TMatch - Client Preference for Therapist Demographics
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Client Preference for Therapist Demographics

In the boxes below, check your preferences, if any, for your ideal therapist. For
most traits, you may check more than one preference. Then if you have checked
something besides "I don't care," indicate the importance to you of your choice.

Therapist's Age

I don't care
25-35 years old
35-45 years old
45-55 years old
Over 55 years old
Extremely Important
Very Important
Somewhat Important
Not Very Important

Race or Ethnicity

I don't care
African American
Asian
Caucasian
Hispanic
Mixed race
Extremely Important
Very Important
Somewhat Important
Not Very Important

Sexual Orientation

I don't care
Heterosexual
Homosexual
Bisexual
Extremely Important
Very Important
Somewhat Important
Not Very Important

Sex (Gender)

I don't care
Female
Male
Extremely Important
Very Important
Somewhat Important
Not Very Important

Economic Background

I don't care
Low income
Middle class, blue collar
Middle class, white collar
High income
Extremely Important
Very Important
Somewhat Important
Not Very Important

Marital Status

I don't care
Married
Not married, living with mate
Was married, mate deceased
Separated or divorced
Single, never married
Extremely Important
Very Important
Somewhat Important
Not Very Important

Parental status

I don't care
No children
Infants or toddlers
Young children
Teenage children
Grown children
Extremely Important
Very Important
Somewhat Important
Not Very Important

How This Assessment was Created

These questions were for assessing clients on their preferences for these areas of demographics in their therapists. They were part of the client questionnaire in TMatch. Therapists were asked equivalent questions in the therapist questionnaire, or course without the questions about the importance of the preferences. Clients were then matched to therapists based on the degree to which their preferences matched the therapists self-assessments. Although there were predictions that therapists would not be willing to answer these questions, there wasn't a single therapist in the study who expressed the slightest amount of reluctance to answer any of these questions.