When we think about “ethics” or “ethical practice” our minds can move in two main directions: that this relates to serious transgressions (which does not involve us) or that this is something to do with our professional codes (which we will read if and when required). In fact, our need to respond ethically occurs in a myriad of small ways that make up the moment to moment relational transactions through which we deliver our services. This should mean that discussions about ethics are commonplace with colleagues, and yet they are often not.
There is an assumption that helping profession = ethical, and this is a barrier to exploring the questions we all hold. For example: How do we arrive at ethically good or bad decisions? What is known about blind spots and ethical fading? How is it that even if we know what is “right”, we may not end up acting on our decisions? How do we transform often painful learning into practice wisdom? As ethical maturity is a journey rather than a destination, what will we need to fuel us along the way?
This presentation is based on work co-developed with UK psychologist Dr Michael Carroll on the development of ethical maturity, which has resulted in a series of publications including a book, Ethical Maturity in the Helping Professions; Making Difficult Life Decisions ( 2012 Melb.: PsychOz; 2013 UK:JKP) and more recently a chapter Toward Ethical Maturity for Counselling Psychologists in the Handbook for Counselling Psychologists 4th ed. (2015 UK: SAGE)
