Continuing Education Course: The Role of Self-Disclosure in Clinical Practice (2 CEs)

Therapist self-disclosure is an inevitable part of clinical practice, which must be done with care in order to prevent harm. From answering a client’s personal question to navigating information that is publicly available online, mental health professionals must continually make decisions about what to share, what to keep private, and how those choices may affect the therapeutic relationship.

This course examines therapist self-disclosure as a clinical and ethical issue, exploring the different ways disclosure can occur and the potential benefits and risks for clients. Participants will consider how professional boundaries, client identity and culture, therapeutic rapport, and the clinician’s motivations for disclosure can influence these decisions. The course also reviews relevant ethical guidance from the APA, NASW, ACA, and AAMFT and uses clinical scenarios to illustrate the complexity of self-disclosure in real-world practice.

Special attention is given to self-disclosure in the digital age, when clinicians may have personal information available online regardless of whether they intentionally share it with clients. Participants will leave with a practical framework for evaluating when self-disclosure may be clinically appropriate, when it may create risk, and how to make thoughtful, client-centered decisions about disclosure while maintaining professional boundaries.

This course consists of a two-hour lecture, for a total of 2 CE credits.

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The Role of Self-Disclosure in Clinical Practice

$40

Cost

$40 for the 2-CE course and continuing education certificate. There are no additional fees for this course. The fee offers you lifetime access to the self-guided home study course. Because you maintain lifetime access to the learning materials, no refunds are offered for this course.

Presenter

Amy Marschall, PsyD, is a licensed clinical psychologist, author, and continuing education provider. She is the founder and CEO of Resiliency Mental Health, where she provides psychotherapy and psychological assessment services and develops continuing education for mental health professionals.

Dr. Marschall specializes in neurodiversity-affirming care, psychological assessment, ethics, and telemental health. She incorporates self-disclosure into her advocacy and clinical work ethically. She has developed and presented continuing education trainings for mental health professionals on topics including clinical documentation, ethical practice, neurodiversity, assessment, and telehealth. She is also the author of multiple books and professional resources for clinicians, including Neurodiversity-Affirming Therapy: What Every Mental Health Provider Needs to Know.

Learning Objectives

Differentiate types of therapist self-disclosure and their potential functions within the therapeutic relationship.
Evaluate potential benefits and risks of therapist self-disclosure, including the influence of client identity, culture, professional boundaries, and the therapeutic relationship.
Apply relevant ethical principles and professional standards to decisions regarding therapist self-disclosure in clinical practice.
Assess clinical and ethical considerations when determining whether, when, and how to disclose personal information to a client, including information that may be publicly accessible through social media or the internet.

Target Audience

This intermediate course is intended for licensed psychologists, psychology trainees, mental health clinicians, school psychologists, educational psychologists, counselors, social workers, and other mental health professionals who provide clinical services.

Statement Regarding Conflict of Interest

Dr. Marschall and Resiliency Mental Health have no financial or non-financial conflicts of interest to disclose.

Course curriculum

1

First Section
- Power Point Slides
- Introduction Free Preview
- Main Lecture
- Demonstration
- Attendance
- Post Test
- Course Evaluation