Top 5 Benefits of Therapy for Men
1st Benefit: Understanding and Connecting to Your Emotions
Connecting to emotions is one of the things men are not taught to do. Suicide rates and addiction in men are sky high. Is this a cause and effect issue, or simply correlation? Maybe. What we are aware of is that knowing your internal emotions can lead to better outcomes in nearly every aspect of life. Want to land that job? Find your ideal partner? Start here with better attuning to and understanding your emotional experience.
2nd Benefit: Establishing and Building Relationships
Relationships have a way of pinpointing our soft spots, our shame, and our feelings of inadequacy. Whether it’s looking for a relationship or needing help with communication in a current relationship – navigating these experiences can be confusing and difficult. Exploring and understanding your values and what’s important to you can aid with finding your potential partner or comrade. Mastering communication betters your relationships and helps to form new fulfilling ones.
3rd Benefit: Guys Talking About Guy Stuff
We all need a pack, a team to connect with — our squad. Men share many similar experiences in the world, and nothing can be more healing or supportive than to ‘talk it out with the boys’. The problem now is how disconnected men are and the belief that showing emotions is weakness. This is certainly not the case, because we all struggle and need others to help carry the burden of our struggle.
4th Benefit: Interrupting Alcohol/Addictive Behaviors
Are you drinking more than you’d like on the weekends? Are you not digging the amount of porn you’re consuming? These may be symptoms of negative beliefs and unhealthy ways of coping with emotions or unresolved hurtful experiences. Engaging in therapy can get you to the root cause of these behaviors, then you can decide whether or not to keep them.
5th Benefit: Self-Improvement
The misconception of therapy is that it doesn’t have to be for a problem. Therapy can simply be used to increase performance in a variety of areas. How much more effective could you be in life when you feel you understand and can manage your internal state? A deeper knowledge of your unique skillset and talents will allow you to employ them effectively to better your career, your relationships, and your passions.
This post was written by Brenton Love, Associate Marriage and Family Therapist at Thrival Therapy. Brenton specializes in working with masculinity, ADHD, and discovering purpose and meaning.
