EFFECTS OF DISCLOSURE OF COMPREHENSIVE PRETHERAPY INFORMATION ON CLIENTS AT A UNIVERSITY COUNSELING-CENTER

This experimental study examined the effects of comprehensive versus p artial written pretherapy disclosure on the behavior and perceptions o f university counseling center clients. Although all clients received information on services provided, confidentiality, length of sessions, and right to terminate therapy, only the treatment group received add itional information that included personalized data on therapists, wha t to expect in therapy, and risks and alternatives to therapy. The one statistically significant difference between clients who received par tial versus comprehensive disclosure favored the comprehensive disclos ure group. The results support previous research, which also concluded that there is no evidence that pretherapy disclosure adversely affect s therapy, and add substantially to this conclusion because of several methodological improvements and additions in the current research des ign compared with prior research designs.