Normative Ethics: An Exercise to Facilitate Awareness

Normative ethics is a branch of moral philosophy upon which applied ethics, such as the Code of Ethics of the American Counseling Association, is based. This article presents an exercise designed to heighten normative ethics awareness. The exercise should be conducted by a supervisor competent in normative ethics. Participants could include students and counselors-in-training, practicing clinicians, and professionals wanting to increase their understanding of the various theories used to determine what is right and what is wrong.