Case Study on Bill

Case Study on Bill

Ethics in Action Cases

Using the case below, please respond to the questions using the code/legal statutes/professional literature to support your response. These do not need to be lengthy, just supported.

Check tips on how to do your Psychology Assignments. 

Assume that you are a Licensed Professional Counselor in private practice. In April of the past year you were contacted by Bill, a counselor in the local high school. Bill was calling because he wanted to refer Libby, an 18-year-old student. You made an appointment with Libby and met with her in late April. You counseled her for two more sessions. In mid-May, she called to cancel her next session. While on the phone, she told you that she wanted you to understand why she was canceling and terminating the counseling relationship. She also wanted the reassurance that you would not talk with her school counselor.

In response, you reviewed with her the limits of confidentiality and assured her that you would not talk with Bill, but that if she told you of abuse or threatened harm to herself or others, you would have to report it to authorities. Libby then disclosed that she had been having romantic feelings for Bill for nearly a year and that she was upset and confused about the relationship. You stressed to Libby that this would not be a good time to discontinue counseling. Libby promised to think things over and call you back.

Case Study on Bill

Libby returned for one more session in June, soon after she graduated from high school. She told you that she had decided that she and Bill should just be friends. She also disclosed that although she had not had sexual intimacies with Bill, he had talked of being attracted to her. Libby recalled that she had felt confused when Bill first flirted with her, and now felt that her trust had been betrayed. When you asked her for permission to talk with Bill, she adamantly refused. You encouraged her to talk to the school officials, but again she was adamant in refusing, stating that she didn’t want to get Bill into trouble. She added that she had never told anyone, including her parents, about what had happened and that she didn’t want anyone besides you to know about it.

Check tips on how to do your Psychology Assignments. 

You know Bill personally, although the two of you are not close friends. You see him at meetings of professional associations and local continuing education workshops. You believe that Libby is telling the truth. At the same time, Bill has always impressed you as a competent professional.

• What are your professional and ethical responsibilities to Libby?
• What are your professional and ethical responsibilities to Bill?