The Ethics of Self-Disclosure: Boundaries and Transparency

The Ethics of Self-Disclosure: Boundaries and Transparency (3HR) Presented by Dreya Blume, LCSW

$45.00

Course Description

This training examines the ethical complexities surrounding therapist self-disclosure, offering guidance on how to navigate the delicate balance between authenticity and professional boundaries. Participants will explore different types of self-disclosure and the potential therapeutic benefits and risks each may carry. Through discussion of real-world scenarios, cultural considerations, and relevant ethical codes, clinicians will develop greater clarity about when, why, and how to use self-disclosure intentionally and responsibly. The training emphasizes clinical judgment, client welfare, and the importance of transparency without overstepping relational boundaries.

Upon completion of the training, participants will be able to:

Differentiate between various forms of therapist self-disclosure and assess their potential impact on the therapeutic relationship.
Identify ethical guidelines and boundary considerations related to self-disclosure across diverse clinical contexts.
Apply decision-making strategies to determine when and how to engage in self-disclosure in a way that prioritizes client well-being.

Social workers completing this course receive 3 Ethics asynchronous continuing education credits.

For other board approvals, this course qualifies for 3 Ethics continuing education training.

Course Instructor: Dreya Blume, LCSW

Recording Date: 08/10/2026

Course Format

NBCC ACEP # 7091, CE Training Workshops has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP #7091. Programs that do not qualify are clearly identified. CE Training Workshops is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. CE Training Workshops designates this continuing education activity for 3 continuing education hours.

CE Training Workshops, LLC, #1770, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 08/02/2025 to 08/02/2028. Social workers completing this course receive 3 Ethics continuing education credits.

Meet Your Facilitator

Dreya Blume, LCSW, has traveled a long and winding road to arrive where she is today,as a therapist, coach, author, and group facilitator.

She has taught English in Thailand, Japan, Australia, and Hawaii. She has worked in psychiatric wards, served as a case manager, and eventually launched her own private therapy practice.

She has taught part-time as an adjunct professor for over twenty years, led multi-day international retreats, and written seventeen books, with an eighteenth on the way.

Syllabus

Introduction

Objective 1: Differentiate between various forms of therapist self-disclosure and assess their potential impact on the therapeutic relationship.

Personal experience
Emotional disclosure
Immediacy

Objective 2: Identify ethical guidelines and boundary considerations related to self-disclosure across diverse clinical contexts.

Ethical decision-making tree
Advantages and disadvantages of self-disclosure
Ethical gray areas

Objective 3: Apply decision-making strategies to determine when and how to engage in self-disclosure in a way that prioritizes client well-being.

Therapist countertransference
Case studies
Deciding when and how to self-disclose

Summary/Q&A