CBT for Men
CBT for Men
For some men struggling with mental health issues, it can be more difficult to begin therapy. Stigma still surrounds certain attitudes towards mental health, though it is thankfully less prevalent as time moves forward and attitudes change. This stigma often affects men more than women. Certain retrogressive ideas about what is defined as ‘being male’ in our society may lead men to believe that starting therapy is ‘asking for help,’ a sign of ‘weakness,’ and that men must always be seen to be ‘strong’ ie must always cope by themselves. Harmful ideas suggest that feelings should be managed through suppression or numbing out, and that anger is the only acceptable negative feeling.
Such restrictive ideas about being male in our society are harmful and untrue. I have never met a man who had less of a spectrum of human emotions than women. Feelings are universal and human. It is human to feel. It is human to at times be overwhelmed. It is human to benefit from support and guidance at certain points in our lives. In the UK, men are three times as likely to die by suicide, perhaps due to not feeling as able to speak about their experiences due to such restrictive and harmful ideas.
“If you are a man considering starting therapy, do it. I have found it to be enormously useful, and the value of being able to talk to someone impartial, in confidence, cannot be underestimated.”
“ I found myself in the position where I knew something was very wrong but had no idea how to fix it, which caused further problems! Therapy has helped me a great deal, and I am happy to think that this is something I can come back to should it be of use to do so.”
Feelings are much like the Scottish weather – changeable. They come, they go, they will change. CBT looks at how persistent negative feelings can be linked to persistent negative thought patterns and beliefs. These can be changed. My clients learn powerful techniques and tools to break the vicious cycle of negative thought patterns and unhelpful behaviours. By entering into therapy, men step up to take charge of their own mental health, they come to know themselves better, align with their natural strengths and competencies, and increase their confidence. Thus, knocking retrogressive stereotypes out of the water, not only for themselves but also for their partners, friends, brothers, and sons. It’s a liberation, not a defeat.
I see as many men as women for CBT in my practice. As a Cognitive Behavioural therapist, my job is to equip you with tools and techniques to face your life head-on in a more positive way