Traditionally, it is not easy for us men to open up and share, including asking for help. Needless to say, this may be a problem for our partners. Just because we can learn to share thoughts and feelings more appropriately, does not mean we have to do so with the entire world. But the important people in our lives may appreciate this growth
Being a man myself, I understand a lot of what our gender struggles with. We are always told to be "tough", or "man up". We tend to bottle up our emotions because that is what means to be "manly". It is becoming increasingly difficult for a man to understand what his role is, with the world changing everyday. We can explore that together, and help you work through the stigmas associated with being a man.
I work with men who are addicted or struggling with porn use. Often times men don't know why they are drawn to using porn. I help them figure out the triggers, create accountability, and abstain from using porn.
Psychologist, California Licensed Psychologist (License# PSY17495)
My clientele are both men and women but one of the things that draws male clients to work with me is that I am a man. The helping professions have a disproportionate amount of women practitioners. So, as a male therapist in my 50s I tend to be sought out by men of various ages who wish to address Men's Issues. These issues include men who are becoming more conscious about relating to women in non-oppressive ways, striving to find positive modes of being masculine, figuring out how to relate to other men in less competitive and more supportive ways, fathering, etc. Men feel comfortable addressing these issues with me, and find that I too am thoughtfully engaged in my own healthy male identity development.
This is an area of mine I am particularly passionate about. I have worked with men on issues with anger regulation (both internalized and externalized anger), stress, avoidance, perfectionism, covert incest/emotional enmeshment, relationship issues, gender stereotypes, body image, codependency, sex, and emotional expression.
Being a man is a lot of pressure. From work to relationships to children and family, the demands don't stop. If one or more of these areas is going sideways, finding a trusted advisor to help manage crisis, connect with skills/tools, find wisdom and perspective can help manage the pressure to build your best life. Gretchen works with men across California who are looking for a direct approach to get better results in life, relationship and work. Set up a free consultation to see how she can help you live your best life.