As an aspiring clinical health psychologist, I increasingly realize the value of self-analysis. Performing a periodic self-assessment is a healthy activity because I assess my current state and where I want to be. Clinical health psychologists expend emotional and physical energy helping others. Sometimes the daily strain of work and the stress that comes with it can exhaust the clinical health psychologist mentally and physically. Professionals cannot provide for their clients if their own needs are not met. Counselors of all theoretical orientations identify their own engagement in personal therapy with another professional as one of the most critical elements in maintaining their own professional balance and effectiveness (Orlinsky, Schofield, Schroder, & Kazantzis, 2011). The personal dispositions and behaviors that affect my mental and physical health are evident. First, I tend to be task-oriented. This is a great quality when I'm studying for a PhD, but it's not always good for relaxing and spending time with my family. Second, my mind never seems to turn off. Sometimes I engage a lot with difficult clients as I try to help them overcome their difficulties and resolve their problems. Although my level of engagement is not inappropriate and I do not feel obligated to care for the client, the level of emotional energy expended may not be appropriate outside of a session. These two personal attributes can create stress in my professional and private activities. life. Additionally, my husband and I have six children. The oldest has mental health issues and, although she lives alone, she receives daily phone calls and regular visits to the emergency room when medication levels are out of balance. My youngest I......in the middle of a newspaper...discussing my politics with them. For me, the questions I ask when considering any type of personal disclosure are: (1) does it help my client, (2) can it harm my client, and (3) what are the the negative repercussions that could result from disclosure? Since self-disclosure is rarely beneficial to a client, the answer to all three of these questions is usually “no.” ReferencesOrlinsky, DE, Schofield, MJ, Schroder, T. and Kazantzis, N. (2011). Psychotherapists' use of personal therapy: A user-friendly review and new study. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 67(8), 828-842. doi:10.1002/jclp.20821 Taylor, L., McMinn, MR, Bufford, RK, & Chang, KT (2010). Psychologists' attitudes and ethical concerns regarding the use of social networking sites. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 41(2), 153-159. doi:10.1037/a0017996