Impaired Student Counselors: Ethical and Legal Considerations for the Family

It is not uncommon to hear about a family’s experience with a family counselor who is impaired in some fashion such as being burned out, experiencing stress, or dealing with his or her own personal issues. However, it is unethical to continue to practice or to knowingly allow a family counselor to continue when the impairment ultimately negatively affects the clients. An issue that is at the core is accepting students into the counselor education program and allowing them to continue in the program despite personal characteristics or mental health issues that prevent them from developing professionally and personally. This article addresses this issue, examines legal implications and cases, and provides recommendations for counselor educators.