Brief-term counseling with sexually abused girls: The impact of sex of counselor on clients' therapeutic involvement, self-concept, and depression.

Wagner, William G.; Kilcrease-Fleming, Desiree; Fowler, William; Kazelskis, Richard

doi:10.1037/0022-0167.40.4.490

Cited by 11 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…This may be further compounded by a client’s history. Some research has shown, for example, that girls who have been sexually abused show an initial preference for female therapists (Fowler & Wagner, 1993; Fowler, Wagner, Iachini, & Johnson, 1992; Moon, Wagner, & Kazelskis, 2000; Wagner, Kilcrease-Fleming, Fowler, & Kazelskis, 1993). Interestingly, several studies have found that a male therapist was preferred when the problem was vocational (Blier, Atkinson, & Geer, 1987; Boulware & Holmes, 1970).…”

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confidence: 99%

Women’s preference of therapist based on sex of therapist and presenting problem: An analog study

Landes

Burton

King

et al. 2013

Counselling Psychology Quarterly

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An analogue study was conducted to examine differences in women’s preference for and anticipated comfort self-disclosing to hypothetical therapists of different sexes based on the type of hypothetical presenting problem. The impact of general level of self-disclosure was also examined. Participants included female college students (n=187). Anticipated comfort self-disclosing to male or female therapist was rated by subjects when presented with therapists of each sex with the same qualifications. Women preferred and reported higher levels of anticipated comfort self-disclosing to a female therapist. Type of hypothetical presenting problem and general level of self-disclosure also impacted anticipated comfort self-disclosing. There was an interaction between general level self-disclosure and the sex of therapist on anticipated comfort self-disclosing. General level of self-disclosure only impacted anticipated comfort self-disclosing when the therapist was male. This information is relevant for therapists or organizations that provide psycho-social services to women. Organizations may want to inquire about a client’s preferences about sex of therapist beforehand and, if possible, cater to the client’s preference.

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confidence: 99%

Women’s preference of therapist based on sex of therapist and presenting problem: An analog study

Landes

Burton

King

et al. 2013

Counselling Psychology Quarterly

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“…Other investigators of group interventions have examined brief exposure to abuse-focused discussion and structured games or exercises; some of these authors reported improvements in self-concept, depression, and suicidal ideation (Wagner, Kilcrease-Fleming, Fowler, & Kazelskis, 1993).…”

Section: Group Therapymentioning

confidence: 99%

Treatment and intervention for child victims of violence.

Kolko

1998

Violence Against Children in the Family and the Community.

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This chapter reviews recent literature that describes and evaluates intervention techniques or programs for children who have been sexually or physically abused, neglected, psychologically or emotionally abused, or exposed to violence at home or in the community. This broad perspective on the treatment of childhood victimization is warranted owing to the accumulation of empirical evidence suggesting the adverse impact of each of these forms of maltreatment on children's development, children's subsequent experience of clinical dysfunction, and the co-occurrence of the different forms of abuse (see Toth & Cicchetti, 1993;Finkelhor, 1995). This chapter is organized by maltreatment subtype to provide an overview of salient developmental effects, treatment models or descriptions, program evaluation reports and findings from controlled studies, and clinical and research directions. Although there is clearly much overlap among these various forms of child maltreatment, separate presentation permits a clearer This chapter was supported, i n part, by Grants %A1459 and 9CCA1547 from the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect (NCCAN). The author appreciates the constructive comments of Cynthia Schellenbach and Elissa Brown and the technical assistance of Cathy Rich and Kathy Smith.

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“…Some girls were exposed to more than one type of abuse: fondling = 14 (52%), vaginal penetration = 13 (48%), anal intercourse = 3 (11%), digital penetration = 2 (7%), attempted penetration = 2 (7%), cunnilingus = 1 (4%), and fellatio = 1 (4%). Eight (29%) of the girls who participated in the present investigation were part of the counseling process study reported in Wagner et al (1993).…”

Section: Participantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Likewise, Fowler and Wagner (1993) found no sex-of-counselor difference in girls' posttreatment reports of their actual comfort with their counselor, male or female. Although Wagner et al (1993) also found that sex of counselor was not related to girls' increased verbalization across the six counseling sessions, the authors made no attempt to examine the types of verbal responses given by these children.…”

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confidence: 95%

“…In their research pertinent to this issue, Wagner and his colleagues found no sex-of-counselor effect for girls' improved self-concept, decreased depressive symptomatology, and improved participation across six sessions of psychoeducationally based counseling in which child sexual abuse topics were addressed (Wagner, Kilcrease-Fleming, Fowler, & Kazelskis, 1993). Likewise, Fowler and Wagner (1993) found no sex-of-counselor difference in girls' posttreatment reports of their actual comfort with their counselor, male or female.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Sexually abused girls' verbalizations in counseling: An application of the client behavior system.

Porter¹,

Wagner²,

Johnson³

et al. 1996

Journal of Counseling Psychology

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The Client Behavior System was used to evaluate the therapeutic process with 27 sexually abused girls enrolled in psychoeducationally based individual counseling. Based on ratings collected for the session in which the topic of sexual abuse was formally introduced, it was found that girls were more likely to provide abuse-related answers in response to questions pertaining to child sexual abuse, regardless of whether they were treated by a male or female counselor. These findings provide reason to reconsider previous recommendations that sexually abused girls are best treated by female counselors.The sexual abuse of children and adolescents "is much more prevalent than previously believed" (Gold, Hughes, & Swingle, 1996). For example, Russell (1983) found that 38% of the women in her community sample reported having had a molestation experience by age 18. Because most of the perpetrators of sexual violence against children are men (Finkelhor & Russell, 1984), some authors (e.g., Blick & Porter, 1982;Mogul, 1982) have concluded that sexually abused girls are better served when psychological services are provided by female clinicians. Despite the intuitive appeal of this position, female counselors trained to work with young survivors are not always available, thereby leaving mental health professionals with the difficult choice of placing girls on a waiting list or abandoning traditional recommendations and assigning these young clients to male counselors. Given the potential problems associated with delaying treatment for sexually abused girls, especially those whose abuse is of recent origin, serious study is needed concerning the therapeutic implications of having male counselors work with these children.One area that merits particular attention is the impact that sex of counselor has on the therapeutic relationship that clinicians develop with sexually abused girls. In their review of the adult literature relevant to this topic, Atkinson and Schein (1986) concluded that, in general, there is little support for the benefits of same-sex counselor assignment. But these authors cautioned that special consideration be given when "the client's presenting problem appears relevant to membership-group similarities" (Atkinson &

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Brief-term counseling with sexually abused girls: The impact of sex of counselor on clients' therapeutic involvement, self-concept, and depression.

Abstract: This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.

Cited by 11 publications

References 38 publications

Women’s preference of therapist based on sex of therapist and presenting problem: An analog study

Women’s preference of therapist based on sex of therapist and presenting problem: An analog study

Treatment and intervention for child victims of violence.

Sexually abused girls' verbalizations in counseling: An application of the client behavior system.

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