Every
week (on Monday) you will be presented with a new clinical dilemma (5 in
total). Based on the readings and discussions to reflect your ethical decision.
Ethical Dilemma 5 CASE: Cure Itall While surfing the web you came upon this
Cure ItAll's website which had the following content: Mr. Cure ItAll has
published a popular book titled “ Passionate Love Making.” Sold million copies!
Leading sex and couple therapist and innovator of fail proof method
for the cure of Erectile Dysfunction. Have no more embarrassment. Make love
like a real man! Find the cure you are looking for. Call the expert today!
Client’s Testimonial: “Dr. Cure ItAll is the best couple’s therapist. He helped
me and my wife to regain our intimacy.” Education: Master’s in Clinical
Anthropology (Specialized in Sexual Healing Practices) Undergraduate in
Psychology What are some ethical dilemmas, and how would you respond as
a therapist?
An ethical dilemma involves situations where an agent is
conflicted by the moral requirements of a situation. It also refers to ethical
conflicts that can be resolved or psychologically difficult choices. Ethics
protects researchers and their participants in psychology and provides moral
guidelines for acceptable practice and professional accountability. As such,
the case of Mr. Cure It All presents various ethical dilemmas that need
resolving, including misleading statements, stigma, and the use of
testimonials.The Cure it All website has various ethical issues. First, there
is a reference to making love like a real man when advertising the
psychologist’s failproof method. This statement implies that people who do not
have a satisfactory sex life, maybe due to erectile dysfunction, are not real
men. As such, it perpetuates the stigma associated with the condition (Al-Shaiji,
2022). The statement also refers to the doctor’s methods as failproof, which
seems like a misleading simplification. As a therapist, I would avoid
misleading the clients with false, deceptive, or fraudulent statements about my
competence (APA, 2017). I
would also not use phrases like “real man” and use language that does not
perpetuate the stigma associated with erectile dysfunction. Using testimonials
is also unethical because these clients are vulnerable to undue influence (APA,
2017). Therefore, these ethical dilemmas should be
resolved through the above responses.