Applying Virtue and Principle Ethics
Sarah has been a marriage and family therapist for five years in the same practice that she joined a year after graduate school. Lily is her 45-year-old female client who has come to therapy to discuss her divorce and her fear of dating. Lily attributes her fear of dating to a time when she was date raped in graduate school before she met her ex-husband. Sarah is a rape survivor herself, so she chose not to refer the client out.
Sarah considered the presenting problem of her client and chose to continue as Lily’s therapist. She felt that she was capable of working with Lily and that she would not harm Lily in any way.
address the following:
What is Sarah’s professional responsibility to this client?
Has Sarah violated any part of the AAMFT Code of Ethics?
How should the therapist apply virtue ethics to this case? Cite examples.
What ethical principles are demonstrated in this case?
Are any ethical principles violated, and if so, which ones?
Explain your answer using the AAMFT Code of Ethics.
