June was Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month, and we welcomed our new virtual and in-person therapy service focused on men’s needs:

Mental Health Support and Counselling for Men.

Most men face unique pressures and expectations about success that can be challenging to navigate. From a very young age, men are taught to be stoic and self-reliant. It is important to us to support young males and men in addressing their mental health issues and leading a more fulfilling life.

Breaking the Stigma.

Gratefully, mental health has gained significant traction in casual conversation, social media, art and other social circles. Since then, it has become more encouraging for men seeking help and breaking the stigma associated with mental health issues.

We understand that men face unique challenges, gender-biased beliefs, and societal pressures that can inhibit them from seeking therapy. Psychotherapy or mental health support by an experienced therapist can offer a tailored approach to address individual and relationship issues while providing a safe and supportive environment to explore their emotions and grow.

Traditional societal narratives imply that men must be strong, stoic, and self-reliant. Men can explore these cultural pressures through therapy, hoping men can identify and develop more authentic versions of themselves. During the therapy sessions, the therapist’s goal is to create a space where men can be vulnerable and feel accepted. Therapists can help men realize that seeking support is a sign of strength, not weakness.

Mental Health Concerns.

Even when men are as likely as women to experience mental health and mood issues, it’s more challenging for men to seek help. Sometimes, men can experience mental health issues differently, such as men presenting irritability, anger, or risk-taking behaviours rather than the more commonly recognized symptoms of sadness and withdrawal in depression and anxiety.

Frontline health workers, law enforcement workers, and those we serve or have served in the military are at risk of experiencing mental health issues related to trauma that can significantly impact daily life. Also, most of us, especially in childhood, experience minor or repetitive mishaps and dysfunctional family relationships that can create psychic wounds over time. These early emotional injuries can disrupt our capacity to develop healthy connections.

Many men seeking therapy struggle to find harmony between work and personal life. Stress and burnout can be signs of not finding meaning and purpose through work and a distorted understanding of success.

Feeling, Showing and Communicating Emotions.

The concept of emotional intelligence became very popular and is often discussed in conversations and even in couples therapy. It is comparable to the idea of emotional maturity.

What is emotional intelligence (EQ)? Daniel Goleman, an American psychologist, popularised the term. The five characteristics of an emotionally intelligent individual are:

  • Self-awareness.
  • Self-regulation.
  • Motivation.
  • Empathy.
  • Social skills.

For many men, societal and family conditioning are conducive to suppressing emotional expression. Mental health support and psychotherapy for men help clients learn tools and strategies to help better understand their emotions. Understanding and becoming more aware of our internal experiences leads to better communication skills, healthier relationships and fostering healthier masculinity.

Therapy focusing on men’s unique challenges creates opportunities for developing more positive masculinity. Positive masculinity literature refers to men’s capacity to be emotionally expressive, feel the right to be vulnerable in relationships, and express their emotions without feeling emasculated. It’s the other side of feeling confined by oppressive and restrictive stereotypes.

The unique approach to therapy for men helps clients to unravel their masculinity in a more authentic and fulfilling way, freer from societal expectations and embracing a broader range of masculine identities.

Building More Fulfilling Relationships

Ineffective communication and emotional disconnection are the most common hindrances to maintaining happier and healthier relationships. Psychotherapy and mental health counselling can help men integrate new perspectives about communicating more assertively and empathetically. Therapy can significantly improve the quality of men’s relationships by addressing vulnerability, intimacy, and conflict resolution.

Some men experience difficulties, avoidance, or self-doubt in parenting. The impact that fathers and father figures can make is significant and long-lasting. Understanding family legacy, particularly the male client’s relationship with the father, identifying the positive aspects fathers want to pass on to their children and how to avoid repeating negative aspects of their upbringing are issues likely to be explored in therapy.

Risky Behaviors.

Unattended or unexplored mental health issues, grief, and challenging career expectations, stressful relationships, to name some, can contribute to risky behaviours, such as substance abuse, aggression, or reckless decision-making.

Unaddressed trauma, emotional or physical pain, and a sense of loss in self-agency are other issues that require healthy coping skills to build resilience out of life challenges. Because men are likely to avoid reaching out for help and emotional support, they are more prompt to self-medicate or take risky actions.

Therapy for men can help clients develop a healthier lifestyle, coping skills, and self-care habits that build resilience and emotional strength.

 

You can contact us and meet our therapist, Brent Jarden, RSW. He has over twenty years of experience working with young and adult men. Brent’s approach is tailored to support men seeking therapy to feel comfortable expressing vulnerability and more equipped to take charge of their mental health and well-being.