Title:
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To disclose or not to disclose : that is the systemic therapist's question. A framework for therapist self-disclosure in systemic psychotherapy
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This research study has enquired into the circumstances as to when it is appropriate
for systemic therapists to use self-disclosure of personal information to their clients
as a clinical intervention.
Eight experienced systemic therapists were interviewed and the interviews analysed
using grounded theory analysis. A wide range in the readiness to self-disclose was
found amongst the research participants.
This thesis discusses how family/systemic therapy practice and theory have evolved
and how this process has affected the development of systemic interventions such
as therapist self-disclosure. The systemic literature on the topic of therapist self disclosure
is sparse and generally does not differentiate between its uses in different
clinical scenarios. It shows that systemic therapy theory has concentrated on the
teaching of models and technique while neglecting the development of the
therapeutic relationship and interventions such as therapist self-disclosure. The
research, supported by the literature, identifies a systemic professional culture that
encourages caution in using therapist self-disclosure which has its origins in a
number of areas including being overly influenced by Freudian thought and theory
The thesis builds on work by Rowan & Jacobs (2002). Their model identified distinct
ways of being a therapist which help the therapist to determine the type of
therapeutic inventions that are appropriate to be used or not. Three therapist
positions were found the instrumental, the fluid and the relational and these are
discussed. They are related to four different self-disclosure types that have been
identified in the research. Other variables that emerged from the research, in
relation to self-disclosure and systemic therapy, are also discussed. The systemic
'self-disclosure framework' has been devised identifying the place of these variables
in systemic therapy, with the aim of informing the systemic therapist of their options
in their use of self-disclosure.
Recommendations are made for systemic clinical practice and theoretical
development.
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