Abstract
T he main purpose of this study was to examine the ethical beliefs of Turkish senior counseling students who are eligible to be counselors, and to compare these beliefs with those of Turkish freshmen counseling students based on Turkish counseling ethical codes. Gibson and Pope’s (1993) ethical beliefs and practice survey was used to collect data from 251 Turkish counseling students. The Cronbach’s alpha value for the instrument was .89 in this study. Data was analyzed and discussed using a chi-square test and Cramer’s V . Statistically significant differences were found on subjects related to dual relationships, multicultural counseling, competency, confidentiality, suicide prevention, fees and advertisements, and test administration. Only 48% of participants considered the Turkish ethical codes as a primary source for ethics information. Suggestions are shared to increase counseling ethical standards in Turkey.
Highlights
Ethics and ethical codes exert a crucial influence on counselor decision-making in professional settings (Levitt & Moorhead, 2013)
Despite significant differences between American and Turkish protocols for counselor training and practice, though, clients in Turkey still deserve the benefits of high ethical standards, similar to those established in the United States
Answering the following question will help clarify the state of ethics education in Turkey and hopefully lead to meaningful change: In Turkey, what do counseling students learn about counseling ethics during their counseling programs?
Summary
Ethics and ethical codes exert a crucial influence on counselor decision-making in professional settings (Levitt & Moorhead, 2013). Ethics have become increasingly important to counselor identity and are foundational to counseling practices (Sommers-Flanagan, SommersFlanagan, 2007; Herlihy & Corey, 2015) To address their professional responsibilities and manage ethical issues in their practice, counselors in the United States are required to obtain and maintain substantial ethical knowledge (ACA, 2014; Herlihy & Corey, 2015). Researchers have argued that the whole qualification process for professional counseling in Turkey has significant problems due to (a) accreditation, certification, and licensure issues (Korkut & Mızıkacı, 2008) and (b) low quality counselor education programs (Arslan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2018; Özgüven, 1990). These problems may interfere with the acquisition of ethical knowledge among Turkish counseling students and professionals. Answering the following question will help clarify the state of ethics education in Turkey and hopefully lead to meaningful change: In Turkey, what do counseling students learn about counseling ethics during their counseling programs?
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