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- Collapse SubdiscussionEmily LottEmily Lott
5:31pmMar 6 at 5:31pmManage Discussion EntryPart 1:
There are many ethical guidelines outlined in a psychologist’s code of conduct, but the one that stuck out to me as being maybe one of the more difficult ones to adhere to would be conflict of interest. A conflict of interest is simple having a deep connection – whether that be financially, personally, etc., – to a situation that would impair your ability to view the situation as objectively as possible (APA, 2017). This could be difficult because I personally would find it very hard to step away from something if I had a personal connection to the situation. For example, if it were one of my siblings or my parents, it would be hard to view the situation objectively and I would more than likely need step back from it.
Learning how to view things objectively, especially in the field of forensic psychology, is extremely important. To help myself if I were to have a conflict of interest, the first thing I would have to learn to do is walk away. We can all agree that walking away from something that means a lot to you is one of the hardest things to do. If I can master this, though, it will be better for the situation and my career in the long run.
Part 2:
My first thought reading through the newsletter was shock and disgust. In the Winter ’24 edition, they spoke about someone who had not only sexually abused their client (A), but also allowed another client (B) of theirs to sit in on the session and even participate – all without the client’s consent (A). It is shocking that someone could even be this careless to begin with, but we all came into this profession for the same reason: we want to help people. We are unable to help people if we do not have their best interests at heart, and it saddens me that there are still people out there who will take advantage of someone when given the opportunity.
Knowing that there are people out there who are still like this and learning about these real-life situations will better help prepare me not only to steer clear of any of those violations, but also to understand the fears and anxiety that come along with trying to open up to a mental health professional. Unless you are in a situation like the one I mentioned previously, it is hard to fully grasp just how much of a traumatic experience this person went through. Using that and knowing how to talk people through their anxieties will also help any issues of perception that may have been caused by someone else’s violations.
References
American Psychological Association. (2017). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct (2002, amended effective June 1, 2010, and January 1, 2017)Links to an external site.Links to an external site.
American Psychological Association. (2011, January 1). Specialty guidelines for forensic psychologyLinks to an external site.Links to an external site.. https://www.apa.org/practice/guidelines/forensic-psychology ReplyReply to Comment - Collapse SubdiscussionShareen Elise Jenay IamShareen Elise Jenay Iam
5:56pmMar 6 at 5:56pmManage Discussion Entry
