Female or male therapists for women with eating disorders? A pilot study of experts' opinions
✍ Scribed by Waller, Glenn ;Katzman, Melanie A.
- Publisher
- Wiley (John Wiley & Sons)
- Year
- 1998
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 31 KB
- Volume
- 23
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0276-3478
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
✦ Synopsis
Objective:
This study assessed the client and clinician characteristics associated with choosing a male or a female therapist for eating-disordered individuals.
Method:
Participants were 27 clinicians who worked in the field of eating disorders. they were asked to judge whether they would be more likely to recommend a male or a female therapist for an adolescent client presenting with eating problems, given different clinical features.
Results:
Considering the group as a whole, the client characteristics that were associated with a preference for a female therapist included a history of paternal sexual abuse, body image issues, and an overprotective mother. the recommendation of a female therapist was more likely if the participants were older, and less likely if they were medically qualified. however, duration of experience with eating-disordered patients was not a relevant factor.
Discussion:
Future research into the appropriateness of male or female therapists for eating-disordered clients should attend to the complex contribution of both therapists' and clients' characteristics.