When sharing personal experiences as a CPSS, it should be done to support the peer and maintain professional boundaries.

When sharing personal experiences as a CPSS, it should be done to support the peer and maintain professional boundaries.

• A. Never share any experiences
• B. Share freely to build trust
• C. Only share if it helps the peer and maintain boundaries
• D. Share stories that glorify recovery

Answer: (C)

Sharing personal experiences as a CPSS should be purposeful: use your own story to support the peer, show that recovery is possible, and offer practical strategies, all while keeping professional boundaries in place. When you decide to disclose something about yourself, it should clearly benefit the peer’s recovery, be relevant to the situation, and be brief enough not to shift the focus away from the peer. This thoughtful approach helps build trust without turning the session into a personal narrative about you. If you share too much or without a clear purpose, it can blur boundaries, risk over-identification, or overwhelm the peer. Sharing nothing can hinder rapport and credibility. Sharing freely to build trust or sharing stories that glorify recovery can misalign with the peer’s experience and set unrealistic expectations or create pressure. So the best approach is to share only when it helps the peer and keeps boundaries intact. If you’re unsure, seek supervision or refer back to professional guidelines to keep the focus on the peer’s needs.

Sharing personal experiences as a CPSS should be purposeful: use your own story to support the peer, show that recovery is possible, and offer practical strategies, all while keeping professional boundaries in place. When you decide to disclose something about yourself, it should clearly benefit the peer’s recovery, be relevant to the situation, and be brief enough not to shift the focus away from the peer. This thoughtful approach helps build trust without turning the session into a personal narrative about you.

If you share too much or without a clear purpose, it can blur boundaries, risk over-identification, or overwhelm the peer. Sharing nothing can hinder rapport and credibility. Sharing freely to build trust or sharing stories that glorify recovery can misalign with the peer’s experience and set unrealistic expectations or create pressure. So the best approach is to share only when it helps the peer and keeps boundaries intact. If you’re unsure, seek supervision or refer back to professional guidelines to keep the focus on the peer’s needs.