Waller G, Katzman M A
Department of Psychology, University of Southampton, England.
Int J Eat Disord. 1998 Mar;23(2):117-23. doi: 10.1002/(sici)1098-108x(199803)23:2<117::aid-eat1>3.0.co;2-n.
This study assessed the client and clinician characteristics associated with choosing a male or a female therapist for eating-disordered individuals.
Participants were 27 clinicians who worked in the field of eating disorders. They were asked to judge whether they would be more likely to recommend a male or a female therapist for an adolescent client presenting with eating problems, given different clinical features.
Considering the group as a whole, the client characteristics that were associated with a preference for a female therapist included a history of paternal sexual abuse, body image issues, and an overprotective mother. The recommendation of a female therapist was more likely if the participants were older, and less likely if they were medically qualified. However, duration of experience with eating-disordered patients was not a relevant factor.
Future research into the appropriateness of male or female therapists for eating-disordered clients should attend to the complex contribution of both therapists' and clients' characteristics.
