Self-Disclosures and Supervision: Ethical Considerations

Credits:

• 6 Hours of Continuing Education Units for California MFTs, LCSWs and LPCCs
• You may apply this course to the BBS Supervision requirement.
• You may apply this course to the BBS Law/Ethics requirement

This course meets the BBS requirements for 6 CEU hours of Supervision training mandated every 2 years for supervisors of MFT trainees and associates, PPC associates and ASWs. It may be applied to the 15 hour BBS supervision training requirement for new supervisors of AMFTs and trainees, Associate Social Workers and APCCs.  This course also meets the BBS Law/Ethics requirement.

Who should take this course:

• LMFTs, LCSWs or LPCCs who are new supervisors
• LMFTs, LCSWs or LPCCs who are supervising graduate students, qualified Associates pursuing supervision in agency or private practice settings or those supervising agency staff
• Potential supervisors
• LMFTs, LCSWs or LPCCs who want to meet the BBS Law/Ethics requirement
• LMFTs, LCSWs or LPCCs accruing the 36 CEUs required by the BBS every license renewal period
• LMFTs, LCSWs or LPCCs who receive supervision or consultation

Fee:

$62, with unlimited retries until course has been passed. Additionally, you may save your answers at any time during the exam and return to it later by logging back in.

Course Description:

The first section of this course describes views of self-disclosure from different theoretical and contextual perspectives. The following section identifies types of professional and personal self-disclosures, differentiating between elective and unconscious disclosures. Detailed examples of self-disclosures are described. Legal and ethical considerations of self-disclosure are explored from the perspectives of informed consent, beneficence and boundary crossings and violations.

The next three sections focus on self-disclosure from different vantage points: teaching self-disclosure to supervisees, supervisees self-disclosures within supervision and supervisors self-disclosures to supervisees. Supervisors will have the opportunity to identify their own style of self-disclosing. The course differentiates personal and professional authenticity, and develops guidelines for teaching strategic self-disclosure using a Self-disclosure Concept Map. A focus on legal and ethical considerations is reflected throughout each section. Case examples illustrate the use of self-disclosure in a variety of situations.

Course Outline:

Part I: Views on Self-Disclosure

1. • Theoretical orientation
   • Setting
   • Client characteristics

Part II: Types of Self-Disclosure

1. • Elective self-disclosures – professional information
   • Elective self-disclosures – personal information
   • Attitudes about treatment
   • Approval or reassurance
   • Disclosures of feelings
   • Disclosures of insights
   • Admissions of mistakes
   • Unconscious self-disclosures
   • Transference and countertransference

Part III: Legal and Ethical Considerations

1. • Informed consent
   • Beneficence
   • Boundary crossings and violations
   • Clinician risk factors for misuse of self-disclosure

Part IV: Teaching Self-Disclosures to Supervisees

1. • Supervisors’ style of self-disclosure
   • Guidelines for teaching self-disclosure
   • Personal and Professional authenticity
   • Strategic self-disclosure
   • Self-disclosure Concept Map

Part V: Supervisees’ Self-Disclosure Within Supervision

1. • Ethical considerations
   • Overexposure of supervisees

Part VI: Supervisors’ Self-Disclosures to Supervisees

1. • Constructive use of supervisors’ self-disclosure
   • Ethical considerations
   • Contraindications for supervisor self-disclosure

Part VII: Resource Materials

Course Objectives:

• Discuss the influence of theoretical orientation, setting, client characteristics, transference and countertransference in two decisions to disclose or not disclose
• Identify three types of self-disclosures differentiating elective and unconscious disclosures
• Utilize five descriptions of personal self-disclosures including, feelings about clients, strategies, approval, reassurance and mistakes
• Describe three ethical considerations of self-disclosures, including informed consent, beneficence and wrong reasons to disclose
• Define two boundary crossings and boundary violations within therapy and within supervision, including identification of clinician risk factors
• Develop three guidelines for teaching self-disclosure to supervisees using concepts of professional authenticity, strategic self-disclosure and a Self-disclosure Concept Map
• Name three parts of an ethical framework for supervisees’ self-disclosures in supervision
• Describe two examples of supervisors’ constructive use of self-disclosure to supervisees and when self-disclosure is contraindicated