Disclosure and nondisclosure about being in counseling

Abstract

We interviewed 13 undergraduate students who had been or were currently in counseling about whether or not they disclosed about being in counseling. Participants generally disclosed when they felt close to a person, and did not disclose when they felt they would be misunderstood or judged. Participants reported both neutral and positive consequences of having disclosed. Differences were found based on the level of shame-proneness, such that participants who were higher in shame-proneness seemed more self-protective and vigilant about others’ reactions when considering disclosing. Implications regarding how to deal with the stigma related to counseling are discussed.

Keywords:

• disclosure
• nondisclosure
• psychotherapy
• shame-proneness
• stigma