Gender of therapists

[Robbed]

Okay. I have not seen a therapist for quite some time, and for reasons I have explained NUMEROUS times before. But thinking back at therapy, there is something I have noticed about the gender of therapists. Specifically, I found that male therapists tended to be ALOT more respectful of me than female therapists (even if they couldn't really help me). I kind of got the vibe from female therapists that they believe that guys should be strong, and not have anxiety problems. Or that I am a complete loser because I am a thirtysomething guy without a family or a high-paying job. Have any of you guys out there noticed anything similar about male vs female therapists?

[Velrose]

Well, I'm not a guy, but I have to say something. My therapist is female, and to be honest, at first I thought, oh... wonderful, it will be easier to speak with another woman about my issues.

WRONG.

She's actually quite hard to speak with, and I feel like honestly--she's far more judgmental than the male doctor I am seeing as well.

[Robbed]

I actually have a theory on this, so here it goes. Therapy is generally considered a 'women's profession'. And a profession that pays pretty damn good at that. So in addition to women who genuinely make GREAT therapists, ALOT of the women who become psychologists and MFTs are what we might call 'alpha females' - hard driven, career-mined types. Hillary Clinton is a particularly good example of this type of person (imagine having HER for a therapist! YIKES!!!). Whether male or female, these types are, by nature, not exactly sensitive AND tend to exploit perceived weaknesses in others to their advantage - even if only to make themselves feel like stronger and more important people. But most of the time, 'alpha male' types are just not going to even THINK of becoming a therapist or psychologist. Most likely, they have MBAs or law degrees on their mind when going to school. Since most guys tend to go for more 'male-oriented' professions, guys who actually DO go into psychology or therapy tend to be more sensitive types who really WANT to be psychologists/therapists.

[Velrose]

Ya know, that makes a ton of sense. I would honestly say, my doctor's office, which houses many doctors as well as therapists... hmm... 85 percent are female?

Everything with my therapist seems very mechanical-very by the book--in fact, she refers to MANY books during are session and it's almost distracting!

I just wish I had it in me to out and out quit seeing her, but I am too afraid of confrontation. :(