Men’s Therapy in Austin, Texas
Stigma
One of the ironies of men's depression, addiction, or any illness, is that the very forces that contribute to it also prevent us from acknowledging it. Society tells men they shouldn't be vulnerable, that they should rise above pain. A man who expresses their pain feels ashamed. Yet I believe this hidden pain is at the core of many of the challenges men face. A common one is unrecognized depression which fuels issues we often associate with men, such as physical illness, substance abuse, relationship struggles, intimacy issues, and career self-sabotage.
We overlook men’s issues because it’s seen as unmanly. The reality of the matter is that only 1 in 10 men seek help in therapy compared to 1 in 4 women, that 6 million men struggle with depression each year, and that men die by suicide 3.5x more than women. Maybe taking our problems seriously is the manliest thing you can do.
Men Often Reach Out For Therapy When They're Experiencing:
• Anxiety and nervousness
• Chronic stress
• Relationship struggles
• Difficulty or inability expressing emotions
• Burnout from work and responsibilities
• Depression
• Trauma or painful past experiences coming up
• Anger that you don’t understand
• Questions about identity or purpose
• Low self-worth or self-esteem
• Feeling disconnected from themselves and others
How can therapy help?
Most men disconnect from their internal experience. Women are taught to internalize their pain while men are taught to externalize it, as in blame everything around usx. In therapy, we will start to reconnect with our own experience. Our culture works hard at distancing men from their emotional experiences and the ability to communicate that. We will build the skills necessary to get closer to our own experience, relearning how to be vulnerable in therapy so that we can be vulnerable in our lives.
Many men worry that therapy will ask them to become more emotional, more vulnerable, or someone they don't recognize.
That isn't my goal.
Therapy is about helping you better understand yourself, recognize the patterns that no longer serve you, and develop the flexibility to respond differently when life becomes difficult. The goal isn't to change who you are but rather to help you be a more honest version of you.
There will be times we need to revisit our past, our family dynamic and important relationships growing up, to see how they’ve impacted our attachment systems today. We will continue to find insight, but more importantly, we will feel what needs feelings and name what needs naming. There are limited spaces for men to do so these days, it’s an honor to be one of those.
