Abstract

A Feminist Model for Ethical Decision Making Marcia Hill Kristin Glaser Judy Harden What is an ethical dilemma? By definition, a dilemma implies a con- flict. Therapists make any number of ethical decisions over the course of a week, or even a day: to avoid revealing information about clients to col- leagues or friends, to take a client’s background into account in a therapy session, or to attend a workshop as a way of staying current in the field. Generally, these decisions are not experienced as dilemmas. Ethical codes as well as the therapist’s moral principles serve as guidelines for behaviors that are well integrated into the therapist’s professional identity. A dilemma arises when the clinician experiences conflict, especially conflict that is not clearly addressed by one’s principles or ethical code. Kitchener (1984) describes an ethical dilemma as ‘‘a problem for which no course of action seems satisfactory’’ and goes on to note that ‘‘the dilem- ma exists because there are good, but contradictory ethical reasons to take conflicting and incompatible courses of action’’ (p. 43). Any combination of one’s values, ethical codes, the law, one’s personal or professional loyalties, clinical knowledge, or personal feelings may come into conflict