When used appropriately and professionally self-disclosure can build trust, foster empath

When used appropriately and professionally self-disclosure can build trust, foster empathy, and strengthen the alliance between counselor and client (Bray, 2019). But self-disclosure also has the potential to derail the progress made and take focus off the client (Bray, 2019). If you self-disclose you should know ahead of time where to stop (Bray, 2019).  When working with teens and talking to them about issues there are probably going to be a lot of similarities but you don’t want to relate to all of them because it can take away from the therapeutic process so maybe keeping the relations small or when there is something serious that you may have been through before and overcame. 

Reference:

Bray, B. (2019) Counselor self-disclosure: Encouragement or impediment to client growth? Retrieved from: https://ct.counseling.org/2019/01/counselor-self-disclosure-encouragement-or-impediment-to-client-growth/#