'Be a man!' We are told not to cry, be strong all the time, and never ask for help. Maybe you're feeling like you're never good enough. Perhaps you're always vigilant, making sure you're being a "real man".
Men can face intense criticism and shame for a lot, running the gamut from showing vulnerability to troubles romantically and/or sexually. You've probably been told a lot of harmful ideas about manhood and masculinity. Maybe you've been made to feel like you only have value when able to provide, or unfairly called "toxic", or even told that you're not a real man, to "walk it off", and to "stop being such a...".
All of that judgment didn't come from nowhere. It's unfortunately common. And at some point, your inner critic ran with it and started reinforcing a lot of self-limiting beliefs: what you should and should not do, feel, think, and act - basically, what it means to be a man.
You've learned that to have worth you need to have a body like He-Man, the charm of James Bond, or money like Tony Stark.
Despite these challenges, and the obvious impact on a man's mental health, men typically don't seek treatment. But, just imagine: working with a male clinician that gets you. Imagine finally being able to let out everything that was bottled up, like putting down a heavy kettlebell after holding it for years. Imagine finding tangible solutions to the problems plaguing your life right now.
Sounds too good to be true, right? It's not; and the best part is it doesn't have to involve changing what you believe it means to be a man. Rather, we'll work systematically with those feelings, and incorporate practical ways to help you become the man that you want to be.
