About the Book
Psychotherapist Revealed:Therapists Speak About Self-Disclosure
Andrea Bloomgarden & Rosemary B. Mennuti
In this edited volume, the real dialogue begins. Therapists speak openly and honestly about their self-disclosure practices, decisions and clinical dilemmas. Bloomgarden & Mennuti bring together research, training and tales from clinical experience to illuminate lessons derived from their own journeys toward judicious, balanced self-disclosure practices. In a readable fashion, the stories highlight a variety of self-disclosure and boundary issues that occur in the course of psychotherapy. Numerous treatment modalities and clinical orientations are represented. The collective wisdom offered through these stories, which includes suggested guidelines and a discussion of the standard of care for good practice will assist the reader in developing a better understanding of what it means to self-disclose appropriately, recognizing a flexible middle ground between “too much” and “too little” along with responsiveness to client need. The Freudian based taboo that rigidly warns against all self-disclosure is antiquated, and a more reasonable, balanced perspective is under way. As a psychotherapeutic community, including psychologists, social workers, art therapists, counselors, dance/movement therapists who are all represented in this book, it is time to talk openly about a balanced, judicious, and therapeutically appropriate approach to self-disclosure and boundaries. Bravely, that is exactly what the authors in this book have done.
Table of Contents
About the Editors. Section I: Foundations. Bloomarden & Mennuti, Therapist Self-Disclosure: Beyond the Taboo. Maroda, Less Is More: An Argument For the Judicious Use of Self-Disclosure. Zur, Therapist Self-Disclosure: Standard of Care, Ethical Considerations and Therapeutic Context. Section II: Case Examples by Clinical Orientation & Clientele. Rabinor, Self-Disclosure as a Turning Point in Psychotherapy. Filetti & Mattei, To Share or Not to Share – Self-disclosure in the Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder. Prenn, I Second That Emotion! On Self-Disclosure and Its Metaprocessing. Bloomgarden & Mennuti, Lessons Learned From Adolescent Girls. Malatesta, Behavioral Treatment of a Case Involving Obsessive Compulsive Hoarding: Case Formulation, The Therapeutic Relationship, and In Vivo Therapy. Nerenberg, Treating Addictions: A Balanced Approach to Boundaries and Therapist Self-Disclosure. Section III: Interface of Therapist and Client Ethnic/Racial/Cultural Factors. Laliotis, Attachment and Healing: An EMDR Relational Approach. Sparks, Learning to Be Authentic with Clients: The Untold Journey of a Relational Practitioner. Patton, Engendering a New Paradigm: Self-Disclosure with Queer Clients. Section IV: Treatment Variations. Gerstein, Family Therapist/Family Member: Family Dynamics at Work and at Home. Barber, The Perils of Rigid Adherence: A Look Back at a Group. McNiff, Creative Expression in Service of Others: Reflections on Transparency in Art Therapy Practice. Tropea, The Therapeutic
Relationship in Motion: A Dance/Movement Therapist’s Perspective. Section V: Therapists Losses and Personal Challenges. Gottlieb, Bloomgarden, Mennuti, & McCoubrey, Nobody Gets to See the Wizard: An Interview with Dan Gottlieb. Comstock, Confronting Life’s Adversities: Self-Disclosure in Print and in Session. Treadway, For Your Client’s Sake: Practicing Clinically Constructive Self-Disclosure. Section VI: Supervision, Best Practice Guidelines. Feindler & Padrone, Self -Disclosure in Clinical Supervision. Bloomgarden & Mennuti, Collective Wisdom for Good Practice: Themes for Consideration.
About the Editors
Andrea Bloomgarden, Ph.D., has published articles and chapters on various aspects of psychotherapy. She has a diverse private practice in Philadelphia, PA, and is co-founder of her group practice, Bloomgarden Associates, along with The Center for Acceptance and Change. To contact Andrea Bloomgarden click here.
Rosemary B. Mennuti, Ed.D., NCSP, is professor and Director of School Psychology Programs in the Department of Psychology at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and has a small private practice in New Jersey.