As men, we are often taught to white-knuckle it through our problems and "tough it out." In many families, showing emotion is considered "weakness."
While public awareness of mental health is changing, the stigma around feeling persistent sadness or anxiety is a harsh reality for many men. Our therapy is a safe place to share what's going on. There's no judgment here. We will explore your emotions and how to better understand where they come from. Once we have that solid base of understanding, we will find ways to release those feelings in a healthy way.
To be a man is to be exposed to perpetual contradiction. So many messages of what a man is, or isn't. Be tough, be gentle, be confident, be humble, take the lead, be a follower... the list goes on and on. Men's issues range the gamut! Let's unlock your true masculine self, the part of you that is graceful, complete, and confident in your power.
Societal and cultural messages men receive about mental health can be particularly damaging. Learning a strong emotional vocabulary, feel one's feelings, and communicate effectively are some of the most important things that can be done with anyone, but particularly men.
Let's first explore any underlying issues that are preventing you from having the peace of mind you deserve. Finding or re-connecting with your sense of meaning by restructuring or removing any negative cognitions that are making you feel restless or debilitated can help you more easily gain healthy self-esteem which will allow you to flourish.
Living in a world drowning in toxic masculinity, white supremacy, and hyper-competitive capitalism has done so much damage to our ideas of what it means to be a man in the world today. Let's climb through the shame, anger, frustration, and despair to find a new story of what it means to be a man and how that could change your connections to others.
I support men in identifying patterns, beliefs, behaviors, "shoulds" and narratives that have contributed to weakened relationships, misplaced anger or loss of joy, feelings of low self-worth, and other challenges. I've helped men cultivate tenderness, foster joy and self-esteem by recovering integrity, matching one's values with actions.
There is no greater joy as a therapist than when I sit with someone and watch them have their “Ah-HA!” moment; it’s when our groundwork clicks and that light bulb turns on for a client. It is in that moment that many things can change for a person. That light can finally be the end of toxic internal narratives, that moment can be someone realizing they are worth more than the worst things they have experienced in life. It can be in that moment a person grabs ahold of their passions and steps out of the ambiguity of life cloaked in purpose.
As a therapist I believe that men are born to lead, to love whole-heartedly, to be emotionally intelligent, able to cherish intimate relationships, and able to build a life founded in integrity.