Men and Therapy

Have you thought about therapy but don’t know where to start? Have you tried it and it didn’t work out? What are the barriers that stop you from going to therapy? Is it the thought of sitting in a room with someone facing you for an hour? The uncomfortable silences. Opening up to a stranger. The feeling like you’re being interrogated. Why would you want to talk to someone about your thoughts and feelings? Men are supposed to be tough.

What do you do when difficult things come up? Is there anyone you can talk to? Do you go for a run or to the gym? Do you have a drink? Maybe you push it away. Deal with it later. What’s the point of talking about these things? Will talking bring more attention to it or make it worse? Do you get stuck in loops? Thinking about the same things over and over. How do you quiet the voices?

What do you think of yourself? Are you strong? A tough guy or a big man. Does this mean you can’t be vulnerable? Is showing your emotions be a sign of weakness? What’s the point of letting others in? You can deal with things on your own. Are you someone that others come to when they need help? Who do you go to? Do you use armour to protect yourself? What would happen if you start to let the armour down? Is it possible to be both strong and vulnerable?

We need to rewrite what therapy is and what it can offer? Can we make it a space that’s more welcoming for men and boys? It shouldn’t be seen as weak, to know yourself better. If you can be more comfortable in your own skin, you can be stronger for others. We’re given all these messages about how to be and act but most of them limit who we are. The real challenge is to push against the messages and see what happens. Will your world fall apart if you open up to someone? Will people be queuing up to laugh at you? You’ve changed! You’re no longer the big, tough guy. Will that be such a bad thing?