The use of self-disclosure among Swedish psychotherapists

Abstract

Although self-disclosure, when handled with discretion, is often seen as an important intervention in many psychotherapy orientations, including psychodynamic as well as humanistic and cognitive-behavioral approaches, many psychotherapists seem reluctant to use it. The frequency and type of those interventions from psychotherapists of different orientations is less well known. In this study, a random sample of Swedish psychotherapists was asked about their use of different types of self-disclosing information. The results showed that therapists with CBT orientation told their clients more about their training and about their personal ways of handling affective-relational issues. It was apparent that the trend toward more use of selfdisclosure in relational psychodynamic treatment has not been accepted among a large number of psychodynamic and psychoanalytic psychotherapists in Sweden. It is recommended that psychotherapists inform their clients more about their training and in appropriate ways share more with their clients about their own relational experiences. Doing so may help enhance clients' hope and their ability to address their ongoing difficulties.Obwohl man der Möglichkeit zur Selbstoffenbarung, sofern Maßvoll eingesetzt, in vielen psychotherapeutischen Schulen, etwa der psychodynamischen, humanistischen oder kognitiv-verhaltens-therapeutischen (KVT) Richtung, einen wichtigen Stellenwert einräumt, machen Psychotherapeuten scheinbar nur ungern davon Gebrauch. Über Art und Häufigkeit dieser Interventionen durch Psychotherapeuten der verschiedenen Schulen ist bislang nur wenig bekannt. In der hier vorgestellten Studie auf Basis einer Stichprobenerhebung wurden schwedische Psychotherapeuten über ihre verschiedenen Formen der Selbstoffenbarung befragt. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass Therapeuten, die nach Maßgabe der KVT arbeiten, ihren Klienten mehr zu deren Ausbildung oder ihren eigenen Lösungsstrategien bezüglich affektiven oder beziehungsrelevanten Aspekten erzählten. Es wurde deutlich, dass der Trend eines vermehrten Gebrauchs der Methode der Selbstoffenbarung in der relational-psychodynamischen Behandlung von einer großen Anzahl psychodynamischer oder psychoanalytischer Therapeuten in Schweden nicht akzeptiert wird. Hier wird hingegen die Empfehlung ausgesprochen, dass *Psychotherapeuten ihren Klienten mehr über ihre Ausbildung und, in einem angemessenen Maß, über ihre eigenen Beziehungserfahrungen erzählen sollten. Dies könnte möglicherweise die Zuversicht der Klienten verbessern und deren Fähigkeit, bestehende Nöte besser zu adressieren.Schlüsselwörter: Selbstoffenbarung; Psychotherapeutischer Prozess; Psychotherapeuten; Theoretische Ausrichtung Aunque la auto-revelación cuando se hace discretamente, se ve con frecuencia como una intervención importante en muchas orientaciones terapéuticas incluyendo la psicodinámica, humanística y cognitivo-conductual, muchos terapeutas parecen oponerse a su utilización. Se desconoce la frecuencia y el tipo de estas intervenciones. En este estudio se preguntó a una mues...

Do Patients Look Up Their Therapists Online? An Exploratory Study Among Patients in Psychotherapy

“…Therapists themselves have been shown to use self-disclosure as a form of intervention [ 22 , 9 ]. These deliberate disclosures can include the sharing of biographical information, personal experiences and insights, as well as opinions surrounding the therapeutic process [ 10 ].…”

The Alliance and Rupture Observation Scale (AROS): Development and validation of an alliance and rupture measure for repeated observations within psychotherapy sessions

“…One important intervention in BRT is metacommunication, meaning that the participants communicate about what is going on in the therapeutic interaction while it is taking place (Safran & Muran, ). The therapist also uses self‐disclosure when expressing his/her reactions to the therapy situation (Holmqvist, ). Important issues in BRT are the therapeutic relationship, the focus on process rather than content, and the aim of the treatment is for the patient to develop a generalizable skill of mindfulness in action (Safran & Muran, ).…”

The motivating role of recovery self-disclosures from therapists and peers in eating disorder recovery: Perspectives of recovered women.

“…TSDs refer to instances in which therapists talk about their own feelings or past experiences (Audet & Everall, 2010; Ziv-Beiman et al, 2017). TSDs have been discussed in relation to different psychotherapy approaches (Holmqvist, 2015; Knox & Hill, 2003). For instance, early advocates of humanistic psychotherapies believed that TSDs strengthen the therapeutic alliance by conveying genuineness, empathy, and positive regard (Jourard, 1971; Rogers, 1961).…”

“…For instance, early advocates of humanistic psychotherapies believed that TSDs strengthen the therapeutic alliance by conveying genuineness, empathy, and positive regard (Jourard, 1971; Rogers, 1961). In addition, although some psychodynamic theorists have recently promoted self-disclosures in therapy sessions, many psychodynamic therapists do not support the use of self-disclosures (Holmqvist, 2015). In feminist therapies, TSD is often viewed as a way to humanize the therapist and reduce power dynamics (Mahalik, Van Ormer, & Simi, 2000).…”

“…In cognitive-behavioral therapies, TSD is believed to help clients learn through modeling and reinforcement (Goldfried, Burckell, & Eubanks-Carter, 2003). For instance, some cognitive-behavioral therapists disclose information about their training and disclose techniques that they use to address their own emotional and interpersonal issues (Holmqvist, 2015). Despite differing theoretical views on the use of self-disclosures, self-disclosures may be common in clinical practice.…”