The Virtuous Therapist: Ethical Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy

Cohen and Cohen provide a refreshing alternative to rule-based approaches to the ethical practice of counseling and psychotherapy. Their backgrounds in philosophy, ethical theory, and mental health practice combine to yield a solid foundation for arriving at ethical decisions in the delivery of mental health services. While the first chapter on ethical theory is quite dense, especially for those not trained in the field, subsequent chapters are reader friendly. The authors clearly outline the basic tenets of virtue ethics and the seven major principles that guide this type of ethical decision making. Each chapter includes case studies that illustrate the authors' analyses of the degree to which therapists acted in accordance with virtue ethics. This book is especially useful for mental health practitioners who need to earn continuing education credits relevant to ethical practice of counseling and psychotherapy.