Are You Married? Who Did You Vote For?: Guidelines for Therapist Self-Disclosure

A Lecture by: Martha Heineman Pieper, Ph.D.

Presentation Description 

Therapist self-disclosure is a powerful technique that should never “just happen.” In contrast to most other psychotherapies, Inner Humanism does not take an ideological stance toward therapist self-disclosure – Inner Humanism neither prescribes it nor proscribes it – but rather tailors therapist self-disclosure to the specifics of the therapist-client relationship.  Abundant case material will illustrate the guidelines therapists can use to make informed decisions about whether self-disclosure would or would not advance clients’ inner well-being and self-regulatory stability. “Self-disclosure” will include both non-discretionary forms of self-disclosure, such as the therapist’s illness, pregnancy, or retirement, and also discretionary forms of self-disclosure, such as positive or negative feelings toward the client, giving advice, or details about the therapist’s life and personal preferences. This presentation will also address and illustrate with case material guidelines for self-disclosure specific to the treatment of children and adolescents.

Cost to attend this seminar is $10. Three (3.0) hours of CEs available to Social Workers, Psychologists, Counselors, and Teachers for an additional fee (see Registration Page).

**This seminar satisfies the Ethics CE requirement for social workers and psychologists**

Presenter Bio:

Martha Heineman Pieper, Ph.D. 

Dr. Martha Heineman Pieper was awarded her undergraduate degree from Radcliffe College and her Ph.D. from the University of Chicago.  She developed and published with her late husband, William J. Pieper, a philosophy and psychology of mind consisting of a contemporary, unified theory of optimal child development, psychopathology, and psychotherapy, Intrapsychic Humanism: An Introduction to a Comprehensive Psychology and Philosophy of Mind. 

To bring their approach to a wider audience, Dr. Heineman Pieper and her husband co-authored a parenting book, Smart Love: The Comprehensive Guide to Understanding, Regulating, and Enjoying Your Child (Smart Love Press), and a self-help book for adults,  Addicted to Unhappiness: Free Yourself  from Moods and Behaviors that Undermine Relationships, Work, and the Life You Want (McGraw-Hill). 

Dr. Heineman Pieper wrote a children"s book, Mommy, Daddy, I Had a Bad Dream! (Smart Love Press), which won thirteen awards including the Ben Franklin Award for best children's picture book of 2012. She has also given numerous lectures on the practice of psychotherapy, including a keynote address to the Society for Clinical Social Work, which was published in their journal as "The Privilege of Being a Therapist."

Dr. Heineman Pieper maintains a private practice providing individual psychotherapy for children, adolescents, adults and parent counseling, supervises practicing psychotherapists, and is the clinical consultant to Smart Love Family Services and the Natalie G. Heineman Smart Love Preschool. 

Educational Objectives:

1. Attendees will be able to apply ethical principles of beneficence and nonmaleficence, fidelity and responsibility in determining guidelines for discretionary self disclosures (e.g., Where did you go to college? How are you going to vote? Are you married? Do you have children? Can you recommend a good book, a dentist, a school for my child? Have you ever struggled with my problem? What were your parents like? How do you feel about me?) as well as non-discretionary self disclosures (e.g., those arising in relation to pregnancy, moving, retirement, obvious illness or injury, etc.).

2. Attendees will compare and contrast new perspectives based on the principles of Intrapsychic Humanism with  approaches to self-disclosure addressed in other therapeutic modalities. For example, whether to share feelings of anger or irritation about the client, whether to give advice, how to handle therapist mistakes, etc.

3. Attendees will be able to describe guidelines for discretionary and non-discretionary self-disclosure that are specific to children and adolescents.

Target Audience:

Mental health professionals including: social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, counselors, school counselors, educators in the mental health field, academics interested in mental health.

Level of Discourse:

Appropriate for beginners through advanced mental health practitioners.