What is an ethical approach to conflicts of interest?

• A. Ignore conflicts and proceed as usual.
• B. Disclose, minimize or avoid conflicts, and seek supervision or consultation.
• C. Reveal conflicts to clients as soon as possible.
• D. Use conflicts to justify decisions.

Answer: (B)

Handling conflicts of interest ethically means being transparent and taking steps to protect professional judgment. The best approach is to disclose any real or potential conflicts, take steps to minimize or avoid them, and seek supervision or consultation when needed. This approach helps keep decisions aligned with the client’s best interests, maintains trust, and follows professional standards that require managing biases rather than letting them go unchecked.

Ignoring conflicts can lead to biased or self-serving decisions, undermining integrity and client welfare. Simply revealing conflicts to clients without the accompanying safeguards can leave biases unaddressed and the risk of influence unmanaged. Using conflicts to justify decisions is just unethical, as it exploits a dual relationship to favor personal interests over professional obligations.