Género en la psicoterapia

EDNA FLORES
DIVERSITY ISSUES IN CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY
GENDER
5 MAJOR POINTS TO BE UTILIZED IN MY PSYCHOTHERAPY PRACTICE

1. The study by Lott & Saxon (2002) on judgments about U.S. women made me reflect on what kind of biases and stereotypes do I hold for women clients of low social-economic condition and of different ethnic backgrounds. In trying to conceptualize a case I am likelyto be subject to impression formation influenced by category-based stereotypes that apparently help to organize and give meaning to my perceptions (Hamilton & Trolier, 1986; as cited by Lott & Saxon, 2002). To counteract this kind of judgments I conclude that I have to gather relevant personal information and revise my conceptualization. However, I find that I should not totally ignore thestereotypes; rather I should explore in therapy the effects that such judgments have had in the client’s life, for instance institutional or interpersonal exclusion or discrimination.

2. Men’s mental health and help-seeking behavior are influenced by gender-roles transmitted and maintained by our society. Different studies have found that masculinity-related conflicts producepsychological distress, depression, difficulties establishing interpersonal intimacy and poor health behaviors in men (Good et al., 2005). In addition to the empirical association of masculinity- related constructs and clinically significant outcomes; there is also evidence that men that hold traditional perceptions of masculinity are more hesitant to seek mental health services (Good & Wood,1995; as cited by Good et al., 2005). In order to conduct effective therapeutic intervention with male clients, several suggestions have been proposed by the authors, which I can apply in my practice:
* Acknowledge the differences between traditional masculinity and the culture of therapy and make interventions to help the client resolve this ambivalence.
* Be aware of my assumptions andbiases towards men in general, or towards men of specific cultures, ethnicities, SES; and be willing to question them and discuss them in supervision.
* Take the time in therapy to explore worldviews of each male client and their adherence/identification with social gender roles.
* Take into account variables such as shame, control, emotional expressions and resistance towardsvulnerability when establishing a working alliance.
* Follow on gender-specific recommendations for different treatments, as they have become available on the literature.

3. After knowing about the help-seeking processes of rural LGBT people and their encounter with different kind of obstacles towards acquiring validating and effective mental health services (Williging et al., 2006), I feelcompelled to receive training and supervised experience with this group of clients. Up to now, I had assumed that I would not work with this population since I consider myself to be ignorant on the lifestyle and ideologies carried out by LGBT clients. Furthermore, my religious background and conservative social circle have not allowed me to

access any kind of interaction with or understanding ofLGBT people. However, as a psychologist I am very likely to receive a client that identifies as LGBT. Even though their reasons for referral may vary; such as depression, anxiety, substance abuse or relationship problems; and may or may not be related to their LGBT status, as a professional I need to be trained and sensitive in order to do more good than harm. The provider can be subject of multiplelimitations, bias and prejudice that “lead to inappropriate care and discontinuation of services” (p.872). In trying to acquire more knowledge on this area, I found very useful the results of the above mentioned study. They reported that for this sample from a rural sector, systems such as family, religion and community provided vital support and a safety net that helped the clients cope with...