諮商師與當事人宗教價值觀衝突的倫理決策歷程探究──以馬來西亞華人諮商師為例

Ethical Decision-Making in Religious Value Conflicts between Counselors and Clients: A Case Study of Malaysian Chinese Counselors

本研究旨在探討華人諮商師在面對個人宗教價值與個案宗教信念衝突時的倫理決策歷程。本研究採質性取向，以馬來西亞華人諮商師為研究對象，透過立意取樣邀請七位具宗教信仰的諮商師參與研究（六女一男，年齡35至68歲），以深度半結構訪談蒐集資料。研究架構以黃光國（Hwang, 2019）之含攝文化知識論策略為基礎，並採模板分析法進行分析。研究顯示，馬來西亞華人諮商師在面對宗教價值衝突時，其倫理決策歷程呈現「外在理性客觀規範」與「內在主觀自我修」之雙元倫理考量，呼應儒家取向之「助人專業倫理雙元模型」（Wang, 2022），呈現「內外兼顧」的雙元（雙向度）辯證思維，而非Van Hoose與Paradise（1979）根據Kohlberg（1958）道德發展理論所倡的單元（單向度）認知發展歷程。本研究亦修正郭淑梅等人（2024）提出之「宗教價值觀衝突倫理決策之雙元模式」，以包含「助人專業衝突」、「知情同意判斷」、「倫理依據判斷」與「倫理行動決策」四階段的倫理考量。綜合而言，當諮商師面臨宗教價值衝突時，傾向以多元文化社會的普世倫理價值為行動依據，而非拘泥於宗教教義。本研究建議實務工作者在專業實踐中應明確釐清個人宗教價值，並提升宗教議題的覺察與倫理敏感度。諮商機構督導應以開放心態協助諮商師在宗教價值衝突的倫理兩難中，做出合乎文化與專業原則的抉擇。

This study explores the ethical decision-making process of Malaysian Chinese counselors when confronted with ethical dilemmas arising from conflicts between their own and their clients' religious values. In the Chinese sociocultural context, religion has long been interwoven with Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism, forming what are known as the ''three pillars'' of Chinese society. Together, these traditions create a pluralistic and multi-religious cultural framework that deeply influences moral reasoning and interpersonal ethics. Consequently, when counseling issues intersect with religious doctrines, counselors and clients may encounter ethical dilemmas that are more complex and layered than those typically found in Western cultural settings. These dilemmas often involve tensions between professional ethical principles and personal moral beliefs, requiring counselors to balance beneficence, non-maleficence, and respect for client autonomy while maintaining their own religious integrity. In light of these cultural and ethical complexities, this study aims to address the limited empirical research on how Malaysian Chinese counselors, who are influenced by Chinese Confucian traditions and multireligious backgrounds, make ethical decisions when religious values conflict during counseling practice. Specifically, this study seeks to examine (1) how counselors recognize and interpret religious value conflicts, (2) how they navigate ethical reasoning and professional codes, and (3) the cultural resources or frameworks they rely upon to resolve such dilemmas. Adopting a qualitative research orientation, this study employed in-depth semi-structured interviews to collect empirical data. Through purposive sampling, seven licensed Malaysian-Chinese counselors (six females and one male) aged 35-68 years, who self-identified as holding strong religious beliefs were recruited as participants. The research framework is grounded in Hwang's (2019) epistemological strategy for constructing culture-inclusive theories which synthesizes structuralism, constructive realism, and critical realism. The data were analyzed using the template analysis method, a structured qualitative technique, to extract recurring patterns of ethical reasoning and decision making. The findings reveal that the ethical decision-making process among Malaysian Chinese counselors facing religious value conflicts reflects a dual ethical structure. This duality–comprising both ''external rational objective norms'' and ''internal subjective self-cultivation''–is consistent with the Duality Model of Professional Ethics for Helpers proposed from a Confucian perspective (Wang, 2018; Wang, 2022). Counselors were found to move through four stages of ethical consideration: (1) professional conflict in helping others; (2) informed-consent judgment; (3) ethical judgment; and (4) ethical action and decision making. During these stages, counselors not only adhered to professional ethical codes but also engaged in introspective moral reflection guided by Confucian notions of self-cultivation and harmony. Furthermore, the results support the view that ethical judgments in religious value conflicts follow a dual (two-dimensional) developmental model in which introversion and extroversion occur simultaneously. This finding contrasts with the sequential one-dimensional model suggested by Van Hoose and Paradise (1979), which, following Kohlberg's (1958) moral development theory, proposed an external-to-internal progression. The study provides empirical evidence that Chinese counselors' ethical decision-making operates dynamically between outward adherence to professional ethics and the inward cultivation of moral character, reflecting a uniquely Confucian ethical synthesis. In conclusion, when confronted with conflicts between their own and their clients' religious values, Chinese counselors tend to rely on universal ethical principles derived from multicultural humanistic values rather than narrowly defined religious doctrines. This orientation allows them to uphold their professional integrity while maintaining their cultural and spiritual sensitivity. This study highlights the importance of integrating the Confucian concepts of relational harmony and moral self-cultivation into counseling ethics education. Practical implications suggest that counselors should explicitly clarify their personal religious values in professional practice, and that counseling institutions should enhance awareness and training concerning religious issues in ethical decision-making. The development of multicultural competence and a reflective ethical mindset is essential for addressing value-based conflicts in counseling within pluralistic societies such as Malaysia.