THE PREDICTORS OF COUNSELOR MORAL AND ETHICAL REFLECTION: SPIRITUAL INTELLIGENCE, MEDITATION, CLINICAL EXPERIENCE, AND ETHICAL CLIMATE

While research on the ethical decision-making process in counseling continues to evolve, ethical violations committed by counselors persist, evidenced by an increase in the number of adverse incidents resulting in closed insurance claims and millions of dollars paid to the public on behalf of counselors (Healthcare Providers Service Organization, 2019). Knowledge of ethical codes and legal statutes, along with available decision-making models have been insufficient in guiding counselors’ ethical decision-making (Burns, 2019; Burns & Cruikshanks, 2019; Lambie et al., 2010; Lambie et al., 2011). Other factors must be considered to better understand this complex process. The purpose of this study was to examine how spiritual intelligence, meditation practice, clinical experience, and ethical climate were related to moral and ethical reflectivity among counselors in North Carolina. A simultaneous multiple linear regression was utilized to examine the role of counselors’ (n = 700) spiritual intelligence, meditation practice, clinical experience, and quality of the ethical climate to predict their moral and ethical reflection. Results indicated that spiritual intelligence, meditation, and ethical climate were significantly positively correlated with moral and ethical reflectivity. Additionally, the model accounted for 12% of the variance in moral and ethical reflection. Implications for the field of counseling are discussed.