Men in Therapy

Getting men into therapy has its challenges and benefits. As a professional counselor and family therapist, in this blog, Vicki James offers her sharp, specific insight into this topic.

Therapy Isn’t About Telling You What to Do

There are many proven challenges when it comes to men in their relationship with therapy. Just getting them to agree to therapy can sometimes be a struggle, especially if they are having regular marital issues. It usually takes a persuasive, strong referral from someone they are close to. There are a lot of culturally spun assumptions when it comes to therapy, often times men might think therapy consists only of someone telling them what to do. In therapy they are proven the contrary, which requires a commitment from them as well as their therapist. Therapy is a process that teaches and supports find their own solutions.

Gain Perspective on Existing Issues

Expectations when it comes to male therapy are sometimes skewed by outside voices. Therapy is a place of safety, not blame, it is a place of communication. The right therapist aids a person by being creative in their solutions to problems. Men tend to think in the present, they are not usually looking to revisit childhood memories or relationships. An experienced therapist knows how to integrate past and present so moving forward is easier.

Improving Your Communication Skills

The benefits for a man who decides to pursue therapy are many. Therapy is essentially a platform to improve communication; you learn and grow from your own personal style of communication. There are specific conversation stylizations and tools used in therapy that guarantee better communication in the future. For instance, improving your listening skills as opposed to anticipating the outcome of a conversation will better the future of your communication. When communication is improved, relationships improve. Putting yourself in another's shoes, forgetting about who is right and who is wrong in order to bring about real solutions, can happen in therapy. Becoming a better listener, looking outside your perspective, and allowing yourself to embrace new styles of communication all lead to a better future when you commit to therapy.

Once the problems are identified and laid on the table, Vicki offers tools to help you see the direction you are heading based on day-to-day decisions and to learn the valuable outcome that certain negotiations and productive communication can render. Vicki will help you develop options that move toward productive changes. If you would like more information about Vicki James, her practice, and how she can guide you on your therapeutic journey, contact her today to learn more.