The Effects of Counselor Self-Disclosure

Self-disclosure has long been a topic of interest in the counseling and psychotherapy literature. In an effort to provide a more contemporary perspective on the role of self-disclosure in counseling, this article reviews research on the effects of counselor self-disclosure. Studies appearing since the early 1970s up to the present time are examined Once all studies are summarized, observations, evaluations, and recommendations about the counselor self-disclosure literature are made. A number of suggestions are offered on how future research in the area could be improved.