Gender and psychotherapy with traditional men.
Therapists who are accustomed to operating in a world where gender roles are becoming increasingly androgynous may underestimate how foreign the experience of psychotherapy can be to "traditional" men. This paper describes the occurrence of transference and resistance encountered by female therapists when seeing male patients at a Veterans Administration (V.A.) Medical Center who identify with traditional American male gender roles. The discussion is informed by recent advances in the theory of male gender identity development and yields new insights into the typical defenses men may bring to the early phases of psychotherapy. Case examples from the authors' practices illustrate strategies for intervening with resistance and enhancing the therapeutic alliance. Common countertransference issues encountered by therapists working with "traditional" men are also discussed.
Gray Deering
Catherine
C
Emory University School of Medicine & Atlanta VA Medical Center, USA. catherinedeering@mail.clayton.edu
Gannon
Erica J
EJ
D003130:Combat Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D003379:Countertransference; D003674:Defense Mechanisms; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006787:Hospitals, Veterans; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group; D019529:Sexuality; D012752:Shame; D014167:Transference, Psychology; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology*; D047829:Vietnam Conflict