yone to do, never mind someone in a very vulnerable position (client). One counselor stated that an unethical thing to do is to self-disclose at the initial consultation because it can split up a program staff into those who are in recovery and those who are not. There is many ethical ways for a counselor to self-disclose. When done appropriately and for the good of the client, self-disclosure can build trust and give helpful information toward recovery. It can be comforting for the client and make their recovery process less stressful. One counselor said an ethical way to self-disclose is not to actually self-disclose. For example, you can say, this is what people share at meetings. You are telling the client what helped you, for the benefit of the client, with out actually saying it was you. If done correctly, this can resolve some problems, but again, we (as counselors) are not properly trained how to do this. A method that another counselor used was to only disclose relating to recovery, not current issues. In doing this, it is harder for the client to become involved in your issues. It would also be a way to tell only relevant information. Being a counselor in recovery, you are dealing with issues beyond just keeping sober. On the other hand, your client is most likely trying to just keep sober, so why would sharing current issues be for the good of the client? Again, when you self-disclose appropriately and ethically, it can be a model of hope for the client and become extremely useful. The one thing that counselors, across the board, agreed on was that you should without doubt consult with colleagues to get a look at the situation from another view. The question still remains a question, is it ethical to have a dual relationship or to self-disclose? Yes, both are ethical and at the same time, they may not be. They are both very complicated ethical dilemmas that have many different views and can only be answere...
