Published in:
01-03-2022 | Scientific Contribution
Mechanisms of defense in clinical ethics consultation
Author:
Robert M. Guerin
Published in:
Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy
|
Issue 1/2022
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Abstract
Clinical ethics consultants respond to a multitude of issues, ranging from the cognitive to the emotional. As such, ethics consultants must be prepared to analyze as well as empathize. And yet, there remains a paucity of research and training on the interpersonal and emotional aspects of clinical ethics consultations—the so-called skills in “advanced ethics facilitation.” This article is a contribution to the need for further understanding and practical knowledge in the emotional aspects of ethics consultation. In particular, I draw attention to defense mechanisms: what they are, why they exist, and how we might work with them in the setting of ethics consultation.