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Perspectives on Mentoring: Women in Psychology

Carol Williams-Nickelson, Assoc. Exec. Director, APAGS

Carol Williams-Nickelson, PsyD
Associate Executive Director, APAGS

(This article first appeared in the Winter 2000 Edition of the APAGS Newslette.)

APAGS, dedicated to advancing the needs and interests of students, would be remiss if we did not address mentoring. The feminization of the field brings to the forefront special issues related to women and mentoring. While I do not intend to ignore or invalidate the mentoring needs of men, concerns about balance seem to be an emerging theme in the professional development of women as we work toward merging our identities as psychologists and women. Female students wonder if having it all (including a thriving / diversified / exciting career, family, holding professional leadership positions, engaging in community service, lobbying for political change, advocating for disadvantaged populations, and even learning new skills such as cooking and sewing) is a possibility or simply an unattainable fantasy. Are the female leaders of our field living balanced lives and are they able / willing to guide the new generation of women psychologists toward this end?

Given that psychology has not been immune to the biases and prejudices that have historically plagued all disciplines, resulting in limited opportunities for women, what are the mentoring experiences and opportunities like for women in psychology? Are women still making great personal sacrifices for their careers? Are we still placed in positions of having to continually prove ourselves under male dominated review? Does this interfere with the availability of female psychologists to mentor women because they must work doubly-hard to demonstrate their professional and intellectual abilities? Are those females engaged in thriving mentoring relationships operating from a "masculine template" in designing and defining their roles as psychologists and mentors? Are women in psychology faced with unique health concerns? Is our feminine identity challenged? Are we at risk for social isolation? Do the misperceptions about women having, using, or needing power still circulate even within our own profession?

Yes.

How do I know this? I asked. I then reported some of the aforementioned female perspectives at the 1998 APA convention. However, I want to do more than report that these struggles continue to exist. I want to work toward change and suggest one possible paradigm shift to help facilitate change. That is, I believe that it is critical for female mentors to model balance by engaging in "multiple relationships" with female students. I am not talking about unethical multiple relationships. Rather, I am referring to those types of relationships that model the negotiation of behavior in several roles. By severing opportunities for female students to observe and hear about the "personal" aspects of professional women's lives, we are deprived of models of how to have it all and the mechanisms by which personal and professional roles are both integrated and separated. I do not think that it is possible, or necessarily even desirable, to partition those parts of ourselves off, behaving as if compartmentalization is preferred and healthy. When women psychologists risk exposing their multiple selves to students, valuable opportunities to learn about balance are presented. When a female model for balance is not provided, we are led to believe that the ideal is indeed a fantasy, and that significant sacrifices are the inevitable price women must pay for professionalism.

The realities of gender-based discrimination and lack of opportunity for women in our field are difficult to face, but continue to exist. This is particularly true for those who desire to hold leadership positions, whether in academia, research institutions, organizations, or in association governance. These issues are even more profound and disappointing for women of color. Therefore, when women do hold such leadership positions, balance becomes even more difficult because of the pressures to perform exceedingly well in these high-profile, traditionally male, roles. The result is that there is a lack of high achieving, leading, female role models who have managed to balance their multiple roles effectively, without personal or social consequences. I am not suggesting that there is a complete absence of female mentors for psychology students. There are some women who serve as exemplary examples. Nevertheless, there are not enough of these women. Or, the women who are currently involved in thriving mentoring relationships are being stretched too thin and their resources are clearly taxed. Likewise, many women who have achieved their leadership goals in both personal and career domains have generally not done so without suffering extraordinary stress, which is not the ideal model of balance for emerging female psychologists.

Women often have idealized images of what our female mentor would look like and she is definitely balanced. In actuality, however, we lack women who fit these molds. An image or ideal that is unattainable is not a healthy social comparison for female students. So where do we go from here?

Simple answers are not forthcoming. However, I do embrace a philosophy of hope and possibility. As such, I believe that if female psychologists are willing to re-examine their personal and professional priorities and acknowledge the importance of making mentoring an intentional process of nurturing, support, protection, and challenge, the possibility can become a reality. Indeed, by merging the personal and professional aspects of our lives, we paradoxically create and model balance. Encouraging our female mentors to begin with this step could be revolutionary.

(Note: For a full reprint of the original 1998 presentation, Establishing Mentoring Relationships That Model Balance, please email me. I also welcome your experiences and perspectives on mentoring.)

 


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