ABSTRACT
Counsellors need to be aware of the moral conflicts which their clients experience. They must be aware of the values and judgements which they bring to the counselling situation. Much of the literature which deals with ethical issues in counselling is concerned with those situations where the relationship exists as a discrete entity. Conflicts of values can also lead to ethical dilemmas. Counsellors may unwittingly fail to recognise that their own personal and professional values have a strong influence on their particular stance in therapy. Counsellors treat with confidence personal information about clients, whether obtained directly, or indirectly by inference. Part of the contract inherent in a counselling relationship is the duty of the counsellor to offer the client a competent standard of counselling. For all counsellors there are ethical considerations in relation to the information received from clients and the way in which the counsellor responds to the client's feelings.
