Though women seek therapy more often than men, the number of men using counselling services has increased in recent years.
Men seem to be at risk of some emotional and behavioural issues more than women. For example, men have far higher rates of substance abuse and antisocial personality disorders than women and are much more likely to kill themselves.
The reasons for this are both biological and cultural and often have their roots in childhood. Our culture expects boys and men to be dominant, aggressive, high achieving, competitive, self-sufficient, willing to take risks and emotionally restricted. Living up to these expectations can take a toll on men’s wellbeing.
Why men seek counselling
Although every man is different and we see men with all sorts of issues, there are some that we see commonly in men. These include:
- substance and alcohol abuse
- anger
- difficulties feeling or sustaining intimacy
- sexual problems, such as premature ejaculation or loss of libido
- infidelity and relationship problems
- sexuality concerns
- porn addiction
- mid-life crises
- depression
- low self-confidence
- career or work-related issues.
Starting therapy
Given that our culture values self-reliance in men and discourages them from expressing their feelings, it is unsurprising that many men are hesitant to seek therapy. An important part of men’s counselling is challenging the beliefs that emotions should be kept hidden away and that it is unmanly to feel vulnerable or hurt.
Everybody feels these emotions and expressing them in therapy can make a huge difference. When we express our emotions, we no longer feel the pressure of keeping them bottled up. We no longer need to numb them with substances, distract ourselves from them with work or rationalise them away.
Our therapists are very experienced in helping clients who find it difficult to talk about their emotions. They won’t rush you or judge you.
Need counselling now?
You can book an initial appointment online or by calling us. We have male and female therapists available throughout the week. Meeting with one of them does not commit you to continuing; it is just an opportunity for you to find out more.
How therapy helps
Clients are often surprised by the breadth of positive change that counselling brings to their lives. They may come about one issue and find that several other areas of their lives improve as well.
Some of the areas where men’s counselling can help are:
- feeling more content and satisfied
- improving communication, whether that be with partners, family, friends or colleagues
- reducing anger and frustration
- building confidence
- developing clarity around career aspirations
- improving intimate relationships
- overcoming sexual problems
- understanding what blocks your success and how to change it.
Couples counselling may be the best solution if your problems are to do with your relationship, and you may find psychosexual therapy helpful if you have problems to do with sex.
Both face-to-face and online counselling are available. For some men, therapy provides their first experience of talking openly and honestly about how they feel and what they want.
Meet our therapists working with men's issues
