How Therapists Work with Men Is Related to Their Views on Masculinity, Patriarchy, and Politics

Abstract

In recent years, guidelines have been issued encouraging therapists to see masculinity in relation to power, privilege, and other constructs related to patriarchy theory. An exploratory study took a snowball sample of psychological therapists (psychotherapists, clinical psychologists, etc) recruited through professional networks and social media platforms between September and November 2020. This anonymous online survey asked participants how they view masculinity in relation to therapy. A total of 107 therapists met the inclusion criteria, mean + SD age 47.1 + 12.5, 66% (71) male, and 12.1 + 9.9 years in practice. Sixty therapists also described their approach to therapy with men, and content analysis found three categories: male-orientated (i.e., being aware of male-typical preferences for therapy; n = 36); gender-neutral (i.e., treating male and female clients in the same way; n = 20); and anti-patriarchy (i.e., viewing men’s problems as a result of the influence of patriarchy on socialisation into masculinity; n = 4). Chi-square (χ2) analysis with Fisher’s exact correction found therapists with a male-friendly approach were significantly less likely than other therapists to believe that: the training they received was male-friendly (χ2 = 17.804, p < .01); patriarchy holds women back (χ2 = 17.542, p < .05); and masculinity is simply a social construct (χ2 = 17.476, p < .05). They also identified less as being feminist (χ2 = 16.787, p <. 05); and less as being left-wing politically (χ2 = 15.347, p <. 05). Therapists’ views about masculinity and patriarchy are significantly related to how they report treating male clients.

Note:
Funding Information: The authors received no funding for this project.

Conflict of Interests: The authors have no competing interests to declare.

Ethical Approval: Participants indicated their informed consent to take part by ticking a box which followed an information sheet. The survey was anonymous and confidential, and done in accordance with the ethical guidelines of the British Psychological Society (2014).

Keywords: masculinity; patriarchy; therapist; men; feminism