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Sex Role Considerations for the Behavior Therapist

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Handbook of Clinical Behavior Therapy with Adults

Abstract

When asked if I would write a chapter on behavior therapy with women I had a number of reactions. I was looking forward to the opportunity to integrate my reading, research, and therapy experience more formally. However, I had some concerns. Most of the other chapters in this book focus on problems rather than populations. Being a woman is not a problem. The way that women are treated is sometimes a problem. A chapter on behavior therapy with women also carries a connotation that the problems of women are outside the mainstream of behavior therapy. Franks and Rothblum (1983) have written: Too often, textbooks on issues affecting both sexes include a chapter or section on how the particular topic affects women. One is led to conclude then, that all preceding material must refer specifically to men. (pp. 262-263) Therefore, I have decided not to write a chapter on behavior therapy for women but on sex role considerations for both genders. Sex role socialization is so ingrained in all of our upbringing that it is often easy to overlook and separate it out as an important facet of our learning histories.

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Resick, P.A. (1985). Sex Role Considerations for the Behavior Therapist. In: Hersen, M., Bellack, A.S. (eds) Handbook of Clinical Behavior Therapy with Adults. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-2427-0_19

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