Importance Of Self-Disclosure

Self-disclosure: Important aspects psychologists, therapists and counsellors should keep in mind when disclosing personal information.

What should a psychologist, counsellor or therapist be aware of when self-disclosing during therapy? The purpose of this paper is to examine empirical research regarding self-disclosure; specifically how it relates to what a psychologist, counsellor or therapist should be aware of when working with clients and applying self-disclosure as part of the therapy strategy. This paper will deliberate findings and recommendations of several peer-reviewed articles and will unpack themes appropriate to self-disclosure. The scope of this paper will be limited to the findings and recommendations of the identified articles

These self-disclosures resulted in positive consequences for clients that included insights or new perspectives from which to make changes. This in return can then result in an improved or more balanced therapeutic relationship between the client and the psychologist, giving the client reassurance and encouragement (Hess et al., 1997, p.

Ethical Standard 1.19 is one of the APA guidelines most closely associated with the debate surrounding self-disclosure. The guideline recommends that psychologists should not exploit persons over whom they have a guiding responsibility, evaluative, or other authority such as their clients or patients (APA 1992, p. 1602). APA Ethical Principle E covers a comparable pronouncement that highlights the fact that psychologists have influence and power over their clients and must, therefore, evade using that control in a manipulative manner. Though these ethical principles do not refer explicitly to the subject of self-disclosure, concerns about client exploitation often are raised in relation to therapist self-disclosure. It is exploitative and unethical to self-disclose if the therapist is using that self-disclosure to get his or her own needs met by the client. Psychologists should practice nonmaleficence and beneficence. It should be the goal of psychologists to help others. Nonmaleficence and beneficence are the two ethical principles that are most often addressed in relation to self-disclosure because these principles are implicit in the many writings about the clinical usefulness of therapist self-disclosure (Peterson 2002, p. 22). Both Nonmaleficence and beneficence are also two important principles for the