scn510 Legalissuesincareercounseling Sarahlt

Running head: LEGAL ISSUES IN CAREER COUNSELING 1
Legal Issues in Career Counseling
Sarah Lecker-Tolentino
Grand Canyon University: SCN-510
May 12, 2021

LEGAL ISSUES IN CAREER COUNSELING 2
Legal Issues in Career Counseling
With almost all careers, there are legal and ethical implications to consider, especially
when it comes to counseling. Depending on the type of counseling, professionals are obligated to
follow a code of ethics. For school counselors in the PK-12 setting, the American School
Counselor Association has ethical standards to abide by. Counselors must know what the ethical
and legal considerations are specific to career counseling and how those can be used for the
common good. Additionally, counselors must understand their responsibility to eliminate bias
and utilize career development interventions.
Ethical and Legal Considerations and Career Counseling
There are many different ethical and legal considerations in career counseling, a main one
being confidentiality. This is especially true because school counselors are trying to advocate for
students when it comes to getting into college, receiving scholarships, and getting a job. With
this advocacy comes the need to uphold the student’s confidentiality and get consent to share
information with colleges, scholarship providers, and employers, even when the information
being shared is positive and helps the student. Another important consideration in career
counseling is autonomy, which is a student’s right to self-govern. School counselors, although
responsible for helping guide students to successful futures in college and career, must still
respect the fact that students have the right to choose what they want to do (American School
Counselor Association, 2016).
Ethical and Legal Considerations and the Common Good
It is important to address ethical and legal consideration with compassion, justice, and
concern for the common good. When an ethical dilemma or legal issue arises, school counselors
seek justice by doing proper investigation and consulting with other professionals and
supervisors to make a sound decisions. Compassion, or better yet empathy, is the ability for
counselors to put themselves in their students’ shoes and feel what they are feeling. This helps
students not to feel alone in what they are going through and feel heard and understood by the
school counselor in order to make progress (Decety & Cowell, 2015).
Eliminating Bias
School counselors must not have any bias when it comes to working with students based
on gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disabilities. This can become an issue in career
counseling if the counselor prioritizes students based on any of these factors. For example, a
student coming from a high socioeconomic status does not mean the counselor should assume
that student wants or needs to go to college or should be prioritized over students from a lower
economic status. School counselors should be aware of how factors like gender, race, ethnicity,
sexual orientation, and disabilities affect the student. However, school counselors eliminate bias
by advocating for the needs of each student so that they all have equal opportunity for college
and career (Curry & Milsom, 2017).
Responsibility to the Student, Post-Secondary School, Scholarship Provider, and Employer
The school counselor has specific responsibilities in career counseling to the student, as
well as to the future post-secondary school, scholarship provider, and future employer. One of
the main responsibilities of school counselors in career counseling is writing letters of
recommendation. Post-secondary schools and scholarships almost always require students to
obtain letters of recommendation, and the school counselor has the ability to showcase the
student’s strengths and accomplishments. School counselors also help in gathering resources that
help with college and career preparation, such as looking for scholarships, finding internship and
job shadowing opportunities, and getting them connected with community stakeholders (Curry &
Milsom, 2017).
Career Development Interventions
There are specific interventions and areas that require development when it comes to
career preparation. Career counseling is crucial for career development because it provides
students with guidance through career concerns, goal setting, and healthy ways to cope with
stressors. Group counseling is also effective because it teaches students how to effectively
communicate with others, especially when there is conflict and disagreement. Group assignments
allow students to work as a team to achieve the end goal. It is important that school counselors
assess the needs of their students and implement interventions that help strengthen the area that
needs further development (Niles & Harris-Bowlesbey, 2009).

References
American School Counselor Association. (2016). ASCA Ethical Standards for School
Counselors. Retrieved from https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/f041cbd0-7004-
47a5-ba01-3a5d657c6743/Ethical-Standards.pdf
Curry, J. R., and Milsom, A. (2017). Career and college readiness counseling in P-12 schools.
(2nd ed.). New York, NY: Springer Publishing.
Decety, J., & Cowell, J. M. (2015). Empathy, justice, and moral behavior. AJOB Neuroscience,
6(3), 3–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/21507740.2015.1047055
Niles, S. G., & Harris-Bowlesbey, J. (2009). Career development interventions in the 21st
century (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill.

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Running head: LEGAL ISSUES IN CAREER COUNSELING 1

Legal Issues in Career Counseling

Grand Canyon University: SCN-510

May 12, 2021

Legal Issues in Career Counseling

and utilize career development interventions.

Ethical and Legal Considerations and Career Counseling

counseling is autonomy, which is a student’s right to self-govern. School counselors, although

Counselor Association, 2016).

Ethical and Legal Considerations and the Common Good

school counselor in order to make progress (Decety & Cowell, 2015).

and career (Curry & Milsom, 2017).

Responsibility to the Student, Post-Secondary School, Scholarship Provider, and Employer

the main responsibilities of school counselors in career counseling is writing letters of

recommendation. Post-secondary schools and scholarships almost always require students to

Career Development Interventions

needs further development (Niles & Harris-Bowlesbey, 2009).

Counselors. Retrieved from https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/f041cbd0-7004-

(2nd ed.). New York, NY: Springer Publishing.

6(3), 3–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/21507740.2015.1047055

century (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill.

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