Michael Moyer - Applied Ethics and Decision Making in Mental Health

This book is printed on acid-free paper.

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Counseling and Professional Identity in the 21st Century

Applied Ethics and Decision Making in Mental Health by Dr. Michael Moyer and Dr. Charles Crews is a textbook that targets ethics courses in graduate programs in mental health counseling. The text distinguishes itself from all other books on professional ethics in that it addresses not only ethical and legal issues but also professional issues and ethical decision making related to the professions code of ethics. There are a number of distinctions between this text and many others on ethical and legal issues in counseling.

The first distinction is that Applied Ethics and Decision Making in Mental Health has integrated into the text the newest code of ethics of the American Counseling Association (ACA, 2014). Since the ACA Code of Ethics significantly impacts the counseling profession and all counseling professionals, this timely integration of the most recent version will assist both graduate students in counseling and counseling professionals to abide by the ACA Code of Ethics and practice using professional standards.

The second distinction is that this text has a unique dimension of internal focus on readers. Dr. Moyer and Dr. Crews challenge the readers to understand their own morals, values, and beliefs and how those beliefs interact with their interpretation of the ACA Code of Ethics. As a result, the book will help readers develop self-awareness and promote their critical thinking.

The third distinction is that unlike many other books on ethical and legal issues in counseling, which mainly focus on the readers understanding of the code of ethics, Applied Ethics and Decision Making in Mental Health not only emphasizes the dimensions of the readers understanding the code of ethics but also promotes an understanding of their personal ethics in the process of ethical decision making through numerous case illustrations and ethical dilemmas along with guided discussion questions.

The final distinction is that this book also includes a dimension on the development of counseling professional identity. It is more than a text that provides knowledge and skills; it will inform readers about the most recent ethics codes, research, theory, and practice and facilitate readers in developing their professional identity.