CEFS-501
Ethical Minute Paper
Liberty University
CEFS 501: Ethical & Legal Issues in Counseling
Identified
Problem
In the case of the counselor in the video titled “Whose Records?” it appears that the
counselor has an understanding that records that she has kept might not beneficial for the
client to have. The reason for this resistance is not noted in this video, and it seems as though
the therapist is simply refusing to provide the client with the requested records. However, the
counselor did mention that the records she has would not be very helpful to the client, and the
client appears very defensive and paranoid about the counselor’s records, which could be
indicative of a concern that might result in the release of the records being detrimental to the
client. According to Remley & Herlihy (2019), there are few circumstances where a counselor
would deny a client access to their records (Remley & Herlihy, 2019). It is possible that the
counselor in this scenario had valid reason for denying this client access to her records, but
this denial would need to be well documented.
Applicable ACA
Codes
Ethical Code B.6.e. of the American Counseling Association (ACA) Code of Ethics
states that counselors can “limit the access of clients to their records, or portions of their records,
only when there is compelling evidence that such access would cause harm to the client”
(American Counseling Association [ACA], 2014). In the case of the counselor in “Whose
Records?”, as
Ethical Minute Paper
Liberty University
CEFS 501: Ethical & Legal Issues in Counseling
Identified
Problem
In the case of the counselor in the video titled “Whose Records?” it appears that the
counselor has an understanding that records that she has kept might not beneficial for the
client to have. The reason for this resistance is not noted in this video, and it seems as though
the therapist is simply refusing to provide the client with the requested records. However, the
counselor did mention that the records she has would not be very helpful to the client, and the
client appears very defensive and paranoid about the counselor’s records, which could be
indicative of a concern that might result in the release of the records being detrimental to the
client. According to Remley & Herlihy (2019), there are few circumstances where a counselor
would deny a client access to their records (Remley & Herlihy, 2019). It is possible that the
counselor in this scenario had valid reason for denying this client access to her records, but
this denial would need to be well documented.
Applicable ACA
Codes
Ethical Code B.6.e. of the American Counseling Association (ACA) Code of Ethics
states that counselors can “limit the access of clients to their records, or portions of their records,
only when there is compelling evidence that such access would cause harm to the client”
(American Counseling Association [ACA], 2014). In the case of the counselor in “Whose
Records?”, as
