I know in my church men counsel men and women counsel women. It's always been considered inappropriate due to the power dynamic or being mistaken as an abuser.

Of course, men are more subject to this. A man sitting on a park bench while reading a book as his child plays on the playground at the park? Instant suspicion he's a predator; he's no father, he's just pretending to read while he scopes out the area for his next victim.

A woman in the same situation? The most she'll get is "oh she's a bad parent, an evil MAN could come along and snatch her child, and she's not paying attention. Look at her reading instead of paying her child, she's so neglectful."