Male therapists' clinical bias: Influence of client gender roles and therapist gender role conflict

This study examined male therapists' gender role conflict, client sexual or ientation, and client emotional expression as they interrelated with clinic al judgments about male clients. Using a series of written clinical vignett es to manipulate the client variables of sexual orientation and emotional e xpression, 196 experienced male therapists completed a measure of male gend er role conflict, read a clinical vignette varying the client's sexual orie ntation and emotional expression, and rated the client on several clinical dimensions. Canonical analysis revealed 2 roots indicating that therapist g ender role conflict factors, in combination with client sexual orientation and emotional expression, were associated with therapists' ratings of the m ale client's prognosis and how much therapists liked, had empathy for, had comfort with, and had willingness to see the male client. Implications for counseling practice, limitations, and future research are discussed.