GetPractice

A client asks you a personal question, and you need to decide how to respond. Often we are taught to consider, “Will answering benefit the client and the work?” But this skips an essential step. Before we even consider this question, we first need to ask, “What does the answer to this question mean to a client?”

In this course, we’ll explore the nuances of self-disclosure, using the Code of Ethics as a guide. We'll also discuss how to balance boundaries with transparency. Then, we’ll use challenging case vignettes to build practice skills for recognizing and assessing self-disclosure moments & implementing ethical and client-centered responses.

Rick Cresta, LICSW, has over 30 years of experience as a clinical social worker, focusing on adolescents and young adults with substance use disorders, gang involvement, unresolved grief, and unhealthy relationships. Cresta is a Senior Lecturer at Boston University School of Social Work. Additionally, he maintains a private clinical social work practice, providing psychotherapy to adolescents and their families as well as training and consultation services.