This book is, first and foremost, a treatise in applied ethics. Most ethics texts explain the duties of professionals that are outlined in the profession’s ethical code. This book is designed to assist the mental health professional in developing the ability to reason ethically, a skill that is an extraordinarily important component of professionalism in any field, but one that is grossly underdeveloped in many professionals. The greatest challenges to ethical professional practice are the novel situations that arise involving conflicts between two ethical principles. Readers will learn how to resolve these conflicts in a rational manner by understanding the philosophical sources of professional ethical duties and applying.
