Female clinical psychologists' reflections on the construction of gender in psychotherapy

[摘要] This research is qualitatively aimed at investigating how female clinicalpsychologists reflect on the construction of gender in psychotherapy. The motivationbehind such research was to investigate how gender influences the co-construction ofreality within this space. Female clinical psychologists were interviewed due to thehistorical prejudice of the female gender in psychology. Where previous research hasbeen directed towards patients' experiences of gender, this study aimed to understandthe psychotherapist's understanding of it. Gender has been treated as static withinpsychology. In addition, feminist constructionist writers have argued for a moreanalytical engagement with gender in the field. This is important in the SouthAfrican context, as previous research has indicated psychologist may be ill equippedin their training to deal with gender and gender-based violence.This study is positioned from a social constructionist epistemology. It is concernedwith constructions of gender through talk-as-interaction. It considers the usage oflanguage as the vehicle of such construction. Therefore the method of analysis usedhere is conversational analysis, as to consider just how these psychologists constructgender. Hence, this research is of a descriptive nature. Some of the finding of thisresearch indicate that gender is not only present in psychotherapy, but important inits work. Even though gender was difficult to describe outside of anatomicaldifference, these therapists indicated how it affected their therapeutic work. This wasdescribed through gendered projections and transference. These psychologistsbelieved that their limited training affected their initial work with gender, oftenrequiring them to learn about it in vivo.

[发布机构] University of Pretoria