Michael Sorsdahl: Ccpa’s New Ethics Case Book and Why You Must Read It | Ep 108

Fearless Practice

How knowledgeable are you on current counselling ethics? How regularly do you follow up on changes and fluctuations in ethics and the recommended practices as times go on? Where should you start?

As we know how society and the general public changes over the years, it makes sense that the recommended counselling practices and ethics would too. What you might have learned five years ago, even two years ago, may have changed recently. Part of being a clear, conscientious, and responsible therapist is taking the time to keep up to date with current ethics.

In this podcast episode, I talk with Michael who’s recently just finished co-authoring and editing the new CCPA revised ethics case book.

MEET MICHAEL

Michael Sorsdahl is a practicing psychologist in BC and Alberta, and is currently the ethics chair for the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association Ethics Complaints Division.

Learn more about Michael on his practice website, LinkedIn and Psychology Today profiles.

In this episode:

• Why the new ethics case book is important for counsellors

• The four sections of the book

• Ethics have to be current

• Multiple relationships

Why the new ethics case book is important for counsellors

This book is a complement to the standard ethics of practice that the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA) created.

This ethics case book that Michael and his team have developed is focused on bringing to life our code of ethics and standards of practice that are new.

Although there are best practices and recommendations that are more in alignment in the codes based on historical precedence, there is more no “this is the only way” to do something, and that’s what this book is teaching.

The four sections of the book

1 - Foundational aspect

• The history of ethics and how it evolved

• The legal intersectionality of ethics and society

• That ethics isn’t directed by law but is influenced by law

2 - Sections of the codes

• The sections that each code falls under which is represented by different chapters in the book

• Historical elements of the codes and the societal considerations to be aware of

• Any pitfalls that counsellors could be mindful of

3 - Complex cases studies without solutions

• Complex case studies that you or your students could practice with in any case

• Work on your own problem-solving skills for these

• Michael’s team are going to work on putting a team together to solve these and put the solutions forward to the CCPA

4 - The solutions to the case studies

• There are solutions in a separate chapter so that the case studies can be studied by students without spotting the answers on the same page

Ethics have to be current

Ethics will naturally evolve with time because it is the study and practice of handling people and situations correctly, and people are constantly changing too.

As a responsible and compassionate counsellor, it is part of your job to know how the lines shift, change, or blur and how to navigate those changes effectively.

Read more about the new CCPA ethics book at this link.

Multiple relationships

The ethics of multiple relationships between counsellors and clients can often be brought into discussion, especially when offering therapy in small towns or rural areas.

For example, someone may be the therapist of their pharmacist! Which is of course a nuanced situation to navigate.

If you are in a situation where you have multiple relationships, you need to take notes. Have clear boundaries and capture records of your choices.

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Resources mentioned and useful links:

Ep 107: Ester Chu and Richard Tatomir: Working As a Team to help Canadian Therapists | EP 107

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Learn more about Michael on his practice website, LinkedIn and Psychology Today profiles

Learn more about the CCPA ethics discussed in this podcast here

Watch this video to learn more about the CCPA’s Ethics CaseBook

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