Autonomy of the patient in psychotherapy from the ethical perspective
Vol.6,No.2(2012)
The following text inquires ethical problematics of the autonomy principle in psychotherapy. There is a definition of basic preconditions of autonomy of patient and a place of this principle among other basic ethical principles according to Beauchamp and Childress. Autonomy of the patient is discussed in the context of the informed consent and its three parts: disclosure of information, competence of patient and voluntariness. The article further describes the link between autonomy and psychotherapist-patient’s relationship and how it can be violated in this context, there is described especially paternalistic, maternalistic and partnership approach to the patient and some of their pitfalls. The text concludes with discussion about ethical problems of work with defense mechanisms of patient in psychotherapy.
autonomy; defense mechanisms; informed consent; maternalism; partnership; paternalism
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