School counselors face ethical and legal challenges every day. Whether you are new to the field or have been practicing for years, the legal and ethical challenges can still confuse you (ASCA, 2016). Ethical dilemmas surrounding child protection and managing home and school communication are regularly addressed by school counselors, especially Christian ones. Many of these issues are influenced by school counselors' abilities to recognize their personal values ​​while balancing ethical obligations and administrative boundaries (Springer, SI, 2016). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Additionally, bias is the tendency to favor one explanation, opinion, or understanding over another potentially equally valid perspective. In a therapeutic context, a therapist's individual biases might alter the recommendations he or she provides to clients or influence his or her understanding of a person's problems. Recognizing one's own biases is often the first step in eliminating bias because this gives the researcher the opportunity to actively correct their own biases. Double-blind studies and peer review can also help counteract individual researcher bias (GoodTherapy.org, 2016). As a Christian school counselor, I believe I need to be aware of possible biases triggered in me that can emerge from any angle while counseling students. Objectivity is my main goal at all times: I have this clear! The moment I lose objectivity during counseling and instead begin to gain subjectivity, I know for a fact that I am on the verge of, if not already, becoming a bias that leads me to end up trapped in an ethical dilemma. Honestly, I am convinced that I would definitely lose objectivity and become prejudiced when I consult a student at my Christian school if she confides in me that she is sexually attracted to another person of the same sex and that she wants to openly express this sexual orientation. In this reflective paper, I will examine and express how my personal beliefs and value system will affect me positively and negatively, therefore resulting in potential biases, biases for my client, and even how this might affect my client when facing a similar case as the one above. I will also produce an ethical decision plan to address these biases and provide effective counseling to this same client [student]. In a situation where a 16-year-old female student confides in me that she is in love with another classmate of the same age as her, wants to dress like a male student at school, and wants to use the school's male bathroom, I would definitely find myself in a dilemma ethical because of my Christian faith and values ​​which view those acts as a sin and an abomination in the eyes of my God. It is impossible that either I or my Christian school would tolerate or accept a student with such sexual orientation and “inappropriate conduct ”. On the other hand, I would be worried about this student because not only will she be bullied, but she will also be expelled from this school for such "indecent conduct", without a doubt. By immediately reacting and believing it to be a sin (Romans 1:18-32), I would already be prejudiced, because I don't allow myself to empathize with this student who is so desperate for "acceptance." All this can influence my client to not want to believe in herself, not have the right to express her sexual orientations and feelings, and do well academically as this will lower her self-esteem. ThereI will make you reflect and find a true "dignified identity". Prejudices such as those mentioned above will lead me to lose objectivity and fail the six fundamental principles: Autonomy, Nonmaleficence, Beneficence, Justice, Fidelity and Truthfulness (ACA, 2014). This situation will also affect me personally and as a professional counselor because this client's sexual orientation and expected conduct are absolutely contrary to my Christian faith and principles. As a professional counselor, my duty is to practice the six moral principles that govern me and in no other way attempt to influence or impose my personal values ​​and beliefs on this student because school counselors refrain from imposing their own beliefs (ACA, 2014; ASCA, 2016). Furthermore, ethics refers to moral and values-based decision making. Professional ethics go beyond personal values ​​and include behaviors deemed good by the profession. These values ​​have been codified and accepted by the counseling profession. Codes of ethics were developed out of counselors' need to morally resolve practical problems in a consistent manner (Freeman, Engels, & Altekruse, 2004). Additionally, ethical issues occur frequently for school counselors. To address these issues responsibly, a school counselor can refer to the ACA Code of Ethics (2014) and the ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors (2016). The Ethical Standards for School Counselors state that a school counselor should use the STEPS Ethical Decision Making: Modeling When Faced with an Ethical Dilemma (ASCA, 2016). Therefore, using the STEPS ethical decision-making model to develop an effective plan with measures to address these biases and to provide professional services to my client, I will consider the following: I. Identify and describe the problem (legal, ethical, and professional) and the potential issues involved: After identifying this problem as ethical, I will begin by examining it emotionally and intellectually. My religious beliefs would make me see that my client's sexual orientation is indecent. Furthermore, the school administration would persecute me if they ever found out that I made no attempt to help this client's sexual orientation problem. I will also do my best to ensure that this student finishes her studies and is not expelled.II. Refer to the ACA Code of Ethics: In the preamble, the ASCA ethical standards (2016) state that a student's sexual orientation should be respected. Section B.3.i of the same ethical standards states that school counselors monitor their awareness of bias against sexual orientation and seek to become more competent counselors in this area.III. Determine the nature and size of the dilemma: I will consult with colleagues who have more experience with similar cases and search relevant literature reviews (I.2.c. ACA, 2014). Imposing my belief on this student would violate the student's autonomy. However, I believe that providing inadequate information about sexual orientation would harm the student and violate the principle of non-maleficence. On the other hand, imposing a certain belief system on her would violate the principle of justice.IV. Identify the possible course of action: I will scale up all my options to avoid the problem during counseling, discuss the problem openly while trying to limit my biases, or discuss this problem openly and try to help her understand the value of her belief system .V. Consider the potential consequences of each course of action and choose the best one: I think I would go with the second option to provide her with professional support. This will satisfy the.