I hate generalising, but...Â. Coaches Views on Differences in Treatment Style for Male and Female Clients

Abstract

Men are generally more reluctant than women to seek psychological help, perhaps because of negative preconceptions about therapy. We interviewed 20 life coaches to find out whether they had seen gender differences in expectations and outcomes regarding coaching in their male and female clients. Analysis of the interviews, using the grounded theory method, revealed that although almost all coaches described gender differences in help seeking and treatment preferences in their clients, most coaches demonstrated ambivalence about describing such gender differences. Findings are discussed both in terms of cognitive dissonance theory, and in terms of the beta bias hindering the recognition of gender differences. These findings have implications for how coaches (and psychotherapists, psychologists etc) can improve the delivery of their therapy.