Even though I am up in front of groups of students and professionals regularly, I still find that I can always learn something new myself. It's important to pay attention, especially when you are working with adult learners. I love it when a very special pearl comes my way, like it did during my Friday workshop for LCSWs who are interested in becoming Board Approved Clinical Supervisors (BACSs).
Whenever I cover ethics, I like to work with the participants to come up with their own ethical paradigm that can be used when they are confronted with ethical dilemmas. Over the years, it has become clear with my participants that there are two essentials to every ethical paradigm: Consulting and Documenting. Not only are these two activities essential, they pervade every other activity you would list and surround to provide a cradle to the process.
All of my groups are very thoughtful about this important process. On Friday, one of my participants raised another pervasive activity that isn't even mentioned in the paradigm: Self-Care. As she so aptly put it: "Dealing with an ethical dilemma is stressful. It's important to take care of yourself during times when you are dealing with ethical issues." And so, after Friday's workshop; I have now added a third pervasive activity that surrounds and cradles our Ethical Dilemma Paradigms. It makes perfect sense and fits in nicely. Especially since you are doing a really good job of taking care of yourself when you consult your colleagues and document your activities. Perhaps a consultation over coffee, lunch, a walk in the neighborhood, or a meeting among the azaleas or iris in City Park? Special thanks to my Friday participants. Let's keep learning and growing together!
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