Men's Issues
Men are far less likely to seek help than women, and they often delay getting help until there is a crisis. Men are less likely to follow through with treatment recommendations by therapists and psychiatrists (GoodTherapy.org). Help seeking can, in and of itself, lead to psychological distress as men are socialized to suppress emotions and to “need no one.” Men often experience inner conflict when it feels as if their attempts to live up to the standards set by society fall short. Males may internalize stereotyped societal norms around gender ideals that are often contradictory, inconsistent, and unattainable. For instance, men are "supposed" to be highly independent, to seek ways of gaining and maintaining power in the world, to succeed and achieve, to conceal emotions (except anger), and to be tough. Men no longer need to be restrained by the limitations imposed by the cultural traditions of the “traditional, masculine male” and psychotherapy can help!