An Investigation of Client and Counselor Variables That Influence Likelihood of Counselor Self-Disclosure

✍ Scribed by Dawn H. Simone; Patricia McCarthy; Carol L. Skay

• Publisher: American Counseling Association
• Year: 1998
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 129 KB
• Volume: 76
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1556-6678
• DOI: 10.1002/j.1556-6676.1998.tb02390.x

✦ Synopsis

Selected client and counselor variables affecting reported likelihood of self-disclosure by 120 experienced clinicians in relation to four scenarios were examined. Variables included client age and diagnosis and counselor gender, experience, and exposure to disclosing counselors in their own experience of counseling. Disclosure likelihood was greatest for high ego-strength diagnoses and for respondents who repor ted positive disclosures from counselors in their own counseling experiences. Reasons for and against using self-disclosure also were examined. Reasons for disclosing included promoting universality, giving encouragement, modeling, rapport-building, and offering alternatives. Reasons against disclosing included boundary blurring, concern about counselor welfare, merging, and premature closure. Implications for practice and research are discussed.