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Is Self-Disclosure Part of the Genetic Counselor's Clinical Role?

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Journal of Genetic Counseling

The role of genetic counselor self-disclosure in clinical practice is unclear as there are few published investigations of this issue. In the present study, 11 genetic counselors who previously received genetic services were interviewed about their opinions and use of disclosure. Several themes were extracted from their responses. All participants reportedly disclosed to patients; however, not all disclosed their receipt of genetic services. Patient requests for self-disclosure influenced many participants’ disclosure decisions. Opinions regarding potential benefits of disclosure varied. Nearly all participants stressed the importance of self-disclosing judiciously, stating that it may be counterproductive to client goal attainment. Four individuals with expertise in genetic counseling and psychotherapy were invited to react to these themes and to provide their opinions of self-disclosure. Their views are compared to those of the present sample, and practice and research recommendations are given.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This study was completed in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the first author's Master of Science degree from the University of Minnesota. The investigators thank the 11 individuals who provided their insights regarding this topic. They also thank Luba Djurdjinovic, June Peters, Vivian Ota Wang, and Jon Weil for their expert views regarding self-disclosure.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Laboratory Genetics, Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA

    Brittany C. Thomas

  2. Department of Educational Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

    Patricia McCarthy Veach

  3. Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, Institute of Human Genetics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

    Bonnie S. LeRoy

  4. Department of Educational Psychology, 206 Burton Hall, University of Minnesota, 178 Pillsbury Dr., SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

    Patricia McCarthy Veach

Authors
  1. Brittany C. Thomas
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  2. Patricia McCarthy Veach
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  3. Bonnie S. LeRoy
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Patricia McCarthy Veach.

APPENDIX: SELF-DISCLOSURE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

APPENDIX: SELF-DISCLOSURE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

  • How would you define the term self-disclosure in your own words?

  • In general, what is your opinion about genetic counselor self-disclosure? Do you believe that it can be beneficial or harmful to a genetic counseling session (Or neither? Or both?)

  • Has your use of self-disclosure changed during your practice?

  • Have you ever self-disclosed to a patient? If no, why not? If yes, what types of things have you disclosed?

  • In your experience, what percentage of the time does self-disclosure accomplish what you hoped it would; in other words, how much of the time is self-disclosure effective?

  • Are you more likely to disclose if your situation/decision is similar or dissimilar to the patient’s?

  • Are you more likely to disclose on your own or if you are prompted/asked by a patient for your opinion regarding a decision?

  • What percentage of patients asks you to self-disclose?

  • In what kinds of situations, if any, have you found it particularly difficult to avoid self-disclosure (e.g., being obviously pregnant)? What kinds of counseling strategies generally have worked for you in these situations?

  • Why do you think your patients ask you to self-disclose (e.g., whether or not you’ve had genetic counseling/testing/children/what decision you made in this situation)?

  • Have you ever discussed the topic of genetic counselor self-disclosure with a supervisor, colleague, or student? What aspects of self-disclosure did you discuss?

  • Have you ever had any graduate or postgraduate training on self-disclosure? Would you recommend anything?

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Thomas, B.C., Veach, P.M. & LeRoy, B.S. Is Self-Disclosure Part of the Genetic Counselor's Clinical Role?. J Genet Counsel 15, 163–177 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10897-006-9022-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10897-006-9022-y

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