Does the Gender of Your Therapist Matter?
Finding a psychologist that you feel totally safe and comfortable with is very important for your healing journey. Because of this, some people wonder whether it’s important for your psychologist to be a certain gender.
Some have theorized over the years that the gender of a therapist should not matter. After all if they have both been trained and registered and have a solid track record of helping clients, why should it matter?
While this attitude may make sense with other professionals, such as a dentist or veterinarian, gender can have a much more profound impact when it comes to seeking mental health counselling.
Beliefs and Comfort Levels Affect Treatment
Wishing your dentist was a woman instead of a man will not effective the outcome of your root canal. But feeling safer with a female psychologist will affect your outcomes. Or believing that only another man can truly understand what you are going through will certainly impact the effectiveness of your treatment.
A woman who is dealing with the trauma of a rape may certainly not feel safe enough in the presence of a male psychologist. Conversely, a woman who has been traumatized by a narcissistic mother may only feel safe with a male psychologist.
You Have Every Right
You should never feel guilty because you have a preference for a therapist who is of a certain gender. Your comfort should be your number one priority.
If you would like to explore treatment options, please contact us. We have male and female psychologists in our team.
SOURCES:
https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/faq/does-sex-or-gender-of-therapist-matter
