Changing False Beliefs About Men & Therapy

Men are significantly less likely than women to seek healthcare of any kind, including therapy. Men’s Health Awareness Month is all about increasing understanding and awareness about men’s health issues to help encourage men to seek treatments to maintain their health and wellbeing. In this month’s blog, we’re going to talk a little bit about how beneficial therapy can be for men by addressing some of the common misconceptions about therapy for men.

Mental Health Doesn’t Require Treatment 
Mental health is health, and when you’re struggling, it’s perfectly okay to seek treatment from a professional. If you had a physical injury, you wouldn’t just ignore it until it got better on its own (at least we hope not!), and you shouldn’t forego treatment for mental health concerns either. 

You Should Take Care of it on Your Own
Some people seem naturally more resilient and capable of managing (or ignoring) difficult mental health concerns on their own. It’s important to know that you don’t have to take care of everything alone. Therapy can help you process past issues, learn skills and strategies to better navigate present challenges, and set and achieve goals for your future.

Real Men Don’t Need Therapy
Mental health issues don’t discriminate based on gender, but statistics indicate men may be at great health risk when they choose to forego necessary mental healthcare. Men are four times more likely than women to die from suicide. Therapy can help men to process mental health concerns, like depression and substance use disorders, that are often contributing factors associated with suicidal ideation.  

You’re Weak if You Talk to a Therapist
It takes strength to admit that you need help and be willing to do the hard work of therapy to heal and grow as a person. Weak people refuse to change and avoid work to improve, so you could say the truly weak people are the ones who refuse to work with a therapist to achieve their goals. 

You’re Broken if You Need Therapy
Maybe we’re all a little broken. In his book, A Farwell to Arms, Ernest Heming, a famous man’s man, wrote, “The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places.” Whether or not you’re broken now, really isn’t what you should be worried about. Instead, consider whether or not you’re going to do the work to heal and become stronger at the broken places.

When You’re Ready, We’re Here to Talk
Listen, even if you’re well aware of all these facts, we understand that it might be difficult for you to take the first step and call Greater Houston Counseling Services for therapy. It can be difficult for anyone to take this step, but when you’re ready, our knowledgeable therapists are here to talk. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us to schedule a men’s therapy session in our Kay, Cypress, or Spring, TX office locations. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

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