Which pair are commonly in tension in counseling ethics when balancing truthfulness and loyalty?

• A. Justice and Autonomy
• B. Veracity and Fidelity
• C. Beneficence and Nonmaleficence
• D. Confidentiality and Autonomy

Answer: (B)

The tension being tested is how counselors balance truth-telling with loyalty to the client. Veracity means being honest and providing accurate information about diagnoses, prognosis, and limits of confidentiality. Fidelity means being loyal, keeping promises, and protecting the client’s trust and welfare within the therapeutic relationship. In practice, these duties can clash: full candor about every detail might damage the alliance or undermine the client’s sense of safety, while withholding information to protect the relationship could compromise honesty. The ethically sound approach is to be truthful and transparent, but to deliver information with sensitivity, ensuring it is understandable and aligned with the client’s needs, while also upholding commitments such as confidentiality and ongoing support. This ongoing effort to tell the truth in a way that respects and preserves the therapeutic relationship reflects the common ethical tension between veracity and fidelity.