The Relation Between Supervisor Self-Disclosure and the Working Alliance Among Social Work Students in Field Placement

The author examined supervisor self-disclosure and the supervisory working alliance with the hope of adding to research-supported techniques in field work supervision. Students enrolled in an MSW program at a large urban university were asked to complete a survey on the frequency and content of their supervisor's self-disclosures and on their relationship with their supervisor (N = 184). Results suggest a strong link between supervisor self-disclosure and the working alliance. This author hopes to encourage supervisors looking to bolster alliances with their students to consider self-disclosure as a useful supervisory technique.