Law and Ethics

Yesterday we discussed the topic of informed consent, including a FREE Law and Ethics practice question to help you get prepared for your MFT or LCSW Law and Ethics exam. Let us take a look at the answer and the rationale: A married couple who recently immigrated from Argentina bring their 15-year-old daughter to see a counselor at a community clinic. Neither of the parents speak English; however, their daughter feels very comfortable communicating in both Spanish and English. What are the therapist’s responsibilities at the onset of treatment? A. Obtain informed consent from the daughter

Whether you are preparing to take the MFT Law and Ethics exam or the LCSW Law and Ethics exam, you are guaranteed to see questions on the topic of informed consent. Since counseling is a consumer-oriented profession, informed consent is a very important concept in our field. It provides clients with a clear understanding of the services provided by a therapist.. An informed consumer is a better consumer. We need to help clients receive the greatest benefit from our services by clearly explaining what it entails and the risks and benefits involved. Informed Consent On The Test Here are some

Yesterday we discussed the topic of Self-Determination including a FREE Law and Ethics practice question to help you get prepared for your MFT or LCSW Law and Ethics exam. Let us take a look at the answer and the rationale: Practice Law and Ethics Exam Question: While meeting with a long-term client, a 28-year-old graduate school student, the therapist learns that the relationship the client is in is abusive. The client tells the therapist that her partner was very warm, communicative and kind at the beginning. With time, however, he became increasingly jealous, possessive, and began

Whether you are preparing to take the MFT Law and Ethics exam or the LCSW Law and Ethics exam, you are very likely to see questions on the topic of self-determination and patient autonomy. So why is patient autonomy important and what does the concept of self-determination mean? Well, it means that we do not tell our clients what to do and meet them exactly where they are at in the moment. Examples of patient self-determination: A client makes the decision of whether or not to stay in a relationship, even if the relationship is abusive in nature. A client chooses to focus on a particular issue

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Shout it from the roof tops: "Woo Hoo! Therapist Development Center has launched the California Law and Ethics Courses for LCSWs and MFTs!" We know a lot of you have been waiting patiently and we are proud to say that we have delivered the outstanding course therapists have come to expect from us. (And if you buy before the end of the year - you can save $50 -- see below).

Imagine you get a call for therapy services and the person on the phone tells you that he is the conservator for his 23 year-old daughter and would like her to get treatment with you? How does this affect your clinical practice with the daughter?

What happens if a client dies? Social workers and MFTs frequently ask me legal and ethical questions related to their private practice or licensing prep. One question that I get asked about a lot is the limits to confidentiality, and when we can, or cannot release information. It’s really tricky because there are a lot of different factors that go into this. As practitioners we have a responsibility to our clients and legal responsibilities as well. Let’s take a closer look at this with a sample question:

Are you studying for the MFT or Social Work Exam? It's important to keep up-to-date on the ever changing laws and how this may affect the exams.

NEWS FLASH: The California Law regarding reporting oral and anal sex between minors has changed! If a 14-year-old client shares with his therapist that his 14-year-old girlfriend gave him oral sex, does the therapist report child abuse or maintain confidentiality? Prior to April 18, 2013, Social workers and MFTs would be required to report child abuse. But not anymore... A legal opinion prepared for the Board of Behavioral Sciences and released Thursday, April 18, 2013 changes the common understanding of a key component of child abuse reporting. The opinion reads that therapists do not need to