r not being involved in meetings because a client is there may jeopardize your sobriety, but at the same time, it may help your clients. I don’t think that this is solely an ethical dilemma, it may also be a personal dilemma and neither has an answer. As dual relationships are ethically sensitive, so is self-disclosure. Self-Disclosure refers to a counselor in recovery who tells a client that they too are an alcoholic, along with anything else relating to their personal experience with the disease. In order to remain ethical, the first question you must ask yourself is: Why am I self-disclosing? If it is to serve the needs of the counselor, in any way, or to create an instant client-counselor bond without trying anything else, it is unethical. One of the ethical principals is to do everything for the good of the client, not yourself. If you are disclosing for the good of the client, it then may be ethical, but some questions still remain. If done correctly, self-disclosure can be very useful and helpful for the client. One possible reason that it isn’t always done or done ethically is therapists are not trained in self-disclosure. There are not really any programs that teach counselors how to properly self-disclose, so how are they suppose to know how? If one does choose to disclose to a client, they must keep in mind that chemical dependency is a life long disease and the client may view you as a risky source of help. If you, as a counselor, are viewed as an unreliable source of help, your treatment won’t be very helpful. Another disadvantage to revealing your personal experience is it may cause the client to focus on the therapist’s issues and not their own. Having the client become interested in your issues can also lead to dual relationship problems. If the client becomes interested enough, they may begin attending your meetings and begin “stalking”. Something very unhealthy for an...
