related Seminars and Products
Cloé Madanes, HDL, LIC, is a world-renowned innovator and teacher of family and strategic therapy and one of the originators of the strategic approach to family therapy. She has authored seven books that are classics in the field: Strategic Family Therapy; Behind the One-Way Mirror; Sex, Love and Violence; The Violence of Men; The Secret Meaning of Money; The Therapist as Humanist, Social Activist and Systemic Thinker; and Relationship Breakthrough. She has presented her work at professional conferences all over the world and has given keynote addresses for The Evolution of Psychotherapy Conference, the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy; the National Association of Social Workers, The Erickson Foundation, the California Psychological Association and many other national and international conferences. Madanes has won several awards for distinguished contribution to psychology and has counseled outstanding individuals from all walks of life.
Margaret Singer, PhD Related Seminars and Products
Margaret Thaler Singer, Ph.D., received her degree in 1952 from the University of Denver. She has held a number of academic appointments, including serving as a Professor Emieritus in the Department of Pscyhology at the University of California, Berkeley. She has received numerous honors including the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy Award for Cumulative Contributions to Reasearch in Family Therapy. Dr. Singer has served on a number of editorial boards and has been the recipient of numerous grants. She is past president of the American Psychosomatic Association. Dr. Singer has made more than 100 contributions to professional journals and bokos. She has authored Cults in our Midst and "Crazy" Therapies.
Thomas Szasz, MD Related Seminars and Products
Thomas S. Szasz, (M.D., University of Cincinnati, 1944) was Professor of Psychiatry at the State University of New York, Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse. He was recipient of numerous awards, including the Humanist fo the Year Award from the American Humanist Association and the Distinguished Service Award from teh American Institute for Public Service. He has received a number of honorary doctorates and lectureships, and served on the editorial board or as consulting editor for ten journals.
Szasz has authored approximately 400 articles, book chapters, reviews, letters to the editor and columns. He has written 19 books.
Jeffrey Zeig, PhD Related Seminars and Products
Jeffrey K. Zeig, PhD, is the Founder and Director of the Milton H. Erickson Foundation and is president of Zeig, Tucker & Theisen, Inc., publishers in the behavioral sciences. He has edited, co-edited, authored or coauthored more than 20 books on psychotherapy that appear in twelve foreign languages. Dr. Zeig is a psychologist and marriage and family therapist in private practice in Phoenix, Arizona.