The Use of Instructor Self-disclosure as an Educational Intervention in the Graduate Social Work Human Sexuality Classroom

Abstract

This article examines the need for and history of human sexuality training in social work education, and explores self-disclosure, which has a history in both social work and education. This investigation leads to a discussion of instructor self-disclosure (ISD) as an intervention technique. From the literature, a theoretical case for the use of ISD as an educational intervention within the graduate-level, social work, human sexuality classroom is established. Through the adaptation of existing models, a model with three sets of variables (Student, Intervention, and Instructor) is offered for consideration, and a list of guidelines for sexuality educators to follow in utilizing ISD in their own classrooms augments the three-variable model. Finally, a case example is presented to further illustrate the model in practical application.