On Self-Disclosure (and Cat Photos) in Therapy

I recently gave myself the “Most Professional Therapist” award because even though I did, in fact, show my client pictures of my cats during session, I limited myself to only two. (One of each cat, obviously.)

Frasier and Niles, my resident chaos goblins, are not exactly qualified therapy cats, but they are the inspiration for this reflection on therapist self-disclosure - that tricky, fascinating question of how much of ourselves we bring into the room.

In this piece, I explore:
🐾 Why self-disclosure matters and how it can shape a client’s sense of safety and connection
🗣️ How therapists decide what to share and when (and why some questions get lovingly dodged)
💭 The fine line between authenticity and overexposure in the therapy room
💫 And the moments when a therapist’s vulnerability can actually deepen healing

It’s a mix of humor, humility, and a lot of curiosity about how we balance our humanness and our professionalism, because therapy is weird, wonderful, and beautifully human work.

Read the full essay on Substack!

If you’re interested in learning more about my counseling approach—or just want to keep up with future reflections on therapy, relationships, and the art of being human—visit my About Me page or subscribe to my Substack for new essays and updates.