Why are most counsellors female?

Question

Is it because women make better counsellors, or is it because men are just not interested in the job? Or, maybe there is less call for men in the profession? Does this put any male contemplating a career as a counsellor at an advantage?

Answer 1

Women are better listeners

Answer 2

Hi Cavok,
I think infact i'm certain that being a counselor has not a thing to do with gender. No, the profession itself is not suited to male or female specifically and puts no-one at an advantage.
The most important thing for any conselor irrespective of gender is *DEDICATION*.
This is one field of medicine where u have to be certain that the job is for u and u can give youre all to ur chosen profession. This may mean unexpected overtime and domicillary visits with out prior warning also taking your turn to be oncall 24/7.
Contary to what is often thought being a conselor consists of far more than just sitting behind a desk and listening to your clients.
There are vast methods of conseling and from your closing sentence i sense that maybe u are considering this profession.
If so the advise i offer u is to be 100% certain as u will be entering a world where u have ppl relying on you to help them and know for sure u know what ur doing.
You can choose to specialize in one particular feild however, in doing this u have to be qualified in all aspects of counseling first.
Remember also that if u are considering this path u have to keep Dr./Client privilge at all times .
Depending on your clients problem it will be up to u to decide the correct proceedure for your client always remembering that although u may have 2 clients with exactly the same problem the way they respond to treatment is totally different, this is because they are individuals therefore they respond differently to the same things.
It is however a fact that some clients feel more at ease with a certain gender though under no circumstances is conseling a field that is specifically more dominated by one gender or another, in these cases the refering Dr. tries to comply with their patients request although this is not always possible at the time.
To be a successful counselor other than being totally dedicated to the profession u really have to really want and realize that u will be working with vunerable ppl who are hopeing you can help them to get their life back .
If this is what youre contemplating plz make sure this profession is really for you and if u arrive at a posotive consulsion may i wish u all the very best in your quest.
Counselors have a tendacy at present to be overworked and have a long waiting list.....
I'm not at all sure where u got your information from my friend that counselors seem to be female in the majority however this is certainly not factual.
I hope i have answered your question and once again wish u all the very best if this is your chosen path.

Answer 3

Counselling hours? Do they suit a women's working schedule better? I do not believe that women are better listeners or more emotional. The job of a counsellor is to stay outwith the situation and therefore not emotionally engaged. Also all counsellors must be good listeners so it is whoever is the best listener gets the job not necessarily the female who gets the job.

Answer 4

It could be a little of both. Women tend to be better listeners, more empathetic and nurturing. They are affectively driven. Men tend to be bigger thinkers. They're intellectually driven. However, this does not mean that all male psychologists are horrible treatment providers. My current supervisor is a man and he's awesome!
There is also waning interest in this field from the XY group. I can't give you a clear explanation for this that isn't complete speculation.
Being a man in this field has its advantages and disadvantages. From my experience, patients tend to prefer to work with females. Every now and then, you'll see a kid whose mother insists on seeing a male therapist. There are also a lot more men in forensic psychology, however, that gap is shrinking.

Answer 5

I tnink it is because women are more emotional and better listeners. Also they talk alot more than men which is something you have to be good at if you are a counsellor. It is a scientific fact that commonly more women are emotionally stronger than men, what with childbirth and bringing up the baby. Also men talk a third of what women talk in a day which might explain something!!

Answer 6

As a trained counsellor (female) I can see no difference whatsoever - during my training, there were 1 to 1O ratio, and wonder if its not down to the men to take the training, the guys that were on my course were excellent, maybe its a MAN THING?

Or, because the men are main bread earners and had less opportunity to take the training, it costs a few pretty pennies, most tended to be mid aged women??? mmmm....?

Answer 7

Several things.

Firstly, the Psychology student ratio will influence this. On my course, there are 150 females, and just 5 males. Psychology and the social sciences appear to appeal more strongly to females than to males in general, and this will thus be reflected in the number of male counsellors.

Secondly, in line with genderal stereotypes, females are encouraged to talk about their problems, and become strong communicators, as illustrated by the need to gossip etc. Women are far more likely to talk about their problems to their peers and family, and as such, will learn to respond appropriately, much more quickly than males. They will have a lot more experience on average, than a male, of listening and offering advice, by the time they reach university age. At this point, they may then wish to do so for a living, and start a Psychology degree.

Females are also very compassionate in general, and have an urge to "mother" (I'm not saying all females are maternal, but compared to males, there is a popultion bias in this type of person...). They may therefore wish to enter the caring professions to offer love and care to people who require it. Society still encourages men to be ruthless and competitive, whilst females are encouraged to nuture, also.

Many of the things people see counsellors about are very personal. Females may see a counsellor about rape, or abuse, eating disorders, and abuse. They may therefore preder to see a female counsellor who they believe (rightly or wrongly) will better empathise with them. In tha case of rape etc, they will also be less afraid of a female taking advantage of them, and will therefore be less guarded, as is necessary.

As for females being bettr counsellors... I have no doubt that males can be very efficient counsellors also. Some of my best friends are male, and offer very straight forward no-nonsense advice, which can be very useful in times of need. There is no doubt that male and female counsellors would approach a situation very differently, but both can be equally as effective and good at their jobs. I believe the gender bias in the counselling profession is due to the continuing existence of gender-based socialisation.

Answer 8

In any situation of stress, a woman's natural response is to relate to those around her while men tend more to isolate and try to work it out themselves. Some people might find a male counsellor more intimidating than a woman, just as children tend to go to their mothers with their troubles rather than their fathers.

Answer 9

Women are better listeners and they care more for feeling than for being paid. Men don't take the time out to do anything that will take more than 5 minutes. Women are the care factors for the earth that's y they are made to give birth and they are also prone to be emotional so the person with the problem will feel more comfortable and patience is a must.

Answer 10

I think it is because most of us are destined to be mothers. Mothers are nurturers. Sensitive in a way that men aren't. My husband is a wonderful father. But women just have an instinct to point out in a room full of people who is sad. We're caretakers. We tend to think from our heart more I think.

Answer 11

Well, typically women are just more empithetic then men. It has to do with the mother thing. Men where the hunters and such in ancient times, while women where the organizers and nurturers.