Stepchildren’s Communicative and Emotional Journey from Divorce to Remarriage: Predictors of Stepfamily Satisfaction

This study explores the emotional and communicative profiles of young adults who have experienced a parental divorce and the emergence of a stepfamily to better understand influences on stepfamily satisfaction. Results of regression analyses indicate that strong negative emotions experienced at the time of the divorce are a negative predictor of current stepfamily satisfaction, even after controlling for age at the time of the divorce. In addition, level of open self-disclosure to a stepparent, although not parents, is a positive predictor of current stepfamily satisfaction. Finally, the extent to which the father has now fully explained the circumstances of the divorce is a positive predictor of current stepfamily satisfaction, whereas the extent to which mother has now fully explained the circumstances of the divorce is a negative predictor of current stepfamily satisfaction. These findings are discussed and future directions for research on stepfamily interaction and satisfaction are offered.     

Siblings as Confidants: Emotional Understanding, Relationship Warmth, and Sibling Self-Disclosure

Associations among (a) self-disclosures between early adolescent siblings, (b) emotional understanding, and (c) relationship warmth were investigated. Grade 5–6 children (M age = 11.5 years) were interviewed concerning the incidence of disclosures to closest-in-age siblings (20 = older, 20 = younger), feelings regarding disclosing (or not), and sibling relationship quality. Warmth was measured with the Sibling Relationship Questionnaire (Furman & Buhrmester, 1985) and emotional understanding was assessed with the Hypothetical Relationships Picture Task (adapted from Schneider, 1989, & Aquan-Assee, 1992). Hierarchical multiple regressions indicated self-disclosure was positively associated with feeling good about sharing and negatively associated with reports of not trusting or not receiving emotional support from their sibling. Sibling relationship warmth was a key characteristic associated with both emotional understanding and self-disclosure; female target children demonstrated greater emotional understanding. Warmth, but not emotional understanding, was associated with self-disclosure. Findings are discussed in light of the importance of links between affective relationships and children's social-emotional understanding.     

To Tell or Not to Tell: The Disclosure of Events in the Therapist's Life to the Patient

Happy or disturbing events may occur in a therapist's life during the course of treatment that intrude on the therapeutic process whether or not their true nature is disclosed to the patient. Therapists are not immune from experiencing acute, chronic, and even terminal illnesses, divorce, remarriage, adopting a child, mourning the death of a parent or significant other, or major accomplishments. In many instances such events affect the treatment process by disrupting appointments, necessitating sudden absences, restricting a therapist's emotional availability and physical stamina, or altering the therapist's mood and affect. In other instances, patients may be aware of such events, at least unconsciously, because of subtle changes in the therapist. Drawing on self psychology and intersubjectivity this paper explores the reasons for therapist self-disclosure of these events based on an assessment of the patient's developmental needs and the nature of the transference. It will discuss ways of making such disclosures therapeutic.     

The impact of political violence: Adaptation and identity development in Bosnian adolescent refugees∗

This qualitative study explored the impact of the war in the former Yugoslavia and the experiences of forced exile on the processes of adaptation and identity development for five Bosnian adolescent refugees who have lived the United States for at least two years. Sources of resilience were found in individual temperament, adaptive responses to trauma, and cultural and family pride and loyalty. Because current research on political violence tends to focus on psychopathological outcomes and PTSD sequelae, particular attention was given to examining cultural meanings of trauma and development, as well as the health‐promoting forces that can occur in response to extreme trauma. Findings suggest several implications for future research as well as implications for mental health professionals working with refugees.     

Use of Self-Disclosure for the Gay Male Therapist: The Impact on Gay Males in Therapy

ABSTRACT

Homophobia and heterosexism often can negatively affect a gay male's development, and developing internalized homophobia can challenge connecting with others. Using a sample of eight therapist–patient pairs (16 participants), each participant responded to how often the therapist self-disclosed. In addition, each participant completed a measurement inventory to determine how connected each was to the other (patient to therapist or therapist to patient). Findings indicated that self-disclosure occurred often during therapy, and there was a fairly high level of connection between patients and therapists. Patients who perceived that their therapists self-disclosed more often also reported higher levels of connection when compared with those who perceived a lower level of therapist self-disclosure. Recommendations for future research are made along with practice implications designed to help therapists effectively use self-disclosure when working with gay male clients.     

Resolving Therapeutic Impasses by Using the Supervisor's Countertransference

The traditional role-set of the clinical social work supervisor has grown to be much more complex. From the exclusive position of teacher, administrator, and overseer she is now an integral part of a system wherein she is influenced not only by the therapist, client, and her own promptings but is a prime source of feedback to the client through the supervisee.As clinical social workers have shifted their conceptualization of therapy to a two-person psychology, this perspective has emerged as part of the supervisory process. Now the supervisor's countertransference responses to the supervisee, to his client, and to their interaction have assumed importance in supervisory work. This article is an attempt to demonstrate through case illustrations how the supervisor's disclosure of countertransference responses to the supervisee can strengthen the supervisory alliance which then enables the client and therapist to resolve therapeutic impasses.     

Regression,Self-Disclosure,and the Teach or Treat Dilemma: Implications of a Relational Approach for Social Work Supervision

This paper presents a brief review of a relational approach to clinical supervision and argues for its application in social work settings. Although an integral and essential part of practice, clinical supervision is underrepresented in the practice literature. Given this paucity of writings on supervision, the recent book by Mary Gail Frawley-O'Dea and Joan Sarnat, The Supervisory Relationship: A Contemporary Psychodynamic Approach, stands out as a seminal contribution because the authors present a fully developed relational model of supervision that fills a major gap in the development of contemporary relational theory and practice. We selectively review the basic concepts and principles of Frawley-O'Dea and Sarnat's model and apply this supervisory approach to current social work practice. Our focus will be on exploring three controversial and much-debated topics: self-disclosure, regression, and the teach or treat dilemma. Case vignettes from two supervisory experiences will serve to illustrate how a relational approach enhances both the treatment and the supervisory relationship.     

That Man Behind the Curtain: Investigating the Sexual Online Dating Behavior of Men Who Have Sex With Men but Hide Their Same-Sex Sexual Attraction in Offline Surroundings

This study investigates how men who have sex with men (MSM) use chat and dating sites based on theories of stigma-related offline behavior and online self-disclosure. We hypothesize that hidden MSM (those who self-label as heterosexual or who hide their same-sex sexual attraction from family, friends, acquaintances, or a female romantic partner) differ from open MSM in how they behave on gay chat and dating sites and in offline gay venues. Drawing on a survey of 12,002 MSM, we show that hidden MSM tend to mask their identity on gay chat and dating sites while avoiding offline gay venues. They also focus more strongly on online sexual activities (e.g., masturbating during online chats) when using gay chat and dating sites. However, they spend the same amount of time on these sites, and they use them to initiate offline sexual encounters as often and as fast as open MSM.     

Trauma and the Clinician: Therapeutic Implications in Clinical Work with Clients

This article explores clinical issues related to self-disclosure to clients following a traumatic event in clinicians' lives. In particular, special attention is paid to the role of self-disclosure in clinical work when clinicians are conflicted about whether or not to share personal information or how to communicate it to clients due to the nature of the trauma. Therapeutic implications, both short and long term, associated with such self-disclosure are discussed.     

心理咨询师的自我表露在心理咨询与治疗中的运用

在心理咨询与治疗过程中,咨询师的自我表露与来访者的自我表露具有等价的重要性。对于心理咨询师来说,最大的挑战不是咨询师是否进行自我表露,而是能否系统地利用自我表露使之发挥积极的作用。文章结合临床实践经验,从自我表露的定义、咨询师自我表露的功效以及咨询师自我表露的技巧三方面进行阐述。