Self-disclosure in psychotherapy supervisors: gender differences.
OBJECTIVE
This article will explore the possible reasons for gender differences found in self-disclosure in psychotherapy supervisors.


METHODS
Trainees and supervisors in the Brown University Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior completed a questionnaire that asked about the appropriateness of the actions of a psychotherapy supervisor.


RESULTS
On three items, male and female supervisors differed significantly in their perceptions of appropriate boundaries. These items were: interacting with the resident alone outside of supervision e.g. playing tennis (p = .0005), publishing identifiable content of supervision discussions with resident's consent (p = .0006), and disclosing the supervisor's prior struggles with substance abuse (p = .0008). Female supervisors answered "never" to these items in greater numbers than the male supervisors, who, for the most part answered "occasionally".


CONCLUSIONS
Traditional gender role behaviors and differential gender socialization patterns are possible reasons for the gender difference in perception of boundaries by supervisors.
Heru
Alison M
AM
Brown Medical School and Butler Hospital, 345 Blackstone Boulevard, Providence, Rhode Island 02906, USA. aheru@butler.org
Strong
David
D
Price
Marilyn
M
Recupero
Patricia R
PR
D000328:Adult; D005178:Faculty; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000193:education; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000193:education*; D012650:Self Disclosure; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires