A Qualitative Course-Based Investigation into First Year Child and Youth Care Student?s Lived Experience of Self-Disclosure

This qualitative course-based study explored the lived experiences of first-year Child and Youth Care students with self-disclosure, a key feature of the Bachelor of Child and Youth Care (CYC) program at MacEwan University. The purpose of the course-based study was to better understand the degree of emotional vulnerability involved in the self-disclosure process for first year CYC students. The data analysis revealed two main thematic categories: “focus on one's self” including (a) questioning the value and amount of self-disclosure (enough already), (b) feeling vulnerable (no place to hide), and (c) feeling comfortable (it's all good) and “focus on others” consisting of (d) building a supportive community (feeling connected) and (e) learning from the personal experiences of others (feeling strength). Given the emphasis on self-disclosing as a critical strategy in building the self-reflective capacity of first-year CYC students, the results of this course-based study suggest a need for further inquiry into the method of self-disclosure in the first-year classroom setting.