Marriage and Family Therapists (MFT) Law and Ethics Practice Exam

What do guidelines suggest regarding therapist self-disclosure?

1. It should enhance the therapist’s credibility

2. It should be minimal and focused on the client's benefit

3. It should involve sharing personal life stories

4. It should be frequent and detailed

The correct answer is: It should be minimal and focused on the client's benefit

Therapist self-disclosure is a nuanced aspect of clinical practice that is guided by ethical considerations and the potential impact on the therapeutic relationship. The suggestion that it should be minimal and focused on the client's benefit aligns with best practices in therapy. This guideline prioritizes the therapeutic process and ensures that any self-disclosure serves a purpose that is relevant to the client’s needs and treatment goals. By keeping self-disclosure limited, therapists minimize the risk of shifting the focus away from the client or overshadowing their experiences with personal narratives that may not contribute to the therapeutic outcome. Furthermore, when self-disclosure is made, it is crucial that it is done thoughtfully, ensuring it enhances the therapeutic alliance or aids the client’s understanding of their own challenges without becoming self-serving. While enhancing credibility can be a benefit of appropriate self-disclosure, it should never be the primary motivation behind it. Sharing personal life stories can have its place; however, this practice could lead to the therapist becoming the center of attention, which is counterproductive in a therapeutic setting. Frequent and detailed self-disclosure may blur therapeutic boundaries and compromise the professional relationship, making it less effective. Thus, emphasizing minimal self-disclosure that is client-focused upholds ethical standards and fosters a more beneficial