| During the last several years counselors have become increasingly concerned with ethical issues (Corey, Corey, and Callanan, 1993; Craig, 1991). Many authors (Geyer, 1994; Horst, 1989; Elkin and Boyer, 1987; Grayson, 1986; Hargrove, 1986; Waltman, 1986; Heyman) point to the similarities in work environments where Pastoral Counselors (PC) and Rural Counselors (RC) perform their duties and suggest that these counselors have similar ethical difficulties.;Research has been written on non-sexual dual relationships and PC (McMinn & Meek, 1996; Geyer, 1994; Kunst, 1993; Craig, 1991), however, there is a void in the literature as to the ethical behavior of RC. Several researchers have stated that RC and PC have similar ethical difficulties because they have similar counseling environments (Geyer, 1994; Horst, 1989; Elkin and Boyer, 1987; Grayson, 1986; Hargrove, 1986; Heyman; 1986). This study is based on the difference between non-sexual dual relationships between PC and RC.;Two instruments were chosen to examine the relationship between PC and RC. The Ethical Judgement Scale (EJS) was chosen because it is specifically designed to examine the ethical development of counselors (Van Hoose and Paradise, 1979). The counselor ethical belief and practice questionnaire (CEBPQ) was chosen because it can examine the ethical beliefs of counselors (Gibson, 1992). The interview process was used to obtain greater depth of information (Borg and Gall, 1989). Thirty-two PC and thirty-two RC from northern Arizona volunteered to be a part of this study. Seventeen of these counselors volunteered in the interview process.;Bivariate correlation analyses between the EJS suggested that PC and RC have the same ethical orientation. The bivariate correlation analysis of the CEBPQ showed that PC and RC have different ethical beliefs. During the interview process, PC stated they encourage dual counseling relationships. The study concluded that PC are more willing to have dual relationships and tend to encourage more non-sexual dual relationships than RC. PC did not have a graduate course in counseling ethics while RC had a course in counseling ethics. This course seemed to make a difference in how PC and RC view counseling dual relationships. |
