© Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature 2018 303
P. McCarthy Veach et al., Facilitating the Genetic Counseling Process,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-74799-6_11
Chapter 11
Counselor Self-Reference: Self- Disclosure
and Self-Involving Skills
Learning Objectives- Define self-disclosure and self-involving skills.
- Differentiate self-disclosure from self-involving responses.
- Determine guidelines for effective self-disclosure and self-involving
responses. - Describe potential benefits and risks of each type of response.
- Identify examples of counselor-patient themes appropriate for self-
involving responses. - Develop self-disclosure and self-involving skills through self-reflection,
practice, and feedback.
Two types of genetic counseling skills involve self-reference by genetic counselors:
self-disclosure and self-involving responses. Self-disclosure is the genetic counsel-
or’s communication to the patient of information about herself or himself. Self-
disclosure includes a range of information including demographics, beliefs,
attitudes, perceptions, experiences, desires, and actions, as well as feelings about
people and/or situations other than the patient (McCarthy Veach 2011 ). Self-
involving responses are direct communications of the counselor’s feelings about
and reactions to the patient in the here-and-now situation (McCarthy Veach 2011 ).
These responses vary in the extent to which they are I-focused (i.e., self-disclosure
about one’s self, “My mother had breast cancer, so I understand a bit of what you
are going through.”) versus we-focused (i.e., self-involving statements about the
counselor-patient relationship, “I’m feeling uncomfortable that you are not answer-
ing my questions.”) (McCarthy Veach 2011 ).