Journal article
When Psychotherapy Is Not Working: Ethical Considerations
Cognitive and behavioral practice, v 27(4), pp 417-425
Nov 2020
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Evidence-based practice (EBP) models have been developed, in part, to enhance the likelihood that the outcome of health care treatment, including psychotherapy, leads to positive improvement. However, two additional outcomes can occur: no change and poor outcome (e.g., harm, worsening of symptoms). What does the clinician do when psychotherapy is not working? When faced with various treatment decisions, such as this, the EBP model posits that therapists should apply their clinical expertise in considering the “best available research” within the context of various patient characteristics. In part because of various limitations of this approach, I suggest that another important set of principles are important to consider in tandem when faced with this clinical dilemma—that is, ethical concerns. Borrowing from the American Psychological Association’s (2017a) Ethics Code, I discuss how the following issues exist when clinicians wrestle with this question: avoidance of harm, competence, conflicts of interest, and informed consent. I conclude this paper with a list of suggestions that can potentially foster the application of ethical principles when making treatment decisions.
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Details
- Title
- When Psychotherapy Is Not Working: Ethical Considerations
- Creators
- Arthur M. Nezu - Drexel University
- Publication Details
- Cognitive and behavioral practice, v 27(4), pp 417-425
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Psychological and Brain Sciences (Psychology)
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000604754200006
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85088950760
- Other Identifier
- 991019170395304721
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
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InCites Highlights
Data related to this publication, from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool:
- Web of Science research areas
- Psychology, Clinical