Appropriate Self Disclosure

[kaleda]

I am interested in hearing from other professionals about the following:
Appropriate Self-Disclosure - When it helps to appropriately solve problems - What do you consider to be "appropriate self-disclosure?" Can you give an example? Perhaps you could also let me know what your specialities are.

[freud]

I try to limit self-disclosure as the session is about the client, not me. I will disclose trivial aspects of my life - the sorts of things I would relate to any stranger. However, I do not get into items relevant to my own psyche.

By limiting self-disclosure, I limit cross projection as well. My self-disclosure is most often at the "contracting" phase of counselling, that is, at the time of an initial meeting. This is a good way to break the ice, as it were.

I am a psychotherapist (Jungian influenced) in private practice and I work at a "day job", running an adult employment service within a local agency. To that end, I am a managing career counsellor and vocational evaluator.

Cheers

[SWM]

Self disclosure can be helpful, The model of psychotherapy will be a big factor in how, when and why to use self disclosure.

Working as a nursing assistant not in a psychotherapeutic relationship with patients, i have found that self disclosure can be very powerful way of normalising a person's ill health (by normalising I mean making it okay, Destigamtising) and promoting self belief and hope in recovery. As a counsellor using a person centred approach I would be more inclined to refrain from self disclosure.