Question

Your text mentions the use of self-disclosure as a technique to promote norming. What do you think about the concept of self-disclosure utilized by the counselor to increase cohesiveness? How much self-disclosure (if any) do you think is appropriate? Why?

Answer 1

One of the most important factors that would build rapport and trust between the counsellor and clients is self-disclosure. This would mean that the counsellor would naturally disclose some information which is mandatory at the beginning of the counselling process in order to get to know each other. However, as the counselling progresses, it would become obvious that the client might need some reinforcement of other examples in which the counsellor would explain how people in similar conditions improved themselves. The counsellor may use their own life examples that would be more concrete and believable for the clients and connect to them but only to an extent that its done for the betterment and improvement of the clients and not for the personal gains of the counsellors. Thus, any self-disclosure that’s not part of the counselling requirement should be carefully brought out in a way to help the clients connect and benefit from them.

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