Therapist self-disclosure and the problem of shared-decision making

Abstract

Therapist self-disclosure is one of the most controversial topics in the history of psychotherapy. The controversies reflect some basic discussions regarding the nature of psychotherapy practice. In psychotherapy practice, a particular concern is the interaction between the psychotherapist and the patient. The expert-patient interaction has been addressed in a novel framework for clinical practice called shared-decision making. In this paper, we discuss the relationship between self-disclosure and shared-decision making. The chief aim is to illustrate some of the principles and practical problems with shared-decision making by using therapist self-disclosure as an example.

Keywords: facts and values; psychotherapy; shared-decision making; therapeutic relationship; therapist self-disclosure.