Counselors could disclose their values to a client if it is possible to convey acceptance or rejection of the client's values without risking the relationship. True or False?

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Not addressed
• D. Only with client consent

Answer: (A)

Disclosing personal values can be appropriate when it helps the client, not the counselor, and when it preserves the therapeutic relationship. The idea is to use self-disclosure selectively and with a clear, client-centered purpose: to model transparency, reduce ambiguity, and convey acceptance or a nonjudgmental stance toward the client’s own values. If sharing a value clarifies how the counselor might respond to the client or signals a respectful boundary, and it’s done in a way that supports the client’s autonomy and growth, it can strengthen trust and collaboration.

However, it must be done sparingly and carefully. The goal is to aid the client’s exploration, not to push the client toward the counselor’s beliefs or to create pressure. If sharing could threaten the alliance, distort the focus, or intimidate the client into conforming, it should be avoided. The client’s welfare and empowerment remain the priority, and any disclosure should always be framed and limited with that aim in mind.