Choice of Therapeutic Approaches as a Function of Sex of Subject, Type of Problem, and Sex and Title of Helper

Abstract

A study was carried out using 96 subjects to discover how their preferences for four therapeutic approaches varied as a function of their sex, the type of problem they were asked to imagine they had (intimate or work/academic), and sex and title (counsellor or psychotherapist) of the professional from whom they would seek help. The four approaches used were: psychoanalytic therapy, cognitive-behavioural therapy, humanistic therapy, and a ‘common-sense’ approach consisting of responses typically given by non-professional helpers (e.g. friends and relatives). The results showed that the cognitive-behavioural approach was preferred overall, closely followed by the humanistic approach; the common-sense approach and psychoanalytic therapy were given the lowest ratings. However, interactions showed the picture to be more complex than this: women preferred female helpers, with men having no particular preferences; and the type of approach subjects preferred depended to some extent on the type of problem they had and the title of the helper consulted. The results suggest that counselling centres should be staffed with helpers of both sexes and differing theoretical backgrounds, so as to give clients as wide a choice of therapeutic help as possible.