Resolving Value Conflicts With Physician-Assisted Death: A Systemic Application of the Counselor Values-Based Conflict Model

Counselors are becoming more involved with clients pursuing physician-assisted death (PAD) as legislation for legalization increases. PAD may present complex values-based conflicts that can challenge counselors to maintain ethical practice in counseling. When conflicts arise, counselors must engage...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThe Professional Counselor (Greensboro, N.C.) Vol. 8; no. 3; pp. 249 - 261
Main Authors Thacker, Nancy E, Blueford, Jillian M
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Greensboro National Board for Certified Counselors 01.10.2018
National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC)
National Board for Certified Counselors, Inc
Subjects
Assisted suicide
Conflict
Conflict Resolution
Counseling Techniques
Counselor Role
Counselor Training
Counselors
Death
Decision Making
Ethical aspects
Ethics
Holistic Approach
Palliative care
Physicians
Practice
Role
Self Determination
State Legislation
Values
New York
United States > US
Washington
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Summary:Counselors are becoming more involved with clients pursuing physician-assisted death (PAD) as legislation for legalization increases. PAD may present complex values-based conflicts that can challenge counselors to maintain ethical practice in counseling. When conflicts arise, counselors must engage in ethical decision making that considers systemic influences on personally held beliefs and values. The authors merge ecological systems theory with the counselor values-based conflict model to offer a holistic approach to resolving values-based conflicts surrounding PAD. In this article, the authors review PAD and counselors' roles in the hastened death process, discuss sources and impacts of personal and professional values through an ecological systems lens, and provide an applied method of managing values-based conflicts with PAD through a case illustration.Keywords: physician-assisted death, hastened death, values-based conflict, ethical decision making, ecological systems
ISSN:2164-3989
2164-3989
DOI:10.15241/net.8.3.249