Choice of therapeutic approaches as a function of sex of subject, type of problem, and sex and title of helper

Abstract

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...