In self-disclosure guidance, which principle guides whether you disclose?

In self-disclosure guidance, which principle guides whether you disclose?

• A. Beneficence
• B. Non-maleficence - do no harm
• C. Justice
• D. Autonomy

Answer: (B)

Non-maleficence—the obligation to do no harm—guides whether you disclose. In self-disclosure, you weigh whether sharing personal information could confuse boundaries, shift the focus away from the client, create dependency, or reveal material that isn’t clinically relevant. If disclosure would risk harming the client or the therapeutic process, you withhold. When disclosure is brief, purposeful, and clearly tied to helping the client (for example, normalizing an experience or illustrating a coping strategy), it may be appropriate, but only if it avoids harm. While beneficence, autonomy, and justice are important in practice, the primary check for disclosure decisions is to ensure you do not cause harm.

Non-maleficence—the obligation to do no harm—guides whether you disclose. In self-disclosure, you weigh whether sharing personal information could confuse boundaries, shift the focus away from the client, create dependency, or reveal material that isn’t clinically relevant. If disclosure would risk harming the client or the therapeutic process, you withhold. When disclosure is brief, purposeful, and clearly tied to helping the client (for example, normalizing an experience or illustrating a coping strategy), it may be appropriate, but only if it avoids harm. While beneficence, autonomy, and justice are important in practice, the primary check for disclosure decisions is to ensure you do not cause harm.