Best Practices — Natalie Jambazian, LMFT

How Much is Too Much Self-Disclosure?

Before I continue writing about the "Best Practices" segment, I want to share with my readers that although I may write about or understand a certain standard of care in my profession, I am, however, not a CAMFT attorney. With that said, my articles briefly discuss certain topics in our field so that we can be aware of issues that come up. It is best practices to always refer back to CAMFT attorneys and touch base with them after reading my articles. I also include articles below for you to receive detailed information.

While in graduate school, I was taught not to self-disclose to my clients and as I entered a new chapter in my life after graduation, I felt anxiety and pressure to make sure that I stayed within the standard of care. And I thought to myself, I can't share my personal experiences because I was taught not to do so. As I enter my journey as a licensed therapist, I have come to realize a little bit of self-disclosure can be valuable to clients, as long as it is beneficial and useful. We don't want to reverse our roles, where the client becomes the therapist and we the client.

Self-disclosure and Boundary Violations

The question will arise if you plan on crossing boundaries with your client, and if you do choose to disclose, that may be violating your client's boundaries. It also depends on what theoretical orientation you choose to use as a clinician and what stage of awareness and growth your client is experiencing. There are two types of self-disclosure: intentional and non-intentional. Intentional self-disclosure can be, for example, using social media as a therapist and sharing personal information so that your clients can see your travels, who you're spending time with and pictures of your pet. Self-disclosure can also be a supportive tool and perhaps even a good moment to help clients understand that you have been there and have come out on the other side. Sometimes, in my opinion, it helps clients also build a strong relationship with one another without making your them feel like they are sitting in the therapist chair. The welfare of your client and their mental state should always come first, outweighing everything else. There is also non-intentional self- disclosure where you may slip and share personal information without being conscious or aware of it. Clients may also ask personal questions and you would have to determine and explore with your client whether they truly need to hear what you have to say, or not.

Some therapists believe self-disclosure is counterproductive and can affect the client's progress. Other therapists believe that it can be a great tool to use to foster growth and provide guidance. As a psychotherapist, you have the ability to model for your clients in a positive way. Also, countertransference is a natural real process that comes up in session and if it is not addressed properly it can affect the alliance. Self-disclosure may help alleviate the tension in the room and encourage your client to be real and honest with their feelings when they recognize you are doing the same as a therapist.

Some Pros and Cons of Self-Disclosure to Consider:

Pros:

• Strengthens client-therapist therapeutic relationship
• Can help clients feel like you are not a robot but a human that can understand where they are coming from
• Provides a safe space to model to your clients
• It may help your client be more honest and open up more in session

Cons:

• May be counterproductive if not used properly
• The focus may take away from your client
• May cause the client to feel uncomfortable
• May break boundaries
• If the therapist is using the room to manage their own feelings

An ethical code to take into account is:

1.5.1 DISCLOSURE: Where a marriage and family therapist's personal values, attitudes, and/or beliefs are a determinative factor in diagnosing or limiting treatment provided to a client, the marriage and family therapist shall disclose such information to the patient. Disclosure and non-disclosure of information has its risks and benefits. As a clinician, it is within your boundary to address whether or not it will help your client. There are no specific ethical or legal codes around self-disclosure, per se. However, according to CAMFT ethics codes, it can be a boundary-crossing. Every therapist is different in their approach and as long as the client benefits from self-disclosure, it's my opinion there's nothing wrong with that.

References

https://s3.amazonaws.com/academia.edu.documents/42795443/
To_seek_or_not_seek_help_The_risks_of_se20160218-2748-18d8k7w.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAIWOWYYGZ2Y53UL3A&Expires=1534458813&Signature=9iNnEwl
dxazsaLcjEBkMVsAjV6c%3D&response-content-disposition=inline%3B%20filename%3DTo_seek_help_or_not_to_seek_help_The_ris.pdf

https://www.zurinstitute.com/selfdisclosure1.html

https://www.camft.org/images/PDFs/CodeOfEthics.pdf

Natalie Jambazian is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. Natalie is currently an Anger Management facilitator through Anger Management Essentials and NAMA facilitating groups in Sherman oaks and Glendale. Anger Management 818 accepts both volunteer and court ordered clients, In addition, Natalie works with children, teens, and adults and her specialty includes but not limited to anger management, ADHD, PTSD, divorce, and grief. Natalie has received training in NLP, CBT, Mindfulness, and Trauma Focused Therapy. She is fluent in Armenian as her second dialect and can be reached at 818.334.8786 or via email at www.therapywithNatalie.org, Please visit her website at www.Angermanagement818.com.