Sharing personal experiences or views that violate a client's value system may threaten the client's trust in the counselor as an appropriate source of help, Too much counselor self-disclosure can blur the boundaries in the professional relationship.
When used sparingly, professionally and appropriately, counselor self-disclosure can build trust, foster empathy and strengthen the therapeutic alliance between counselor and client. However, counselor self-disclosure also holds the potential to derail progress and take focus off of the client.
If you feel that your therapist made a self-disclosure for reasons other than aiding you in your therapy, the disclosure may have been excessive or inappropriate, and as such may constitute malpractice. To reiterate, any self-disclosure made by your therapist should only be made with your best interests in mind.
Over 90% of therapists self-disclose to clients (Mathews, 1989; Pope, Tabachnick, & Keith-Spiegel, 1987; Edwards & Murdock, 1994), however, the implications of therapist self-disclosure are unclear, with highly divergent results from one study to the next.
It is never appropriate for a therapist to speak about themselves at length. In therapy, the focus should always be on the patient. As a general rule, it is inappropriate for the therapist to make any therapy session all about themselves.
They see their job as helping you find your own answers, and they know that silence can help you do that. Sitting in silence allows a lot of things to rise up inside you—thoughts, feelings, and memories you might not normally experience. And that is what your therapist is hoping you'll talk about.
Hands. Your client's hands can give you clues about how they're reacting to what comes up in the session. Trembling fingers can indicate anxiety or fear. Fists that clench or clutch the edges of clothing or furniture can suggest anger.
Therapists & counsellors expect trust in the sense that both parties understand and are committed to spend every session building it. The most critical component of trust is honesty, so consider being upfront about the fact that you do not trust a therapist 100% with certain information to be good practice at honesty.
Sharing something you think is too sensitive or personal can be uncomfortable. But know you're not alone in thinking you've disclosed too much in therapy. When this happens, it can help to explore why you think you've overshared and talk it over with your therapist.
The short answer is that you can tell your therapist anything – and they hope that you do. It's a good idea to share as much as possible, because that's the only way they can help you.
It's okay to ask your therapist about their life. Any questions you have in therapy are valid and are likely relevant to the therapeutic process. Whether your therapist answers the question and shares personal information can depend on their individual personality, philosophy, and approach to your treatment.
You should have confidence that when you share your innermost thoughts and feelings with your therapist, that your personal information won't leave the room. In some situations, however, your therapist may be legally required to break confidentiality.
Self-disclosure can help therapists align with their clients, humanize them, normalize struggles, and introduce new perspectives (Metcalf, 2011).
There are four different types of self-disclosures: deliberate, unavoidable, accidental and client initiated.
There are five types of self-disclosures: deliberate, unavoidable, accidental, inappropriate and client- initiated.
Self-disclosure does not automatically lead to favorable impressions. Another risk is that the other person will gain power in the relationship because of the information they possess. Finally, too much self-disclosure or self-disclosure that comes too early in a relationship can damage the relationship.
If you're highly self-conscious or socially anxious, worrying about being perceived as a “toxic person” might lead you to under-share your needs and to a lack of connection with others. On the other hand, oversharing may be a trauma response or a sign that you are ready for or need support.
Trauma dumping, also known as oversharing – or its newest incarnation, trauma bonding – has become a cardinal sin. Defined as “the oversharing of difficult emotions and thoughts with others”, trauma dumping is not actually a medical term, despite how laced in mental health rhetoric the phrase itself seems.
A common reason for oversharing is the desire to build depth and emotional intimacy before the relationship is ready. This can often be connected to stress or a fear of not being liked by the person. First dates, new coworkers, or mutual friends often elicit this oversharing.
If you believe you're safe and comfortable with a hug from your therapist, it doesn't hurt to ask for one. Of course, your therapist has a right to say no.
Your therapist's relationship with you exists between sessions, even if you don't communicate with each other. She thinks of your conversations, as well, continuing to reflect on key moments as the week unfolds. She may even reconsider an opinion she had or an intervention she made during a session.
Mirroring your posture and body language helps therapists accomplish at least three things: It helps them reflect your whole self back to you so you can “see yourself” better. It expresses a subtle sense of understanding between you that can help you feel comfortable enough to open up and share more with them.
Some of the things psychologists look for are your posture, hands, eye contact, facial expressions, and the position of your arms and legs. Your posture says a lot about your comfort level.
Back to Fictional Reader's question about why it may be difficult to look a therapist in the eyes. Some possible root causes range from guilt, shame, anxiety, low self-esteem, shyness, past abuse, depression or autistic spectrum disorders to varying cultural norms and cognitive overload.