DO THERAPISTS SELF-DISCLOSE MORE TO CLIENTS WITH GREATER SYMPTOMATOLOGY?

This research investigated the links between self-reported therapist self-disclosure and (a) clients' initial symptom levels, (b) the working alliance, and (c) symptom change. Outpatients (N = 83) and therapists (N = 22) at a mental-health hospital completed confidential surveys after a session of ongoing treatment. Results revealed that therapists self-disclosed more to clients with lower initial symptomatology. Therapist self-disclosure was not significantly related to clients' or therapists' ratings of the working alliance; nor was it related to symptom change. We suggest that therapists might limit self-disclosure to particularly symptomatic clients because the therapists want to establish clear boundaries with them, but future studies will need to explore the reasons for this link.