Hello everyone and welcome to our podcast here at Licensure Exams . I'm Stacy Frost and this is my cohost , dr Linton Hutchinson . How is everything down there in the land of endless sunshine , oranges and alligators , linton ?
Oh well , it's a really nice , hot and human and I wouldn't have it any other way . And you know , I live right across in the lake and the guy that lives down by the lake had a little pooch . That was just a yapping dog and guess what happened to it ?
Oh no .
Oh yeah , Got eaten by an alligator last week .
Oh my gosh . Oh , that still happens . Jeez . Well , I probably be wishing I was down there in the jungle too , when January goes around up here in Michigan . I haven't experienced a winter here just yet , so I'm , you know , kind of batting down the hatches .
Yeah , I can see .
Yes , well . So what's on the agenda for today's episode ? Linton ?
Well , for those of you who are studying for your licensure exam , I thought we'd take some time today and talk about a slightly controversial topic that you really need to be familiar with self-disclosure .
Right you are , Linton . And self-disclosure for anyone who doesn't know is when you share your own personal experiences with your clients , and it can be a bit of a tightrope walk , can't you , Linton ?
Yeah , it is . You know , for example , the guy's dog got eaten by the alligator . But if I was self-disclosed I wasn't really that unhappy that the dog is gone because it made so much noise all the time .
There are some therapists who were taught that it's never OK to share anything personal with their clients , why others were taught that self-disclosure and moderate dosage can be a therapeutic tool .
Yeah , and that's one of the things that can make the exam challenging for test takers is figuring out where the line between theory and reality is .
Well , regardless of what side of the fence you find yourself on in real life , self-disclosure can be a therapeutic tool and is appropriate to use in therapy if you follow certain guidelines .
I see , yes , a bit of a caveat so it sounds like we're getting into that realm of ethics where you need to weigh the benefits and the risks of your actions before determining the best way to move forward .
Yeah , you got it . On the one hand , you have some potential benefits of using self-disclosure , and those include strengthening your client relationship , reducing the client's feelings of isolation , validating the client's experiences and giving the client hope .
OK , well , those all definitely sound like positives .
Yeah , they are positive . But , like on the flip side , you run the risk of shifting the focus away from the client . When you share your own personal stories , what happens is sometimes you create this uncomfortable balance of power and things become too personal . And let's not forget about personal boundaries .
If you start blurring the lines there , then you may open yourself up to a date with the ethics board .
Oh yes , and that's one of one date that you don't want to keep . So , when it comes to the exam , are there any , let's say , like roles of thumb , that our studious therapists can keep in mind ?
It all boils down to this If you're ever in doubt , ask yourself if your self-disclosure would harm the client or put them or you at risk . If any of those outcomes is a distinct possibility , then self-disclosure is not your best choice .
Okay , good rule of thumb . So just remember that client comes first and foremost . The therapy session is about them , not you and your issues . Get your own therapist for that .
Really . And if you do decide to share something personal that you feel would be helpful for your client , keep it really short and sweet . Save all the juicy details of your personal sagas for your friends and family , or even Stacy or your own therapist .
Exactly so . If we're gonna sum it all up , self-disclosure is when you , as the therapist , share personal information with your client and , as a therapeutic tool , self-disclosure can be used to strengthen the therapeutic relationship , normalize the client's feelings and experience and instill hope .
But it's really important to remember that the primary focus of therapy is always , always , always , the client .
And with all these different techniques that we're going over , one size does not fit all . The use of self-disclosure requires your personal judgment and finesse . Any self-disclosure should be employed mindfully and ethically , with the intent to benefit the client and their therapeutic process , rather than meet your own needs . Now I have a question for you , stacy .
Oh , all right . Okay Is that for us ?
No I self-disclosed about my feelings about the dog . How are your feelings about me now that I self-disclosed that ?
Well , I think I'm kind of with you . I would you know there gets a point where all the yipping and all the craziness and stuff , you just kind of want it to go away .
Yeah , okay . Well , there you have it , folks , self-disclosure in a nutshell . Until next time , happy learning and remember it's in there . Irish .