Moral Distress within the Counselor - Supervisory Relationship

Abstract

Moral distress, an ethical concern that runs across many health professions, is described as the experience of knowing the morally right thing to do, yet not doing it due to personal, social, or institutional constraints. For interns, moral distress can resemble the old adage, “do as I say, not as I do”. Within the supervisor-intern relationship moral distress can foster disconnection, distrust, and isolation. In this presentation I discuss the theoretical and empirical foundations of moral distress, its impact on counselling interns/practicum students, and practices that help address this concern such that connection and safety thrive in the supervisory relationship.