Cultural Competencies and Gender in Psychotherapy: A Qualitative Study on the Professional Experiences of Male Psychotherapists

Basit Öğe Kaydı
dc.authorid0000-0002-1983-6372
dc.contributor.authorSiper, Yasar Tunc
dc.contributor.authorUstunel, Anil Ozge
dc.date.accessioned2026-04-04T18:56:05Z
dc.date.available2026-04-04T18:56:05Z
dc.date.issued2025
dc.departmentİstanbul Bilgi Üniversitesi
dc.description.abstractPsychotherapists' professional development processes are an important, yet understudied issue in the literature, especially in Turkiye. One of the most critical areas of professional development is cultural competence, and gender awareness is a significant dimension of it. Few studies pointed out the effects of traditional masculinity norms on professional development and revealed the conflicts about emotions, authority, and boundaries experienced by male psychotherapists. Although developmental and social dimensions of masculinity in Turkiye are extensively studied, research examining its impact on the practice of psychotherapy and psychotherapists' professional development is limited. Thus, the current study aimed to examine male psychotherapists' experiences from a gendered perspective. For this purpose, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 male psychotherapists aged between 27-52 having 3-20 years of experience. The data was analyzed with thematic analysis and revealed three main themes: a) Transforming masculinity roles through being a psychotherapist, b) Difficulties in the psychotherapy relationship, and c) Tensions and doubts caused by the profession. Findings showed that participants try to distance themselves from traditional masculinity and define an alternative role while experiencing doubts and inadequacies professionally due to stereotypes about masculinity and financial concerns. The findings also indicated that psychotherapists had difficulties in working with emotions with male patients, and in establishing trusting relationships with female patients, and they feared being accused of sexual harassment. The findings drew attention to the gender-based conflicts of male psychotherapists in Turkiye. Some educational and professional suggestions are discussed in relation to cultural competence and ethics. Limitations and suggestions for future research are discussed.
dc.identifier.doi10.31682/ayna.1507423
dc.identifier.doi10.31682/ayna.1507423
dc.identifier.endpage250
dc.identifier.issn2148-4376
dc.identifier.issue2
dc.identifier.startpage211
dc.identifier.trdizinid1315178
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.31682/ayna.1507423
dc.identifier.urihttps://search.trdizin.gov.tr/tr/yayin/detay/1315178
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/11411/10678
dc.identifier.volume12
dc.identifier.wosWOS:001548530400003
dc.identifier.wosqualityN/A
dc.indekslendigikaynakWeb of Science
dc.indekslendigikaynakTR-Dizin
dc.language.isotr
dc.publisherOdtu- Ayna Klinik Psikoloji Destek Unitesi
dc.relation.ispartofAyna Klinik Psikoloji Dergisi-Ayna Clinical Psychology Journal
dc.relation.publicationcategoryMakale - Uluslararası Hakemli Dergi - Kurum Öğretim Elemanı
dc.rightsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.snmzKA_WoS_20260402
dc.subjectProfessional Development
dc.subjectPsychotherapy
dc.subjectMascunility
dc.subjectGender
dc.subjectCultural Competence
dc.titleCultural Competencies and Gender in Psychotherapy: A Qualitative Study on the Professional Experiences of Male Psychotherapists
dc.typeArticle

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