Self-Disclosure

What is self-disclosure?

Self-disclosure is a process of communication in which one person reveals information to another. It can be used in many ways, but in this instance, we will be talking specifically about self-disclosure with therapy practices and mental health professionals. 

Types of self-disclosure 

1. Accidental – unplanned encounters outside of the counseling session 
2. Unavoidable – client revelations about a therapist through obvious distinguishing characteristics like someone’s race, jewelry, and haircut. 
3. Client–initiated – when a client seeks and finds information about their counselor online, through biographies, awards, family history, etc. 
4. Deliberate – purposeful self-disclosure with a client 

Benefits 

• Builds rapport with clients 
• Reduce client’s uneasy feeling of sharing by counselor sharing 
• Conveys empathy to clients and shows them they’re not alone 
• Can “humanize” the counselor to clients 

Risks 

• Shift of treatment focus 
• Excessive sharing may be seen by the client as self-serving 
• Could share views that invalidate the client’s values and beliefs 
• Too much self-disclosure can blur the boundaries between the client-counselor relationship

When to use self-disclosure? 

With all of the above in mind, it is ultimately up to the counselor if and when to self-disclose. Before self-disclosing, consider the benefits and the risks, he brief, and use “I” statements. 

Resources 

https://counseling.education.wm.edu/blog/the-skill-of-self-disclosure#:~:text=There%20are%20four%20main%20types,%2C%20client%20initiated%2C%20and%20deliberate