ETHICAL DILEMMA: CHALLENGES AND IMPACTS ON SCHOOL COUNSELOR WELFARE

Abstract

School counselors frequently encounter dilemmas that challenge their professional judgment and emotional resilience. These dilemmas, when present, have the capacity to assume a heightened degree of complexity, which can impede school counselors' ability to make informed decisions, thereby giving rise to ethical dilemmas. The ability of school counselors to address ethical dilemmas is predicated on their capacity to view problems from multiple perspectives. The inability to address ethical dilemmas over an extended period and on repeated occasions can have a detrimental effect on the wellbeing of school counselors. This study aims to explore ethical dilemmas on school counselors’ wellbeing through a Systematic Literature Review. Articles were sourced from reputable academic databases, including Scopus, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, and APA PsycArticles, with a focus on publications from the past five years. The scanning process for documents was carried out following the outline outlined in The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020, to ensure that the review process was robust and rigorous. The review identified that ethical dilemmas are common in the school counseling context, including (1) confidentiality, (2) competence, (3) role conflict, (4) relationship conflict, (5) personal bias, (6) Unethical Request, (7) Technology, and (8) Willingness of the client. These dilemmas have been shown to significantly affect counselors' psychological wellbeing. The findings reveal that frequent exposure to ethical conflicts contributes to increased stress levels and emotional exhaustion, ultimately leading to professional burnout. This research emphasizes the need for preventive strategies, such as the use of ethical decision-making models, training, and supervision. Policies should be included in a professional code of ethics that considers multicultural aspects, as well as the rights of counselors, students, and other parties involved.