Ethics in Therapy: Core Principles and Real-World Tensions

This lesson introduces the core ethical principles that guide therapeutic practice and shows how they come into tension in real clinical work. Students will learn how beneficence, nonmaleficence, autonomy, justice, fidelity, and veracity shape everyday decisions in therapy.

The focus is not on memorizing a code, but on thinking clearly when ethical values collide: when client choice conflicts with safety, when honesty affects rapport, or when fairness and access are limited by time, policy, or setting. The lesson also introduces a practical decision-making mindset that will support later work on boundaries, confidentiality, dual relationships, and high-stakes cases.

By the end, learners should be able to recognize an ethical issue, name the principles involved, and explain why the right response is often a careful balance rather than a simple rule.