The Skill of Self-Disclosure in Supervision

Description

Self-disclosure can strengthen clinical and supervisory relationships, but many behavioral health professionals feel uncertain about using it. A well-timed disclosure may help a client or supervisee feel understood, validated, or less alone. When it is overly detailed, poorly timed, or disconnected from the other person’s needs, however, it can redirect attention, blur professional roles, create pressure to reciprocate, or leave the client or supervisee feeling responsible for the professional.

This training offers clinical supervisors a structured way to examine how self-disclosure functions in both therapy and supervision. For supervisors who want to make more deliberate decisions about their own disclosures while helping supervisees develop this skill, the course provides a practical framework for balancing authenticity, professional boundaries, relational impact, and the needs of the person receiving the disclosure.

Khara Croswaite Brindle, MA, LPC, ACS, CFT, is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Approved Clinical Supervisor, Certified Financial Therapist, educator, author, private practice owner, and co-owner of a supervision training practice. Her experience in clinical practice, supervision, teaching, and clinician development positions her to help supervisors consider how self-disclosure can support professional growth while maintaining clear roles, appropriate boundaries, and attention to the therapeutic or supervisory relationship.

Khara presents self-disclosure as a professional skill that can be considered, practiced, evaluated, and refined rather than automatically avoided or used without reflection. Participants will learn a practical framework that begins with clarifying the purpose of a disclosure, keeping it short and focused, and assessing how it lands through verbal feedback, nonverbal responses, and continued attention to the working alliance.

The course explores the potential benefits of self-disclosure, including rapport, validation, normalization, authenticity, trust, and collaboration. It also examines risks such as distraction, role confusion, boundary concerns, manipulation, minimization, and shifting clients or supervisees into a caregiving position. Supervisors will consider how disclosure may be used to normalize clinical uncertainty, imposter syndrome, difficult reactions to clients, critical incidents, and other experiences that affect clinician development without turning supervision into therapy. Attention is also given to inviting feedback, responding when a disclosure does not land as intended, and using consultation or reflection to recognize patterns in when, why, and with whom a professional tends to disclose.

Key Takeaways

• More intentional self-disclosure: Learn to clarify whether a disclosure is intended to validate, normalize, build trust, or support growth—and whether it is truly serving the client or supervisee.
• Clearer supervisory boundaries: Examine how supervisors can use and model self-disclosure without creating role confusion, pressuring supervisees to reciprocate, or shifting the relationship away from their professional development.
• A practical decision-making framework: Apply a simple process for determining the purpose of a disclosure, keeping it brief, evaluating its impact, and responding constructively when it does not land as intended.

Why This Course?

• Focused on an under-taught supervisory skill: Many behavioral health professionals encounter self-disclosure in practice without receiving structured guidance on how to use, model, or evaluate it.
• Balances authenticity with professional responsibility: Consider how relational connection and humanity can coexist with clear boundaries, attention to power, and a continued focus on the client or supervisee.
• Taught by an experienced supervisor and educator: Khara Croswaite Brindle brings direct experience in clinical supervision, clinician development, teaching, consultation, and professional practice.

Learning Objectives

• Assess the risks and benefits of self-disclosure as a supervisory tool.
• Identify the risks and benefits of self-disclosure within the clinical supervision relationship.
• Apply a self-disclosure framework to encourage the appropriate use of this tool by both supervisors and supervisees.

Self-disclosure does not have to be treated as something to avoid entirely or use without limits. With a clearer framework, supervisors can make more deliberate decisions, model appropriate professional disclosure, and help supervisees develop greater awareness of how their disclosures may affect clients and clinical relationships.

Format and Access

This is a non-interactive, self-study program and consists of over 1.5 hours of video instruction and a post-test.

Course Details

Availability: 

From the time of registration, you have six months to access the coursework.

Who Should Attend: 

This course is intended for clinicians who provide behavioral health services.

Teaching Methods: 

This is a non-interactive, self-study course. Teaching methods for this course include recorded lectures, videos, a post-test, and a course evaluation.

How to Attend: 

Course access and completion instructions.

Instructor and Disclosures

Instructor

Khara Croswaite Brindle, MA, LPC, ACS, CFT

Khara Croswaite Brindle, MA, LPC, ACS, CFT, is passionate about giving people aha moments that create goosebumps and catalyze powerful action. She is a TEDx Speaker, Licensed Professional Counselor, Certified Financial Therapist, Certified Enneagram professional, Approved Clinical Supervisor, and journal therapist living in Colorado. Khara enjoys various roles as a serial entrepreneur, 2x Amazon #1 Best-Selling Author, professional speaker, professor, and consultant. Khara specializes in helping therapists and financial therapists create secondary income streams against burnout through consultation, courses, and supervision. She is originally from the Pacific Northwest and gets her best ideas walking outside and being around water. When Khara’s not writing her next book or supporting fellow professional helpers on their own self-discovery journeys, she enjoys spending time with her daughter, reading, and indulging in gluttonous, gluten-free desserts with her family.

Disclosure Statement: The instructor(s) for this course receive compensation for their services. There are no reported conflicts of interest to disclose.

CE Hours

Credit Hours:

This course consists of 1.5 continuing education hours of credit.

Counselors:

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No, 6693.  Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified.  Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Mental Health Counselors. #MHC-0048.

Marriage and Family Therapists:

Many MFT licensing boards accept our courses or one of the approvals which we have from professional associations.  You can check with your board to determine if your licensing board would accept this course.

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0135.

Social Workers:

Telehealth Certification Institute LLC, #1609, 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: 05/02/2024 – 05/02/2027. Social workers completing this course receive 1.5 clinical continuing education credits.

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Social Workers #SW-0435.

Addiction Professionals:

Addiction Professionals: This course has been approved by Telehealth Certification Institute LLC, as a NAADAC Approved Education Provider, for educational credits, effective 8/12/2026. NAADAC Provider #193104, Telehealth Certification Institute LLC is responsible for all aspects of the programming.

Psychologists:

Telehealth Certification Institute LLC is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Telehealth Certification Institute LLC maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Psychologists #PSY-0128.

Art Therapists:

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Creative Arts Therapists #CAT-0093.

Other Professionals:

This course qualifies for 90 minutes of instructional content as required by many national, state and local licensing boards and professional organizations.  Retain your certificate of completion and contact your board or organization for specific filing requirements.

This course is a non-interactive, online self-study.

Participants may request a printed version of their certificate of completion to be delivered by mail. A shipping/handling fee of $6.95 will be charged per request. Shipping internationally may require an additional charge.

Accommodations and Policies

Close Captioning is available for live webinars and recorded video presentations.

You can click on the following links to view our policies:

• Accommodations for Individuals with Disabilities.
• Cancellation Policy
• Grievance Policy
• Support Options
• Disclosure Statement