this assignment, you will evaluate the principles of consultation, collaboration, and referral, which impact how mental health professionals provide clinical services related to sex counseling/therapy. Your employer plans to publish an updated best practices handbook regarding ethical issues in sexuality counseling/therapy and has asked you to provide a draft copy covering the following areas:
- Ethical standards and decision making
- The self as a sexuality resource: Reflection exercise
- When to refer
The purpose of this assignment is to enable you to review, apply, and describe ethical issues and concerns specific to treating the sexual concerns of clients. The assignment further challenges you in formulating effective suggestions for improving difficult situations.
Directions:
In this assignment, you will deliver a paper with three separate sections:
- Ethical standards and decision making: Review the code of ethics statements from at least three professional organizations, including the American Counseling Association (ACA) and the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT), highlighting which standards are applicable in the delivery of ethical, effective sex-related counseling and consultation services. Explain why and how these apply to the best practices in sexuality counseling/therapy by using concrete examples (such as polyamory, swinging, and bondage, discipline, and sadomasochism [BDSM]) of how one’s professional orientation and ethical practice can be challenged by others’ diverse sexual values and desires. Conclude with recommendations for how professionals can act responsibly and with integrity in ethically meeting the needs of the clients, despite differences in sexual attitudes, values, and beliefs.
- The self as a sexuality resource: Reflection exercise: Write a synopsis of the importance of self-reflection in preparing to assist clients with sexuality-related concerns. Provide an anonymous sample self-reflection, based on your own biases in relation to sexual diversity, identities, and practices that could influence your work, for mental health professionals to model when examining their personal attitudes, values, feelings, and assumptions about sexuality. The topics covered should include sexual orientation, gender roles and identity, lifestyles, sexual expressions, and sexual behaviors. Choose an area that may prove challenging for you, given your belief system, and outline what your personal and professional concerns are with the topic and how you will manage your feelings, attitudes, and beliefs during a session—should you choose not to refer the client. Then, provide recommendations for how a counselor/therapist could analyze the issues objectively, deal with these biases in a way that protects clients, and advocate for sexually diverse populations. Give special attention to diverse perspectives in human sexuality in spite of the dominant frameworks in the social construction of sex.
- When to refer: Summarize the differences between sex therapists and sex counselors, outlining any variability in the application of the permission, limited information, specific suggestions, and intensive therapy (PLISSIT) model. Produce guidelines for when and how sex therapists, sex counselors, and other mental health professionals, who do not have a specialization in sex counseling, should refer clients. This may include specific cultural or social contexts that pose a challenge.
Your final deliverable will be a Microsoft Word document, approximately 6–8 pages in length, utilizing a minimum of 4 scholarly references, plus the APA’s Code of Ethics. Your paper should be written in APA format in a clear, concise, and organized manner; demonstrate ethical scholarship in the accurate representation and attribution of sources; and display accurate spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
Submission Details:
- By the due date assigned, save your document as M4_A2_Lastname_Firstname.doc and submit the document to the Submissions Area.
Assignment 2 Grading Criteria
| Assignment Components | Proficient | Maximum Points |
| Draft a copy of an “Ethical Standards and Decision Making” section for a best practices handbook, showing a review of the code of ethics statements from professional organizations. | Exemplifies a review of the code of ethics statements from at least three professional organizations, including the American Counseling Association (ACA) and the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT), which relate directly to the delivery of ethical, effective sex-related counseling and consultation services. | 16 |
| In the draft copy of the “Ethical Standards and Decision Making” section, explain which ethical codes of conduct apply specifically to sexuality counseling/therapy and why. | Provides an explanation of why and how certain ethical code statements apply to the best practices in sexuality counseling/therapy, using concrete examples of how one’s professional orientation and ethical practice can be challenged by others’ diverse sexual values and desires. | 24 |
| In the draft copy of the “Ethical Standards and Decision Making” section, give recommendations for responsible, ethical behavior in providing sex counseling. | States recommendations for how professionals can act responsibly and with integrity in ethically meeting the needs of the clients. | 16 |
| Draft a copy of a “The Self as a Sexuality Resource: Reflection Exercise” section for a best practices handbook, providing a synopsis on the importance of self-reflection in preparing for the role of a sexuality counselor/therapist. | Gives a synopsis of the importance of self-reflection in preparing to assist clients with sexuality-related concerns. | 16 |
| In the draft copy of the “The Self as a Sexuality Resource: Reflection Exercise” section, use your self-reflection anonymously as an example of what counselors can do to better prepare for the sex counselor role. | Delivers an anonymous, sample self-reflection, based on self-biases in relation to sexual diversity, identities, and practices that could influence the work, for mental health professionals to model when examining their personal attitudes, values, feelings, and assumptions about sexuality. Includes the topics of sexual orientation, gender roles and identity, lifestyles, sexual expressions, and sexual behaviors. |
24 |
| In the draft copy of the “The Self as a Sexuality Resource: Reflection Exercise” section, outline recommendations for how professionals can objectively analyze issues, keep biases in check, protect clients, and act as advocates for those unlike themselves. | Gives recommendations for how a counselor/therapist could analyze issues objectively, deal with these biases in a way that protects clients, and advocate for sexually diverse populations. Gives special attention to diverse perspectives in human sexuality, in spite of the dominant frameworks in the social construction of sex. |
24 |
| Draft a copy of a “When to Refer” section for a best practices handbook. | Includes a summary of the differences between sex therapists and sex counselors, outlining any variability in the application of the permission, limited information, specific suggestions, and intensive therapy (PLISSIT) model. | 24 |
| Draft a copy of a “When to Refer” section for a best practices handbook. | Outlines guidelines for when and how sex therapists, sex counselors, and other mental health professionals, who don’t have a concentration in sexuality, should refer clients. | 24 |
| Draft a copy of a “When to Refer” section for a best practices handbook. | Acknowledges specific cultural or social contexts that pose a challenge. | 8 |
| Academic Writing | ||
| Write in a clear, concise, and organized manner; demonstrate ethical scholarship in accurate representation and attribution of sources (i.e., APA); and display accurate spelling, grammar, and punctuation. | Writes in a clear, concise, and organized manner; demonstrates ethical scholarship in appropriate and accurate representation and attribution of sources; and displays accurate spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Aligns the use of scholarly sources with specified assignment requirements. |
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