Ethical Maturity in the Helping Professions

How do we, as humans, arrive at what we call morally or ethically good or bad decisions? What processes are involved in making ethical decisions? Is there a way to move towards ethical maturity and how will being ethically mature assist us with any future decisions we might make? This is an ambitious book. It moves from a view of ethics and ethical decision making as meeting basic and minimal requirements to the presentation of a model of ethical maturity—how to be the best professional you can be. Most practitioners head for codes of ethics and ethical frameworks to help them resolve ethical issues and dilemmas. They go 'outside' rather than 'inside'. Ethical Maturity in the Helping Professions suggests a different approach that views ethical codes and frameworks as the first stepping stone to a higher ethic—an ethic of fidelity, relationships, and trust. Building on Rest's four components of ethical practice, Michael Carroll and Elisabeth Shaw propose six components that together make up what they call 'ethical maturity' or practical ethical wisdom. Born from who we are, and fashioned on the anvil of experience and knowledge, the book challenges helping professionals to review what they mean by ethics and suggests they step up to a higher ethic of relational accountability. Ethical Maturity in the Helping Professions provides a comprehensive overview of the most influential ideas in ethical thinking across the ages and considers the ethical challenges faced in various contexts of educational, research, business and organisational sectors. The book reflects on the history, philosophy and science of ethics through an interdisciplinary approach and encourages the reader to consider their own ethical decision-making and the influences which play a role in shaping them. The authors also introduce a brand new model for becoming an ethically mature professional. This book is essential reading for practising and student psychotherapists, psychologists, counsellors, psychiatrists, social workers, nurses, health care and allied professionals.