IF ITS NOT ABSOLUTELY CONFIDENTIAL, WILL INFORMATION BE DISCLOSED

Professional standards and law provide for exceptions to the confident iality of the client-therapist relationship. What therapists tell clie nts about limits of confidentiality presumably influences their willin gness to self-disclose information. In a survey study, Ss were given d ifferent information about the limits of confidentiality in the therap y relationship. Ss offered absolute confidentiality reported greater w illingness to self-disclose information than did Ss informed of limits to confidentiality. There was no difference in reported self-disclosu re between Ss who received brief, general information about the limits of confidentiality and Ss who received detailed information. Any info rmation about limits to confidentiality appeared to inhibit reported s elf-disclosure, but a complete description did not result in more inhi bition than a brief, cursory description.