Family Secrecy: Exploration of the process of selective disclosure in families and family therapy practice

To date, the main focus of research on family secrecy has been on family functioning, highlighting that family secrets are a systemic phenomenon, with toxic impacts on the family members who are kept in the dark. In recent years a new perspective on family secrecy emerged in which the focus is on selective disclosure. Research shows the concept selective disclosure seems to better comprehend the complexities of secrecy than the concept of family secret. Methodologically research on family secrecy proves a challenge and is often limited to the analysis of anecdotal data. The current study aims at better understanding the process of selective disclosure of family therapists when they come across family secrecy in their practice and in the domain of medically assisted procreation where selective disclosure is often an issue. By researching the process of selective disclosure in the context of medically assisted procreation we avoid research based on anecdotal data.