Experiencing a traumatic personal crisis
Eloise is a high school counselor who is presently experiencing a traumatic personal crisis. Her only son was killed in a drive-by shooting. Many of the students in her school are gang members. She becomes aware of increasing countertransference and at times has an impulse to lash out at some of her student counselees. Eloise is frequently overcome by grief and is aware that her effectiveness as a counselor is severely impaired. Eloise confides in her colleague, Peter, all the ways she is being negatively affected by the death of her son. Peter is supportive and recommends that she seeks professional counseling. She does not follow through on this recommendation. Peter is made aware that some of her counselees are being negatively affected by her impairment.
After reading the case study for Unit 2, what ethical responsibility does Peter have in this case? How would you deal with Eloise?
Sample Solution
Peter has a number of ethical responsibilities in this case. As a colleague and friend, he has a responsibility to support Eloise and to help her get the help she needs. He also has a responsibility to protect the students she is counseling.
Here are some specific things Peter can do:
- Encourage Eloise to seek professional help. This is the most important thing Peter can do. Eloise is clearly struggling and she needs professional help to cope with her grief and to get back to being an effective counselor.
Full Answer Section
- Be a supportive listener. Eloise needs someone to talk to who understands what she is going through. Peter can offer her a listening ear and can help her to process her emotions.
- Refer Eloise to a professional counselor. Peter can help Eloise to find a qualified counselor who can help her to deal with her grief and to improve her coping skills.
- Document the situation. Peter should document his conversations with Eloise and his observations of her behavior. This documentation will be important if Eloise's impairment continues and if she is unable to provide safe and effective counseling services.
- Report the situation to the appropriate authorities. If Eloise's impairment is putting the students at risk, Peter may need to report the situation to the school administration or to the licensing board. This is a difficult decision, but it is important to protect the students.