Gender differences in factors that facilitate successful therapeutic progress and outcome: A pilot study

Abstract

The current study aims to explore gender differences in factors that facilitate successful therapeutic progress and outcome in the process of psychotherapy. The study was conducted in order to facilitate gender‐sensitive psychotherapy. In order to ascertain the objectives, the sample was collected from individuals who have either experienced or are experiencing psychotherapy as clients. In total, 20 females and 20 males were selected for participation in the study. The data were collected through an online mode. Informed consent was obtained from all clients. The tools used in the study were Session Rating Scale and Session Impacts Scale. The tools were used to assess the factors that determine therapeutic progress and outcomes. Information obtained on these tools was recorded and assessed through quantitative data analysis. Participants were also assessed qualitatively by asking them to describe any major events or important impacts that occurred as a result of psychotherapy. Qualitative responses were then recorded and analysed using content analysis in order to explore the subjective experiences of participants which contributed to their recovery. The findings indicated that males and females equally value the importance of therapeutic alliance between the therapist and client, and agreement on goals and methods. Males and females perceive task and relationship‐oriented factors as helpful in therapy. The relationship factors include being supported and encouraged in therapy, and feeling validated and understood by the therapist. The task‐oriented factors include tools used in therapy, definition of problems and setting therapeutic goals. Males tend to be more sensitive towards factors that inhibit the therapeutic process in comparison with females. Males experience the feeling of “something missing” in therapy sessions more than females. Overall, the findings of this study enhance the understanding of factors that aid recovery in the psychotherapy process for males and females.

Mediating Effects of Reactance in the Relationship Between Adult Attachment and Working Alliance in CBT: A Structural Equation Modelling Approach

“…Male participants in the sample, exhibited significantly greater therapeutic reactance towards therapists, a finding that has been repeatedly observed by the reactance research community with very few contradicting findings, as males are generally less trusting of therapists, more reactive towards authority figures, and more prone towards safeguarding their personal freedoms (Mihelic, 2019). The secondary finding of higher reactance towards male therapists, may stem from the general sociopsychological theory which posits that men are generally perceived as more threatening (Kenrick, 2010) and less trustworthy than women in general, an effect that continues to hold in gender differences of individuals in caring professions (Munoz et al, 2019) or due to the more technical communicative style that is observed in men in psychotherapeutic professions (Arora & Bhatia, 2022). Nevertheless, it was found that gender differences in reactance were not representative of the formation of the overall working alliance, suggesting that other buffering effects of male CBT therapists may diminish the spill-over effect of therapeutic reactance onto the working alliance (Budge & Morandi, 2018).…”