[MrPink182]

just wondering, I am sure it is much more rare than the other way around.

[stopdog]

Here is a study:
Sexual Attraction to Clients - The Human Therapist and the (Sometimes) Inhuman Training System

[Ididitmyway]

If you mean counter-transference in general, every therapist, regardless of gender and other qualities, experiences it and express it one way or another with every client, mostly unconsciously. Counter-transference is just a therapist's transference to a client, and transference is a universal phenomenon that exists everywhere, not only in therapy, including this forum

If you meant specifically erotic transference towards clients, I too would tend to think that male therapists unconsciously act it out more than female therapists. I think, it's just not in the female nature to feel sexually attracted to a man who came to her for help with his emotional issues and his life problems, while for males the opposite is often true. But the cases of female therapists attraction toward male clients do exist, even though they are not as common as with male therapists.

[MrPink182]

Originally Posted by Ididitmyway

If you meant specifically erotic transference towards clients, I too would tend to think that male therapists unconsciously act it out more than female therapists. I think, it's just not in the female nature to feel sexually attracted to a man who came to her for help with his emotional issues and his life problems, while for males the opposite is often true. But the cases of female therapists attraction toward male clients do exist, even though they are not as common as with male therapists.

This is what I meant. Sorry for the confusion. I was just wondering how often it happens to male clients and female T's.

Thanks

[doyoutrustme]

Assuming you mean erotic type of transference, I don't think there's any benefit from telling the client. The therapist needs to recognize it like anything else, and use the knowledge to help the client, like everything else. Telling the client doesn't do anything except make them uncomfortable.

[Ford Puma]

Nop... not to my mind.
Would not mind if it though as I am grown up enough to understand these things happen.

[Ididitmyway]

Originally Posted by MrPink182

This is what I meant. Sorry for the confusion. I was just wondering how often it happens to male clients and female T's.

Thanks

It's actually a very interesting question because the statistical data on this is very scewed. What I mean is that when the male therapist crosses professional boundary with the female client, the client is much more likely to report it than the male client would report his female therapist who crossed the boundary with him. So, the statistics of the reported cases doesn't represent the reality of what's going on, and besides that there is no other data about the commonality of the ET in each gender scenario. From what I've read in the professional magazines that regularly publish reports about disciplinary actions, both male and female therapists are being reported, including for sexual violations, but the reports on male therapists seem to be more common.

[MrPink182]

Originally Posted by Ididitmyway

It's actually a very interesting question because the statistical data on this is very scewed. What I mean is that when the male therapist crosses professional boundary with the female client, the client is much more likely to report it than the male client would report his female therapist who crossed the boundary with him. So, the statistics of the reported cases doesn't represent the reality of what's going on, and besides that there is no other data about the commonality of the ET in each gender scenario. From what I've read in the professional magazines that regularly publish reports about disciplinary actions, both male and female therapists are being reported, including for sexual violations, but the reports on male therapists seem to be more common.

That makes sense. If a female T came on to me and kissed me or whatever, I would stop her....but I wouldn't report it. I don't know. I guess I am just a guy.

[grimtopaz]

You are absolutely correct. If you look at the gender-dyad in cases brought up with the Board of Psychology the most overwhelmingly common dyad is, of course, male therapist - female patient.

Care to guess what the second one is?

Female therapist - female patient. This would NOT have been my guess, and most likely, the second ACTUAL most common dyad for sexual misconduct is female therapist - male patient; however, men tend to not report due to a myriad of reasons. (There's also the component of most patients being female).

Interestingly, there are a number of "straight" female therapists who have been attracted to female patients - check out Ken Pope's article - I believe it was posted in this thread.

Originally Posted by Ididitmyway

It's actually a very interesting question because the statistical data on this is very scewed. What I mean is that when the male therapist crosses professional boundary with the female client, the client is much more likely to report it than the male client would report his female therapist who crossed the boundary with him. So, the statistics of the reported cases doesn't represent the reality of what's going on, and besides that there is no other data about the commonality of the ET in each gender scenario. From what I've read in the professional magazines that regularly publish reports about disciplinary actions, both male and female therapists are being reported, including for sexual violations, but the reports on male therapists seem to be more common.

[Ididitmyway]

"Care to guess what the second one is?

Female therapist - female patient"

I am not surprised at all. The first erotic object for the human babies of both genders is the woman-the mother. The woman is the "first love" for both men and women so to speak..and this initial longing is never completely forgotten.

I've heard many stories of harm done in therapy when the therapist violated professional boundaries. Male T-female patient dynamic was the most common I've heard, BUT it was immediately followed by female T-female patient. The difference in a number of cases between those two scenarios was insignificant.

[Torrius]

Originally Posted by MrPink182

just wondering, I am sure it is much more rare than the other way around.

About erotic-countertransference, I'm not so sure. It's true when we say that male therapists more likely act upon their sexual feelings towards a female client. However countertransference is just a reaction to client's transference.
In my opinion, erotic-CT "hits" both male and female therapists, they both can experience it as well. It's not a risk, it's only important they know how to handle it, in order not to jeopardize their client's health.
I've read stories where female Ts felt aroused in presence of a client, while others slept with their former patients. Perhaps I'll seem over-selfconfident, but I'm affirming this even because I think my T is experiencing erotic countertransference. I'm not sure about that, but there are some signals that make me suspect it. For example: in every session she touches her hair at least a dozen of times (I counted them), when it was summer I noticed she always dangled her sandal under the table, what's more she's ok too meet me again after termination. They more likely may not signify anything, but all these things put together make me picture she's experiencing countertransference, and maybe an erotic one. Overall I'll be careful about what's going on.

Originally Posted by MrPink182

That makes sense. If a female T came on to me and kissed me or whatever, I would stop her....but I wouldn't report it. I don't know. I guess I am just a guy.

I totally agree with you. If my therapist came on me, I wouldn't at all report her, probably I'll reject her but never take her to the psychologist board. It's just man's nature. Most other men would think it's ridicolous to report a woman who sexually exploites a man, and the same reason regards therapy! On the other hand, a man who harasses a woman is conceived like a predator, even far worse when the man is her therapist, since she's rather vulnerable and it would also mean he's taking too advantage on her.

[Petra5ed]

I think it happens less with a female therapist and male client solely because of what each gender finds attractive. Historically speaking most women are attracted to powerful men, most women want to be dominated... and most men want to dominate. It's not universally true by any means but I would not find a man I am helping attractive, and I'd say most women are with me that seeing a man be emotional is not a turn on. I'm much more apt to find a man in a position of power attractive. And vice versa I think a man seeing a vulnerable and emotional woman might be attractive to him.

This is just my opinion but I don't think that female T's are reported less because male clients aren't as likely to report as female clients are. If you think about it both sexes are unlikely to report. If I slept with my T, which I'm not planning to, but if I did I would both have wanted to and would have to think about the effects on my marriage should I report him, plus the fact I'd be publically shaming myself and destroying his career. For those reasons I don't think I would report, much more likely if I was hurt I would find another therapist and try to move on.

Check out the link Stopdog posted. The link shows when asked male therapists are three times more likely to experience attraction to a client, and they are three times more likely to have slept with a client. These were anonymous surveys, so either all the female therapists lied about only rarely being attracted or the difference in "abuse" rates lies mostly in the fact that male therapists are more attracted /attractive in their role vs female.