ABSTRACT
Background
Should psychotherapists use swear words during sessions? How might such language affect the way therapists are perceived?
Method
In this empirical analog study, participants (n = 188) read original vignettes of a therapist-client interaction and then completed a questionnaire assessing perception of the therapist. The vignettes differed in terms of swearing presence/sequence and gender of the therapist.
Results
Results produced no significant main effects for therapist gender or swearing presence/sequence.
Conclusions
Results suggest that therapists may not need to filter out swear words during sessions to obtain or preserve clients’ favorable perceptions. Limitations and future directions are discussed.