Essay Sample: Ethics and Cultural Competency in Clinical Psychology

Using the text as your main source, what is the definition of Manualized Therapy? What are its advantages and disadvantages?

Manualized therapy has been very popular in the past decade. It is available to use for problems like anxiety, depression and personality disorders. It is usually used to measure the outcome of therapy, meaning it ensures the uniformity and organization across all therapists. It also minimizes variability, and this helps to obtain a clearer result. Usually, the treatment is presented in a different format (manual), and goals and techniques need to be followed to the T during each session of the treatment. This is good because it helps make research more effective for psychological intervention. Some of the advantages are scientific legitimacy, establishing minimal levels of competence, training improvements and decreased reliance on clinical judgment. Some of the disadvantages are threats to the psychotherapy relationship, diagnostic complications, restrictions on practice and debatable criteria for empirical evidence.

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Using the text as your main source, discuss the evolution of the application of Manualized Therapy and discuss at least two ethical issues that could impact the use of Manualized Therapy. Be specific.

It is revealed that both evidence-based practice and manualized therapy became famous between the 1990s and 2000s (Pomerantz, 2008). This followed many years of research by the psychotherapists with the aim of establishing the benefits of therapy. The initial findings by Hans Eysenck's in 1952 revealed that psychotherapy had no positive outcome. However, other researchers later proved that the psychotherapy had a positive effect on patients. Early research was never specific about the types of therapy or associated disorders. At this stage, there was a lack of uniformity in the field of psychotherapy. A manualized therapy was published in the 1980s and was followed by advancement in clinical psychology.

What specific population or populations (age, sex, ethnicity, etc.) are you hoping to help? As a mental health professional list one ethical issue, one legal issue, and two cultural issues which you should consider when working with this population. How would you address each of those issues?

I plan to help people of color. One ethical issue that is associated with this group is establishing a balance between cultural and clinical demands. There is a need to appreciate the cultural practices and preferences of this particular population. Some of the cultural issues include family structures and religion. One legal issue associated with the practice is legal consent by the patient or family members CITATION Arn10 \l 1033 (Arnaut & Hill, 2010). It is essential to have this approval before proceeding with the practice.

Identify one personal belief/bias you hold, which might impact your ability to provide ethical services to select clients. What steps will you take to ensure these clients receive ethical services?

One critical personal belief that I hold regarding the people of color is that most of them tend to feel inferior or racially disadvantaged. In this case, I had to make them feel important and appreciated without focusing on their phenotypic aspects.

As current and future practitioners, you are encouraged to reflect on your personal well-being as well as institute a plan for practicing self-care. For this part of the assignment, you must specifically respond to the following:

Describe your current mental health and wellness.

I have never suffered a severe mental disorder that required psychiatric intervention. Currently, I am mentally stable and capable of managing my emotions. I rarely encounter emotional or stress disorder. I feel good about myself, and I can comfortably handle a wide variety of challenging situations.

Discuss factors that have contributed to this status (e.g., childhood experiences, setbacks, accomplishments, activities, relationships, etc.).

I have been raised by parents who always encouraged self-belief and confidence. This was also enhanced through the education system that exposed me to challenges and opportunities that elevated my ability to handle situations and maintain emotional balance. I have also encountered setbacks that increased my mental strength after overcoming them. Mentors have helped me boost my confidence by exposing me to different challenging tasks.

Cite personal coping and de-stressing strategies.

One of the coping strategies I use is to engage in physical fitness activities during free time. I prefer jogging, swimming and playing different times of games to improve my mood and physical health. I also attend yoga classes once in a while to enhance personal fitness. All these activities help to eliminate different forms of stress as well as fatigue. Going out with friends to watch movies or attend parties often gives me an opportunity to get over pressing issues. The main aim of all these activities is to avoid spending time alone which can lead to pilling of pressure and stress.

Identify a plan for practicing self-care as a practitioner, inclusive of an approach to managing conflict with colleagues and clients.

Self-care plan

The plan has six elements that include:

Workplace or professional- The element comprises of activities that contribute to the maintenance of professional standards. Specific activities include supervision, peer support, and researching.

Physical- This element entails activities such as sleep routine, diet and meals, and physical activities.

Psychological- activities such as relaxation, social interaction and leave help in boosting psychological care.

Emotional- this type of self-care can be achieved through social interaction, celebrating the achievement, engaging in sports and other forms of entertainment.

Spiritual- This element of care can be achieved through reflective practices, nature walks, worshiping and yoga.

Relationship- It is important to prioritize family relationship and love which can be achieved to attending family events as well as having dinner with loved ones.

Conflict management strategies

Effective communication: One way of managing conflict with colleagues and clients is through effective communication. I believe in the art of listening to other parties to determine what they believe or prefer before I tell them my position. Effective communication provides an opportunity for establishing a tolerable ground for conflicting parties.

Maintaining calmness: Maintaining calmness during tension is another essential technique that lowers tension build-up and provides a chance for reasonable conversation.

Professionalism: Upholding professionalism and ethics also help in reducing or avoiding conflicts.

References

Arnaut, G. L., & Hill, D. A. (2010). Ethical and legal issues. In J. Thomas, & M. Hersen, Handbook of Clinical Psychology Competencies (pp. 73-93). New York, NY: Springer.

Pomerantz, A. M. (2008). Clinical psychology: Science, practice, and culture. London: SAGE.