Doctor self-disclosure in the consultation

Abstract

Doctors' self-disclosures to patients are an important dynamic in consultations. These can be categorised as unavoidable, inadvertent or deliberate. It is important in facilitating therapeutic outcomes to reflect on the types of messages unavoidably communicated by the doctor's appearance, speech and practice and consulting room environments, and to recognise self-disclosures caused by disruptive doctor transferences, so these transferences can be processed and minimised. Deliberate choices by doctors to disclose personal information and experiences are common. Without awareness and understanding, this can be unhelpful. Guidelines are provided to facilitate self-disclosures that build the doctor-patient relationship and improve therapeutic outcomes.