Gender Distinctions: Should We Be More Sensitive to the Different Therapeutic Needs of Men and Women in Clinical Hypnosis? Findings from a pilot interview study

Men are less likely than women to seek therapies of various kinds. This pilot study aimed to obtain preliminary findings on how gender differences impacts on help-seeking and treatment preferences in clinical hypnosis. Six UK-based clinical hypnotherapists were interviewed by phone between December 2014 and March 2015. All six therapists identified gender differences in help-seeking with their clients. Five of the six therapists identified gender differences as potentially important when dealing with clients' presenting problems and treatment preferences. The core category that emerged from grounded theory analysis of the interviews was 'The causes of changes in gender-typical patterns'. These initial findings have implications on how clinical hypnotherapists are trained in respect to maximising their therapeutic efficacy.