Self-Disclosure as a Technique in Counseling

This video describes the concept of “self-disclosure in mental health counseling. Self disclosure on the part of the counselor is a controversial issue. We know a little bit about self disclosure from the research, but it doesn't always help us resolve the controversy. Self disclosure tends to vary a lot by modality. If we look at the psychodynamic modality, for instance, self disclosure is typically frowned upon in this modality. With modality like cognitive therapy, self disclosure is often encouraged. Self disclosure can also vary by timing. If a client is being treated for symptoms and that treatment lasts six months, toward the end of that six-month period we would expect to see more self disclosure than we would early on, if any self disclosure takes place. There's also variance based on the symptoms with which a client presents. Research shows us that when clients are more symptomatic, self-disclosure by the counselor tends to be lower. The research is mixed on whether self-disclosure is effective in counseling. We know there are some pros and cons to self disclosure. On the pro side, it builds rapport and trust. On the con side we often hear that it causes role confusion, it can create an expectation that the client is supposed to share information, it could meet the need of the clinician more than the client, and it could place a burden on the client. So there are a number of pitfalls when considering the use of self disclosure. If it's difficult to figure out whether a self disclosure is appropriate seek supervision. Supervision is a process that's helpful for counselors for a lot of different areas, but specifically it does help with determining these type of boundary issues. This controversy around self disclosure or this technique of self disclosure is really a boundary issue. Supervision is almost always a good idea when somebody's in doubt about how they're practicing counseling.

Видео Self-Disclosure as a Technique in Counseling канала Dr. Todd Grande