Ethics and Self-Disclosure: How Social Workers Decide What is Appropriate to Share With Young People

This exploratory inquiry examines how social workers determine what is appropriate to self-disclose to young people in therapy. When used appropriately, self-disclosures can facilitate trust, reciprocity, and deepen the therapeutic relationship. When used inappropriately, self-disclosures can have ethical consequences, including blurred boundaries and role reversal. How social workers navigate self-disclosure with young people is not well understood. This study makes an original contribution in addressing this gap. Seven social workers who deliver talk-based therapy to young people between the ages of 12 and 25 in Australian government-funded youth mental health services were interviewed. Findings indicate that appropriateness is inherently context-dependent and involves an interrogation of the intentions, relevance, and impact of the disclosure. The article provides suggestions to support social workers to navigate ethical and appropriate decision making for disclosures in their contexts, while offering recommendations for practice improvements, education, and further research.IMPLICATIONSThe decision of what, whether, and how to self-disclose to a young person in therapy is a complex ethical decision.Determining what is appropriate to share in a therapeutic setting requires a careful and deliberate assessment of the intention, relevance, and anticipated impact of the disclosure.Statements within governing bodies' Codes of Ethics can offer foundational guidance and should be accompanied by critical reflection and supervision to make contextually appropriate disclosure decisions.