Caricature of a Therapist: the Double Standard of How our Looks Determine our Success.

This is a tough subject, because I wish it didn’t matter. I wish that we lived in a world where appearance does not dictate first impressions. But even more so, the world we live in holds women and minority groups at a higher standard for looking presentable than it does men. I hate to say it, but there are negative repercussions for your career if you do not look the part.

In the therapy office, new clients come in and they have a big decision to make, “Is this the person that I trust will help me?”

Therapist Attire and Competence

In the therapy office, new clients come in and they have a big decision to make, “Is this the person that I trust will help me?” In a way, it is like a job interview; and what you wear and how you present yourself actually matters. A study done by Sage Journals suggests a strong correlation between a therapist’s attire and the new client’s willingness to continue therapy. Not only that, the study also found a relation between the therapist’s attire and the client’s perception of the therapist’s character. Specifically characteristics of being caring, trustworthy, authentic and competent.

Other articles suggest that those in the field of counseling and psychology should dress analogously to that of a business professional. “The proper way to dress in the psychology profession is not that much different than the way you would dress as an accountant or attorney.” But I am not here to do your taxes; I am here to conduct therapy in your time of emotional need. So why does what I wear matter?

When I think about therapists on television or movies, I imagine a well put together woman with pulled back hair, a beige sweater, likely wearing a business casual top. This is the image that new clients have before they walk in your door. If I don’t look like the image that they have conjured up, then that new client may not stick around.

Female Therapists Compared to Male Therapists

For some reason, this seems to be the case for female therapists more so than for male therapists. Tori Dunlap in her book Financial Feminist writes about this as a double standard in most career fields, “The patriarchy says we’re wasting money on makeup and nice clothes, then tells us we look “tired” or “unprofessional” when we don’t. … if we listen to that advice and don’t put on makeup, we’re then less likely to win respect.”

So my initial success of retaining clients is dependent on how I dress? As a woman, this gives me a feeling that I am not too comfortable with. We all know that it takes women longer to get ready in the morning than a man. But why is that? Can’t we just elect to throw our hair up and walk out the door in whatever clothes are on the top of the laundry pile? Dunlap’s thoughts continue, “There is the expectation that a woman’s natural state requires adornment to reach a minimal standard, whereas men need only tuck in their shirts.”

I have seen this situation many times in my counseling career. I have worked at community health centers that allowed the male therapists to keep their offices like war-zones, because men are just not clean and organized like us. I have worked at treatment centers that allowed the male therapists to wear sweats to work, talk sports, and bill for full hours after spending 15 minutes with their patients because we are lucky to have male counselors. I once talked to a male therapist that saw 50 clients a week in 45 minute phone call sessions, also while driving in his car to get Dunkin’ Donuts; and in his words “It pays to have a Y chromosome in this field.” Barf.

While most of us would love to say that we aren’t apart of this problem, implicit bias is real for everyone. This is automatic and unintentional, but it does affect our decisions and judgements.

Minority Groups in the Workforce

It is necessary to note that ethnicity, weight, age, and sexuality play a factor in this as well. Despite the fact that black women enroll in college at higher rates than white men, they constantly need to prove their competence in job roles, and continue to be paid less than both men and white women. More than one in four transgender people report losing their jobs due to bias. Shockingly, weight-based discrimination in the workplace is still legal in nearly all parts of the world, except for a handful of cities in the US. These situations without a doubt cross over into the field of psychology and counseling — both from bosses and coworkers, as well as with clients.

While most of us would love to say that we aren’t apart of this problem, implicit bias is real for everyone. This is automatic and unintentional, but it does affect our decisions and judgements. Don’t believe me? This assessment from Harvard University will bring this to light on a personal level.

A Challenge to You as the Therapist

The solution to this problem is not clear and not readily within grasp. We cannot change this double standard of sexism, racism, homophobia and sizeism overnight. While we make efforts to look the part of a presentable and competent therapist, we need to reflect inward on our own first impression judgements and biases. How often do you see a new client and make a judgement about their situation or commitment to therapy before even hearing their story? No one is exempt from this, and we all have something to learn.

Unfortunately, while there is injustice in being judged by outward appearance, it is a cultural more that is impossible to avoid. Clients will make assumptions about your competence based on how you present yourself. So do your best to be clean and tidy; but don’t make changes to your style in order to fit a specific role. Represent your culture with your own personal flare. And let your work speak for itself!