But the value of disclosure is not limited to physical health. Writing about
previously undisclosed experiences also leads to better emotional and psycho-
logical well-being several months later (Frattaroli, 2006). Even putting our
feelings about everyday sources of stress into words often makes it easier to
cope with those concerns. College students in one study were less emotionally
upset about taking graduate school entrance exams when they wrote about
their feelings concerning the upcoming exam (Lepore, 1997). Freshmen in
another study who wrote about the problems they faced adjusting to collegehad higher grade point averages their first semester than students who wrote
about trivial topics (Cameron & Nicholls, 1998). Researchers also find that
individuals who typically conceal unpleasant personal information experiencemore distress and have a lower sense of well-being than those who tend to be
more open (Kahn & Hessling, 2001; Larson & Chastain, 1990).
But why does disclosure, even when written anonymously, result in better
physical and psychological health? One reason is that actively inhibiting
thoughts and feelings about unpleasant experiences requires a great deal of
psychological and physiological work (Pennebaker, 1989). The impact of thisstress is both immediate and long term. One investigation found an increase in
immune system strength immediately after participants wrote about traumatic
experiences (Petrie, Booth, & Pennebaker, 1998). Another study found partici-
pants slept better in the days following their disclosure (Mosher & Danoff-
Burg, 2006). The cumulative effect of withholding secrets over time takes its
toll in the form of increased illnesses and other stress-related problems.
Expressing thoughts and feelings also provides disclosers insight into
their feelings that they might not have recognized otherwise, and this insightmakes it easier to take steps to move beyond the experience (Kelly, Klusas,
von Weiss, & Kenny, 2001; King, 2001; King & Miner, 2000; Langens &
Schuler, 2007; Smyth, True, & Souto, 2001). As Rogers and other humanistic
theorists argued, putting feelings into words allows us to “see” our emotions
and thereby deal with them more effectively. Undergraduates in one study
were asked to write about traumatic experiences during three 20-minute
sessions (Hemenover, 2003). Three months later, these students scored higheron measures of mastery, personal growth, and self-acceptance than students
who had written about trivial topics. In other words, the writing experience
led to changes in the way participants thought about themselves.
Examples of beneficial self-disclosure can be found all around us. People
often turn to friends, bartenders, and clergy members when they need to talkabout their problems. Some people keep diaries, others write letters theynever intend to mail. Increasingly people are disclosing all kinds of personal
shortcomings and ordeals on anonymous websites. The benefits of disclosing
secrets can also be seen in psychotherapy (Cepeda-Benito & Short, 1998;Kelly, 1998; Kelly & Archer, 1995). Talking or writing about disturbing
experiences may be an important step in working through trauma (Janoff-
Bulman, 1992). Providing clients with an opportunity to openly discuss emo-tions, and thereby turning vague emotional images into coherent thoughts, is
probably one reason psychotherapy works for some people (Donnelly &
Murray, 1991; Murray, Lamnin, & Carver, 1989; Segal & Murray, 1993).316 CHAPTER 12 The Humanistic Approach