WCAI: Prof. Gianino Talks About Secrecy in Romantic Relationships on ‘The Point’
Mark Gianino, PhD, LICSW, a clinical associate professor at Boston University School of Social Work (BUSSW), shared his expertise on the impact of secrets in romantic relationships on the WCAI radio program “The Point.”
Hosted by Mindy Todd, Prof. Gianino and fellow guests Jenny Putnam, Marc Whaley, Jonathan Schwartz had a profound and wide-ranging discussion that focused on the causes and effects of secrets, and the process of healing after secrets are revealed.
Excerpt of “Secrets and the reasons behind them” (May 21, 2025), published on WCAI’s The Point:
People hold on to secrets because they fear a negative outcome. And then the longer you hold on to a secret, right, the harder it is to expose it. Like, ‘Oh my God, I can’t just share that now because we’re holding it.’ So they just kind of put it away in a drawer …
There is something important and powerful about the intentional disclosure that can be helpful in repairing a relationship. The person is holding on to something for a long time [and say] ‘I didn’t know what to do … I just put it away. I’m so sorry.’”
Prof. Mark Gianino is a social work practitioner and educator who specializes in the treatment of trauma and mood disorders, and work with LGBTQ+ clients and groups. He is the ethics coordinator at BUSSW and has decades of experience as a clinician, supervisor, and administrator in mental health settings and private practice.