Ethical Slip-n-Slides

Has anyone ever woken up one day and said to themselves, “Ooo! Today I’m going to be unethical!”? I don’t think most of us intend to be unethical. We don’t wake up with the conscious decision that “Today is the day!” (Picture someone standing up, waving their hand frantically!)

The decision to be unethical, and it is still a decision, is more likely a slippery slope of gradually less ethical choices. It is most likely the seemingly small, day-to-day decisions that trip us up. Therapists are vulnerable too. Therapists have needs too. Therapists make mistakes too.

When we are vulnerable and have unmet needs, we are likely to make ethical lapses. The question is “Do we self-correct?” And, how do we self-correct?

There are lots of resources today reminding us of the importance of self-care. The concept beyond self-care is that we need to take care of ourselves to be effective in caring for others. We need to fill our cups so we can help others with their challenges. Self-care is critical to ethical practice.

Self-care isn’t enough though. We need to be mindful of our needs and how those needs are fulfilled in our work. Each of us has needs. Having needs isn’t the problem. What we do with our unmet needs is where the problem lies. When our needs become more important than the clinical work we are doing, we lose sight of our moral compass. We begin making decisions that lead us down the slippery slope. (Picture being at the top of a kids’ water slide. But be careful. That first step is a doozy!)

While sliding down the slippery slope of a water slide as a child can be fun, as an adult, it’s a little more eventful. When therapists hit the bottom of the slide, there’s a little bit of disorientation, a “How did I get here?” The temptation is to blame someone else, often the client. But alas, we as the professionals are responsible ultimately for boundaries in the professional relationship. The buck truly stops here.

So, how do we avoid the slippery slope? Excellent question! I’m so glad you asked!

Engaging in a growth-minded community is one of the best assurances for ethical awareness. Investing in our personal and professional growth brings out the best in us.