ABSTRACT
We make ethical judgements in every clinical consultation. Many of these judgements are made intuitively without extensive conscious critical evaluation. For example, the practice of adopting a position of neutrality, at an ethical level, is a judgement to give all members of the system a fair hearing. Once the skill of adopting a position of neutrality has been developed, it becomes an automatic way of dealing with the ethical problem of fairness and equity in family consultations. Intuitive ethical judgements are based not only on clinical techniques (such as neutrality) derived from theoretical models (such as systemic consultation), but also on personal ethical principles, professional codes of ethics and the sociolegal context within which the consultation occurs. With experience, the range of ethical problems that can be dealt with at an intuitive level increases. An important factor contributing to the development of ethical intuition is the conscious critical evaluation and resolution of ethical dilemmas that have not been previously encountered by the clinician. In this chapter we will explore the management of ethical dilemmas.
