Practice management
A Self-Assessment for Practitioner Self-Disclosure Decisions
Helps a practitioner evaluate the clinical rationale and potential risks of a specific.
The impulse to share a personal detail can arise unexpectedly in a session. It might seem like the perfect way to build rapport or illustrate a point, but the clinical calculus is complex. Is this disclosure truly for the client, or is it meeting a need of our own? Deciding on the spot risks shifting the focus away from the client’s work.
This directive offers a rapid, structured way to check that impulse against the client’s specific goals. It helps you clarify your rationale before you speak, so you can make a deliberate choice instead of a reactive one. The result is an intervention that is thoughtful and aligned with the client’s best interest.
A Self-Assessment for Practitioner Self-Disclosure Decisions
Consider a specific self-disclosure you are planning to make. Before you proceed, write your answers to the following questions.
INTENT What specific goal for the client does this disclosure serve? Whose needs are most being met by this disclosure, the client’s or my own? What is my emotional state as I consider making this disclosure? Is there another method to achieve the same goal without disclosing personal information?
CONTENT AND DELIVERY What are the exact words I will use? What is the briefest, most concise way to convey the information? How will I immediately shift the focus back to the client? What details are essential, and what details are extraneous?
CLIENT IMPACT How does this disclosure connect directly to the client’s recent statements or current problem? Based on this client’s history and personality, what is the most likely positive reaction? What is the most likely negative reaction or misinterpretation? How could this disclosure burden the client or make them feel responsible for my experience?
RISK ANALYSIS What is the potential for this disclosure to damage the client’s perception of my professional competence? How might this information be used by the client outside of the session in a way that could be problematic? What is the worst-case clinical outcome of this disclosure, and what is my plan to manage it? How will I answer any questions the client might ask in response?
Generated with Rapport7 — rapport7.com