Client Preferences for Therapist Gender

A key gender-related issue in the practice of psychotherapy involves client preferences for female versus male therapists. Previous research on this issue has typically used non-client college student participants who reported on the preferences they believed they would hold if they sought therapy. In the present study, 41 male and 75 female therapy clients completed a questionnaire assessing their preferences for therapist gender and their reasons for those preferences. Most female clients preferred a female therapist. Most male clients expressed no preference for therapist gender. Among the males who did voice preferences, most preferred a female therapist. Results of exploratory analyses of underlying reasons for client preferences are also presented. The implications of these findings for establishing a positive therapeutic alliance are discussed.