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Therapists' perceptions of the relationship between gender and anger in the treatment of female clients
Abstract
The literature on gender and psychotherapy, sex-roles, and the psychology of women reveals that the influence of gender on client and therapist behavior has important implications for the process and outcome of psychotherapy practice, especially as it pertains to angry feelings. The primary aim of this study was to examine the relationship between gender and anger in psychotherapy process. This was accomplished though in-depth, semi-structured interviews with eight (four female and four male) mental health professionals. They were asked to discuss their general views regarding the role anger plays in one's emotional functioning and their perceptions of the relationship between gender and anger in their treatment of female clients. Qualitative data analysis indicated that there was considerable variation among therapists in how they conceptualized anger and viewed it as an issue in individuals' psychological functioning. General themes of therapists' perceptions of "female" and "male" patterns of the expression of anger emerged. The "female" pattern was frequently identified as involving the avoidance and suppression of anger and linked to feminine sex-role norms prescribing that anger is inappropriate for females to express. Conversely, the "male" pattern was frequently identified as involving the direct, open expression of anger and linked to masculine sex-role norms prescribing that anger is appropriate for males to express. Gender differences in how therapists' experienced and responded to clients' anger were revealed. These gender differences tended to parallel those found in clients' expression of anger. This study illustrates that gender is an important variable in psychotherapy and supports the view that anger is a central psychotherapy dimension. In considering the broader implications of this study, it is apparent that more systematic data needs to be collected from clients and/or third party observers in addition to therapists.
Subject Area
Clinical psychology|Womens studies
Recommended Citation
Murphy, Shelley Lynn, "Therapists' perceptions of the relationship between gender and anger in the treatment of female clients" (1990). Doctoral Dissertations Available from Proquest. AAI9110192.
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations/AAI9110192