Helping Clients Help Themselves: Managing Ethical Concerns When Offering Guided Self-Help Interventions in Psychotherapy Practice

An imbalance exists in the mental health care system; a majority of those suffering from mental illnesses are underserved as a result of barriers to participating in psychotherapy, yet simultaneously, many people who receive psychotherapy could more efficiently benefit from a less-intensive intervention. This imbalance could be addressed in part by alternatives to traditional once-a-week talk therapy that utilize minimal therapist support in combination with other resources. One such alternative, guided self-help, has shown promise in studies and is attractive to clients. However, aspects of the guided self-help approach raise ethical concerns about whether to offer this treatment and when and how to do so. This article outlines these concerns and provides a practical, research-based guide to upholding ethical standards when beginning to use guided self-help interventions in one's practice.