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Secrets in psychotherapy: For better or worse?
Ellen C Marks1, Clara E Hill1, Dennis M Kivlighan2
1Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park.
Journal of Counseling Psychology
|October 10, 2018
Summary
Clients disclosed secrets more often than they concealed them during therapy. While disclosures initially impacted the working alliance, overall session quality improved, especially with significant secrets.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Psychotherapy Research
Background:
- Secret disclosure and concealment are key processes in psychotherapy.
- Understanding their longitudinal dynamics is crucial for therapeutic outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the longitudinal patterns of secret concealment and disclosure in open-ended therapy.
- To investigate the relationship between these processes and the working alliance and session quality.
Main Methods:
- Hierarchical linear modeling was used to analyze data from 39 clients and 9 therapists.
- Longitudinal patterns of secret disclosure and concealment were identified.
Main Results:
- 85% of clients disclosed secrets, while 41% concealed them during therapy.
- Secret disclosure decreased over time, with concealed secrets being less significant.
- Disclosing secrets, particularly significant ones, improved session quality and had mixed effects on the working alliance.
Conclusions:
- Clients generally had positive experiences disclosing secrets, even if it temporarily affected the working alliance.
- Therapeutic alliance and session quality can be enhanced through the process of secret disclosure.
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