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Stereotyped masculine gender roles which are strongly reinforced by cultural dynamics have their roots in the psychological development of the male child. Broverman et al.3 showed that therapists’ concepts of the mental health of men and women are strongly associated with stereotyped gender roles. Thus, gender roles are a blind spot in the therapist's work with patients.
As feminine gender roles have been challenged, many men and women have examined their attitudes toward women. Only recently have a few men realized that men must also change to allow them to grow to their fullest potential. Therapists, too, must change, to allow themselves to work best with changing patients in a changing social milieu.
Many patients hold strong male chauvinistic attitudes, the dynamics of which have been delineated, in part, by Woods.12 Neurotic, obsessional, and schizophrenic patients often adopt a caricature of extremely rigid sex-role behavior in an attempt to maintain clear ego boundaries and a sense of identity. The rigidity of these roles inhibits growth and interpersonal relationships. The male therapist who sees these behaviors as ego-syntonic to himself cannot help these patients with many therapeutic issues.
This paper discusses issues related to masculine gender roles in a therapeutic situation. They are discussed in a clinical context, with examples taken from individual and group psychotherapy, emphasizing schizophrenic patients. Specific therapeutic techniques are discussed.
As masculine gender role behavior is ego-syntonic for the male therapist, specific problems of the male therapist will be discussed. A recommendation for consciousness-raising groups for male therapists is introduced, with a discussion of the advantages of such a group supervisory situation.
When the feminist movement officially began in Seneca Falls in 1848, its