Men’s Mental Wellness

Everyone needs balance.  That includes men, of course.  Since childhood, many of us have lived in a world of “always” or “never,” which sometimes can bind or trap us.  Some of the unspoken rules and expectations can be important, but they come at a cost to us.  Those costs may be sustainable to you, or they may not be.  You may want to stay within the traditional boundaries, or you may not, or maybe you’re trying to figure it out.

You may be wondering, “Why can’t I just figure this out myself?”  Perhaps you can, but that tends to involve additional trial and error, pain, and risk.  Even the strongest weightlifter at the gym has a spotter.  Even if the spotter doesn’t touch the bar, he will tell you when you’re crooked and need to adjust your form.

The way we see it, our task is to help you restore balance.  Balance is important because we are full of contradictions.  You may:

• Like many of the tenets of “traditional” masculinity, but perhaps not all of them.
• Want to be the strong, silent type, but occasionally need to get something off your chest.
• Hate crying, but also know that it’s warranted and understandable sometimes.
• Don’t like to apologize, but feel the need to apologize to someone special.
• Avoid broaching something to “the guys,” but do want the opinion of another man.
• Feel it’s your primary role to bring home a paycheck, but can’t do only that.
• Want to say or do something coarse, but want to be sensitive to others’ feelings.
• Don’t want to worry, but do have a health concern that’s been on your mind.
• Want to be decisive, but want a second opinion on a fork in the road.
• Be comfortable with your sexuality or gender, but also have some questions or unexplored feelings.
• Like to put the past behind you ASAP, but do want to work out issues that may prevent you from moving on at all.
• Want or need to be assertive, but don’t want to become a blowhard.
• Have physical needs, but also want a meaningful and deep relationship.
• Love the relationship you’re in, but sometimes feel uncertainty in it.
• Enjoy fatherhood, but can’t be on standby 24/7, and need to catch an occasional air bubble.
• Know you need to provide something, but find that extremely tough because you weren’t given it.
• Never thought of yourself as the type to seek therapy, but you understand that it can be healing and useful.

We understand.  In most cases we’ve been there, too.  There’s no shame.  Let’s discuss whatever is weighing on you.  Perhaps that is all you need, or you may also want to discuss action items.  Often one issue is related to another issue – perhaps one you haven’t thought about recently, or a pain you walked off.  

We’re here for any and all of it.  Our therapists Bryan Muscat, Richard Avery, and Josh Schafer focus largely on men’s mental wellness, but any of our therapists is in a position to listen, learn, discuss, and help.  We see clients in-person in Guelph, or in an online setting that’s convenient wherever you live.  Contact us today to book a free 20-minute consultation with the therapist you most relate to.