Morality in Marriage and Family Therapy

Morality in Marriage and Family Therapy

There has been increasing awareness of the significance of ethical and moral judgments in family and couple therapy. According to Kurri and Wahlström (2005), moral issues occur from the very beginning when one formulates a problem in handling a therapy case. In marriage and family therapy, the issue of morality needs to be addressed. O’Reilly and Parker (2014) claim that family practices coupled with social interactions enable children to obtain explicit and implicit messages about what constitutes wrong and right, about virtue and moral reasoning. Given that families are considered the backbone of social morality, the discussion of character in marriage and family therapy is almost unavoidable. However, there are no clear ways in which such meetings should be held during treatment. Our assignment writing help is at affordable prices to students of all academic levels and academic disciplines.

Whereas there are various ideological themes and positive views in regard to morality and other issues like religion and spirituality, there are major differences in opinion regarding its application. Morality tackles issues of wrong or right behavior and can be highly relevant in understanding conflicts in the context of families and couples. A moral framework for competition fails to support the notion that behavior is entirely a product of drives or environment and assumes that people should and can change destructive acts (Whiting, 2008). The therapist’s role is to ensure open conversations and interactions in family therapies. The therapist needs to recognize the cultural and social boundaries and beliefs of the members involved and how these affect the dynamics of the family. Fostering accountability is one way that a therapist can help address issues of morality in marriage and family therapy. According to O’Reilly and Parker (2014), accountability can emerge in the form of apologies, explanations, defenses, excuses, and justifications. This is backed by Whiting (2008), who claims that self-accountability governs one’s behavior, internal perceptions, and reactions. Through accountability and openness, it is possible to describe the actions of others in terms of their responsibility, choices, and values.

Controversial Nature of Morality in the Field of Marriage and Family Therapy

Morality can be a challenging topic in the field of marriage and family therapy. For starters, morality in the current world is considered highly subjective. Lettenberger-Klein, Fish, and Hecker (2013) claim that in specific populations, as with other cultures, there may be different internal diversity that fails to allow for generalizations and absolutes. What is right in a certain culture might be considered wrong in another, making it difficult to study the concept of morality. Understanding individuals’ moral reasoning and actions can also be difficult, and the therapist can be subject to partiality and biasedness.

Furthermore, scholars commonly use scientific methods to accept or refute claims and results from different studies. Observational and objective factors can be used to debate findings. However, the concept of morality is not observational and is difficult to fit into the scientific knowledge restraints. This makes morality an idea that is susceptible to subjective interpretations that fall outside the empirical framework.

Morality also needs to be studied in the larger context and not just individual families. O’Reilly and Parker (2012) note that society is both constituted by and reflected in family practice and family. Family therapy inevitably involves various decisions that take into account the linguistic, cultural, and social factors influencing the family that tend to set the therapy’s direction and reflect the judgment of the therapist about family life, its appropriate interactions and contours, and the therapist’s limits in regard to the family (Scher & Kozlowska, 2012). Such issues make morality highly complex.

Moral Attitude Based on the AAMFT Code of Ethics

The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy does not have the term moral in the code of ethics. This shows just how ambiguous and controversial the issue is, particularly in regard to what constitutes ethics and morality in marriage and family therapy. However, the issue of morality seems to underlie the code of ethics in the AAMFT. Some of the principles of ethics in the AAMFT highlight the importance of non-discrimination, informed consent, reporting unethical conduct, upholding client autonomy in decision-making, and ensuring beneficial relationships with the clients (AAMFT, 2015). Adhering to these codes of ethics is considered highly ethical. At the same time, it can be regarded as moral to uphold them. For instance, it is moral to treat clients with respect and equality without discriminating against them based on their race, religion, disability, socioeconomic status, and sexual orientation, among other things.

Moral attitudes are highly grounded on the moral beliefs of wrong and right actions. These attitudes are stronger than one’s moral principles, and ethical values can help guide one toward an honest philosophy. The AAMFT Code of Ethics can help guide family therapists to make moral decisions that are in the client’s best interest. In my profession, I strive to uphold clients’ autonomy, ensure I obtain informed consent, and avoid discrimination at all costs. I strive to abide by the code of ethics that binds me as a therapist, which helps define my relationships with clients. I am well aware of my personal biases and prejudices, which allows me to mitigate them and learn to interact with clients professionally. With the help of the AAMFT code of ethics, I can view things from the perspective of the client to ensure a client-centered approach is offered in striving to strike a balance between various conflicting goals within the family system.

Another concept in the AAMFT code of ethics is reporting unethical conduct and avoiding abuse of the therapeutic relationship. As a therapist, it is my responsibility to comply with the applicable laws and note any form of unethical behavior. Sometimes, it might be difficult to draw the line between what is right or wrong, but differentiating what is ethical from what is unethical can be easy, given the guidelines offered on what ethical behavior constitutes. This does not cover everything, but it provides one proper approach to their conduct. With these codes of ethics, a moral attitude can be developed.

Personal and Professional Character

The therapist’s personal and professional character is important in counseling as well as personal life. One’s professional character can be guided by the available ethical standards that help one understand the obligations and expectations required of them in their professional field. The code of ethics and professional standards are important in assisting one to commit to the profession and avoid various conflicts and legal repercussions. Whereas professional character is highly important in the field of counseling, personal character also plays an integral role. Unique nature is what determines if an individual will be able to abide by the standards required in their profession. In the event that one’s personal values and character conflict with the already-established set of standards and values, then practicing in that profession might prove very difficult.

Scher and Kozlowska (2012) claim that the best way to promote professional, ethical conduct is by doing anything possible to make sure that the therapist is well-trained and that they act with good intentions and in good faith. With such training, even if a professional and personal character or values differ, one will be able to know the best way to go about their profession or therapy. Scher and Kozlowska (2012) further claim that if anything can promote ethical action in the privacy of the therapy session, it is the implicit ethics of the clinician as opposed to the abstract constructs of bioethics. This highlights the importance of one’s character and values, as these tend to influence their professional character and values. However, with proper training, one will be able to avoid infringing on one’s importance in the therapy room.

Promoting Moral Responsibility

Adhering to the standards and code of conduct and ethics is one of the best ways that one can promote moral responsibility with clients, colleagues, and in the professional and public communities. Ethics are normally based on moral assumptions, and therefore, following these ethical guidelines can help promote moral responsibility. As a therapist, training and different theoretical and practical experiences help inform one’s ethical decisions and thinking.

Therapists often work with clients and colleagues from diverse backgrounds. Promoting moral responsibility in a diverse culture requires high levels of sensitivity, empathy, and understanding. Non-discrimination can be promoted through advocacy for equality in the treatment of clients from diverse backgrounds. Stereotypes should be mitigated since Lettenberger-Klein, Fish, and Hecker (2013) claim that cleansing oneself of stereotypes can help address any limitations. Even though individuals might hold differing views, O’Reilly and Parker (2014) advise paying attention to the process instead of the content to facilitate the management of any complex issues that might arise.

A therapist can also encourage moral responsibility by advocating for individual accountability for one’s actions. In most cases during family therapy, couples or families tend to offer justifications, excusing themselves and placing responsibility on other people (Kurri & Wahlström, 2005). Issues of morality can be negotiated and constructed in the flow of any therapeutic conversation. Moral responsibility can effectively take place when individuals are able to recognize their faults, biases, or weaknesses and take accountability for actions that are considered immoral. Therefore, encouraging individuals to be accountable for their actions is a very good way to promote moral responsibility. Kurri and Wahlström (2005) claim that placing blame is considered an act of executing moral judgment.

Conclusion

The issue of morality in the context of marriage and family therapy is highly elusive, pervasive, complicated, and dynamic. Whereas morality issues have not been well-documented, they form a major basis for the professional code of ethics and behavior. From the code of ethics, one is able to develop a moral attitude that will help inform their practice in counseling. It is important to offer in-depth training that will enable therapists to make use of their professional ethics and personal experience to inform their practice in a practical setting. The line between right and wrong might grow blurry, but one’s professional ethics and standards can set precedence for the way they behaves in different circumstances.

References

AAMFT. (2015). AAMFT Code of Ethics. Retrieved from https://mft.nvc.vt.edu/content/dam/mft_nvc_vt_edu/Attachment%20D_Code%20of%20Ethics.pdf

Kurri, K., & Wahlström, J. (2005). Placement of responsibility and moral reasoning in couple therapy. Journal of Family Therapy, 27(4), 352-369.

Lettenberger-Klein, C. G., Fish, J. N., & Hecker, L. L. (2013). Cultural competence when working with American Indian populations: A couple and family therapist perspective. The American Journal of Family Therapy, 41(2), 148-159.

O’Reilly, M., & Parker, N. (2014). ‘She needs a smack in the gob’: negotiating what is appropriate talk in front of children in family therapy. Journal of Family Therapy, 36(3), 287-307.

Scher, S., & Kozlowska, K. (2012). Thinking, doing, and the ethics of family therapy. The American Journal of Family Therapy, 40(2), 97-114.

Whiting, J. B. (2008). The role of appraisal distortion, contempt, and morality in couple conflict: A grounded theory. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 34(1), 44-57.

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Do you think that morality should be addressed in the context of Marriage and Family Therapy? Defend your position indicating either:

Character in Marriage and Family Therapy

How it would be addressed OR
Why should it not be addressed?
Why might the topic of morality be considered controversial in the field of MFT?
In considering the AAMFT Code of Ethics, how do you understand the idea of moral attitude? Defend your position by comparing and contrasting your personal and counseling ethics.
The person of the therapist is important, and our personal and professional character is important both in counseling and in our personal lives. Defend your position with personal and professional sources.
As a therapist, how can you promote moral responsibility with clients, colleagues, and in your professional and public communities?

It is suggested that you use the essence of the questions above as headers in organizing your essay. (See the APA Style Central website for information about the use of titles in APA Style.)