Should psychotherapists disclose their own psychological problems?

Abstract

Background: Self-disclosures by psychotherapists can encompass a wide array of content, including information about the personal life of the psychotherapist. Aim: The goal of this study was to empirically assess reactions to psychotherapists disclosing their own personal problems to clients with similar problems. Methodology: This study explored participants' (n = 155) reactions to vignettes describing psychotherapists as either disclosing or not disclosing their own history of psychological problems to clients presenting with similar problems. Findings: Compared to otherwise identical vignettes featuring psychotherapists who did not self-disclose, vignettes featuring psychotherapists who self-disclosed were rated more positively in a variety of ways. Specifically, psychotherapists in the vignettes featuring self-disclosure were perceived as possessing a higher level of favourable personal qualities and as more likely to establish strong working relationships with clients and achieve success in therapy. Limitations of the method and alternate explanations for the results are considered. Implications: Implications regarding the judicious use by psychotherapists of self-disclosure regarding their own past psychological problems are discussed.

Accomplishments of 77 VA mental health professionals with a lived experience of mental illness.

“…Two thirds of our anonymous sample have not disclosed their lived experience to any of their patients. Appropriate, responsible self-disclosure has been shown to be a powerful and positive tool in psychotherapy (Henretty & Levitt, 2010; Somers, Pomerantz, Meeks, & Pawlow, 2014) and has a long tradition in the addictions field (Dilts, Clark, & Harmon, 1997; Doyle, 1997; Mallow, 1998). Prosumers who have disclosed serve as evidence to colleagues and patients that meaningful mental health recovery is quite possible. Accommodation.…”

“Me too, a long time ago”: Therapist self-disclosure of past or present psychological problems similar to those of the client.

“…Participants were randomly assigned to one of the eight vignettes. Each vignette was followed by a questionnaire adapted from that used originally in Fox et al (1984); and later used in Somers et al (2014) and McCormic et al (2019). Using a Likert-type scale, participants were asked to rate the therapist 1 ( strongly disagree ) to 5 ( strongly agree ) on the following characteristics, each of which was analyzed as a separate dependent variable (and is listed in full in Table 1): likeable, sincere, warm, able to get along with most clients, capable of understanding clients, considerate of client’s needs, would see a similar therapist, has a strong working relationship, and psychotherapy will be successful.…”

The “me too” decision: An analog study of therapist self‐disclosure of psychological problems

“…After reading the vignette to which they were randomly assigned, each participant completed the same nine‐item questionnaire of therapist perception utilized in the Somers et al () study (which itself borrowed from Fox et al, ). Participants rate the therapist 1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree in these nine categories: likeable, sincere, warm, able to get along with most clients, capable of understanding clients, considerate of client's needs, would see a similar therapist, has a strong working relationship, and psychotherapy will be successful.…”

“…For decades, researchers have explored the general topic of therapist self‐disclosure, with little convergence besides the conclusion that judicious self‐disclosure often enhances therapy (especially from the client perspective) and the reminder that benefits to the client, rather than to the therapist, should be the overarching justification of any decision to self‐disclose (e.g., Bloomgarden & Mennuti, ; Cozby, ; Farber, ; Gelso & Palma, ; Godfried, Burckell, & Eubanks‐Carter, ; Henretty & Levitt, ; Henretty, Currier, Berman, & Levitt, ; Hill & Knox, ; Hill, Knox, & Pinto‐Coelho, ; Hill, Mahalik, & Thompson, ; Knox & Hill, ; McCarthy & Betz, ). Within this general topic, a much smaller body of literature focuses on therapists self‐disclosing their own psychological problems to clients (e.g., Fox, Strum, & Walters, ; Kaufman, ; Murphy & Strong, ; Somers, Pomerantz, Meeks, & Pawlow, ). To do so in the clinical setting is certainly not unheard of: Borys and Pope () found that about 40% of therapists have “disclosed details of personal stresses to a client” (p. 286) and 74% believe it is ethically appropriate to make such a disclosure at least “under rare conditions” (p. 288).…”

“…Results indicated that participants (college students as client proxies) gave significantly more favorable ratings regarding social attractiveness and empathy (but not expertness or trustworthiness) to therapists who disclosed rather than the therapist who did not disclose, and that disclosure of different disorders did not produce significantly different ratings. In another study (also using college students as a proxy for clients), participants gave significantly more favorable ratings to therapists who disclosed (vs. those who did not disclose) their own post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, or alcohol dependency to a client who presented with the same problem (Somers et al, ). The ratings covered such variables as therapist likeability, sincerity, warmth, and strength of the therapy relationship, and expected success of therapy.…”