What was that secret? Framing forced disclosures from teen mothers

Although previous research has examined the micropractices of therapeutic interaction, few studies have focused on the expression of power in group therapy. This ethnographic study examines a therapeutic program for teen mothers to explore how self-disclosure occurs, focusing on the therapist's techniques for soliciting disclosure and subsequent responses. These techniques include the therapist's own disclosures, presentation of commands, and revelation of information, which then evoke the disclosure. Individuals respond with immediate compliance, delayed compliance, or sustained resistance. Although the therapist attempts to mask this imbalance, her strategies reinforce the power differences between herself and the teen mothers. The interactions observed here illustrate how clients may find therapeutic environments less about psychological unburdening and healing and more about the negotiation of power in an institutional setting. A more effective therapy might focus on disclosure of clients' successes rather than primary on the revelation of discrediting information.