Skip to main content

Research on Gender and Psychotherapy

  • Chapter
The Woman Patient

Abstract

Although psychotherapists, at least since the time of Freud, have recognized and written about the importance of gender, until recently the sex of therapist and/or patient has not received much systematic attention in psychotherapy research. In their view of the literature on adult sex roles and mental illness, Gove and Tudor concluded that, “Sex acts as a master status, channeling one into particular roles and determining the quality of one’s interaction with others.”1 At this point, however, the effects of these roles on the quantitative and qualitative aspects of psychotherapy remain poorly understood and to a degree controversial. In this chapter, we examine some of the relevant psychotherapy research, including our own work, and its implications for psychotherapy theory and practice.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Gove WR, Tudor JF: Adult sex roles and mental illness. In Changing women in a changing society. Edited by Huber J. Chicago, University of Chicago Press, 1973.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Broverman IK, Broverman DM, Clarkson FE, et al; Sex role stereotypes and clinical judgments of mental health, Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 34: 1–7, 1970.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Berzins JI: Therapist-patient matching. In Contribution to effective psychotherapy: An empirical assessment. Edited by Gurmen AS, Razin AM. New York: Pergamon Press, 1979.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Bern SL: The measurement of psychological androgyny, Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 42: 155–162, 1974.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Fabrikant B: The psychotherapist and the female patient: Perceptions, misconceptions, and change. In Women in therapy. Edited by Franks V, Burtle MA. New York, Brunner/Mazel, 1974.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Brown CR, Hellinger MC: Therapists’ attitude toward women, Social Work 20: 266–270, 1975.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Schwartz J, Abramowitz S: Value-related effects in psychiatric judgment, Archives of General Psychiatry 32: 1525–1529, 1975.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Abramowitz S, Roback H, Schwartz J., et al: Sex bias in psychotherapy: A failure to confirm, American Journal of Psychiatry 133: 706–709, 1976.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Garfield SL, Affleck DC: An appraisal of duration of stay in outpatient psychotherapy, Journal of Nervous and Mental Disorders 129: 492–498, 1959.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Mischel W: Sex-typing and socialization. In CarmichaeVs manual of child psychology. Edited by Mussen PH. New York, Wiley, 1970.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Maccoby EE, Jacklin CN: The psychology of sex differences. Stanford, Calif., Stanford University Press, 1974.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Kirshner LA, Hauser ST, Genack A: Effects of gender on short-term therapy, Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, and Practice 25: 158–167, 1978.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Mintz J, Luborsky L, Auerbach A: Dimensions of psychotherapy: A factor analytic study of ratings of psychotherapy sessions, Journal of Consultation and Clinical Psychology 36: 106–120, 1971.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Phillips D, Segal B: Sexual status and psychiatric symptoms, American Sociology Review 34: 58–72, 1969.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Light DW: The impact of medical school on future psychiatrists, American Journal of Psychiatry 132: 607–610, 1975.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Cartwright L: Personality differences in male and female medical students, Psychiatry in Medicine 3: 213–219, 1972.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Carter C: Advantages of being a woman therapist, Psychotherapy 5: 297–300, 1971.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Alonso A, Rutan JS: Cross-sex supervision for cross-sex therapy, American Journal of Psychiatry 235: 928–931, 1978.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Thompson C: Notes on the psychoanalytic significance of the choice of analyst, Psychiatry 1: 205–216, 1938.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Davidson V: Patient attitudes toward sex of therapist: implications for psychotherapy. In Successful psychotherapy. Edited by Claghorn JL. New York; Brunner/Mazel, 1976.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Ivey EP: Significance of the sex of the psychiatrist, American Journal of Psychiatry 2: 607–610, 1960.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Chesler P: Patient and patriarch: Women in the psychotherapeutic relationship. In Women in sexist society, edited by Gornick V, Moran BK. New York, Basic Books, 1971.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Rice JK, Rice DG: Implications of the women’s liberation movement for psychotherapy, American Journal of Psychiatry 130: 191–199, 1973.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Persons RW, Persons MK, Newmark I: Perceived helpful therapist’s characteristics, client improvements, and sex of therapist and client, Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice 11: 63–65, 1974.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Orlinsky DE, Howard KI: The effects of sex of therapist on the therapeutic experiences of women, Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice 13: 82–88, 1976.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Hill C: Sex of client and sex and experience level of counselor, Journal of Consulting Psychology 22: 5–11, 1975.

    Google Scholar 

  27. Howard KI, Orlinsky DE, Hill JA: Patient’s satisfactions in psychotherapy as a function of patient-therapist pairing, Psychotherapy 7: 130–134, 1970.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Boulware DW, Holmes DS: Preferences for therapists and related expectancies, Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 35: 269–277, 1970.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Zeldow PB: Sex differences in psychiatric evaluation and treatment, Archives of General Psychiatry 35: 89–96, 1978.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Mogul KM: Overview: the sex of the therapist, American Journal of Psychiatry 139: 1–11, 1982.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1982 Plenum Press, New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Kirshner, L.A., Hauser, S.T., Genack, A. (1982). Research on Gender and Psychotherapy. In: Notman, M.T., Nadelson, C.C. (eds) The Woman Patient. Women in Context: Development and Stresses. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-4094-2_16

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-4094-2_16

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4684-4096-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4684-4094-2

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics