A PHENOMENOLOGICAL INQUIRY INTO COUNSELLORS’ EXPERIENCES OF BEING-ETHICAL IN ETHICALLY AND/OR MORALLY CHALLENGING SITUATIONS

What does it mean to be an ethical counsellor? Being an ethical practitioner is often thought of as doing the ‘right thing,’ considering possible risks, mitigating harm, maximizing benefits, using decision-making models, or abiding by a code of ethics. I investigated the phenomenon of being-ethical through semi-structured interviews with six clinical counsellors who shared their experiences of a morally and/or ethically challenging situation. I analyzed data using Personal Phenomenology, a novel research method rooted in hermeneutic phenomenology and existential philosophy. Based on my analysis, I proposed six features of being-ethical. Being-ethical involves: (a) seeing and composing the world ethically, (b) demonstrating the skill and giving the gift of attention, (c) opening one’s self to being exposed to the suffering of and evaluation by others, (d) negotiating one’s proximity to the other, (e) critically engaging with third parties, and (f) acting in the decisive moment. Implications for counselling education, institutions, practice, and research were proposed.