Why do so many people assume that men don't need therapy
Many people assume that men don't need therapy and that it is only for women. But this couldn't be farther from the truth. In fact, there are a growing number of therapists who are helping men work through issues such as anxiety, depression, trauma, and more.
Why do men need therapy?
There's no one answer to this question. However, according to experts, many reasons why men might seek out counseling or psychotherapy include:
-Men often suffer in silence due to societal pressures not to express negative emotions publicly or express their feelings at all. This can lead to significant emotional problems down the line.
-Men may experience grief and loss differently than women do due to societally prescribed expectations about masculinity and how masculine behavior should look and feel. This can also create difficulties when grieving later on in life.
- Men oftentimes struggle with relationships because they're typically expected to write off conflicts immediately, without discussing them first. If these conflicts cannot be reciprocated in an amicable manner, the relationship can eventually fall apart.
These are just a few of the many reasons why therapists believe that their male clients need assistance addressing issues head on.
Men often hide psychological problems and are reluctant to report symptoms the reasons for this are many and varied but include; stigma around seeking support, uncertainty about what type of help is available, social and cultural determinants such as identity, family dynamics and financial constraints might mean that men ‘get on with it’ and cope as best as they can rather than seek support, often only reaching services when they are in crisis.
Men may be the sole breadwinner and can not take time out to seek support or they may have concerns around how their family and friends might experience their help-seeking if they were to find out.
UNDERSTAND AND EXPLORE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF THERAPY
Therapy doesn’t just have to be the often daunting thought of two people sitting in a room talking about your feelings, because it can now be done digitally allowing you to speak confidently via the chat service. It’s the key to you exploring what one works best for you.
TALK THROUGH ANY THOUGHTS, FEELINGS, AND EMOTIONS. NONE OF THEM ARE TOO SMALL, STUPID, OR SHAMEFUL.
Your therapist is there to support you and they will take the time to understand your concerns. Therapy is non-judgemental and a safe space for you to explore your concerns. It is confidentiality and like most relationships takes a level of commitment to get the most out of it.
SCHEDULE SESSIONS AT A GOOD TIME
It’s key that you fit your sessions in at a time that works for you, it’s probably not best to do this at the end of a working day. You need to be in a place where you have the mental space to be present and feel ready to work on yourself. Prioritising your own needs above those of others, like your family may seem hard but sometimes we have to put ourselves first.
VIEW THERAPY AS A COLLABORATION
Therapy isn’t just a sport where you sit and watch. Your therapy sessions are a journey to wellness and it’s a team effort, you can see the therapist as a coach who’s helping to train you in getting mentally fitter. They can help you help yourself, so taking the time to focus on yourself is important
UNDERSTAND IT TAKES TIME
Unfortunately, therapy is not a miracle cure to all life’s problems. One session isn’t going to fix all of your concerns. It’s OK to get frustrated if you’re not seeing the benefits straight away, but the key here is to open up and talk about that. Perhaps you can work towards setting some smaller goals to work towards. Sometimes things do get difficult before they get better but sticking with it and attending all of the sessions will lead to a better outcome
KEEP A JOURNAL IN BETWEEN YOUR SESSIONS
It might not be something that you have done before, and it may seem unusual but the truth is that it actually really helps. Not only does it help your therapist understand what to work on with you, but it also helps you keep an eye out on the different challenges you face. You can easily track your thoughts, feelings and stressors with the Thrive: Mental Wellbeing app.
I FEEL A BIT ANXIOUS TALKING TO A FEMALE THERAPIST
We have male and female therapists and can usually meet requests for male or female therapists. All of our therapists are trained and supervised and have experience in working with men and men’s health.
I’M UNSURE IF THERAPY IS RIGHT FOR ME AT THE MOMENT, CAN I TALK TO SOMEONE ABOUT IT?
We understand taking the first step to start therapy can be daunting and you may have a lot of questions. You can chat confidentiality with one of our therapists to understand what therapy is like, what you can expect from it and how it might be able to help you. The therapist will help you find your own solutions or current concerns, this might mean making changes to something in your life or talking about different ways of coping.
