title: Do therapists self-disclose more to clients with greater symptomatology?
abstract: 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. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved).
authors: University of Notre Dame.
authors: Anita E
authors: AE
authors: Kelly
authors: Robert R
authors: RR
authors: Rodriguez