About half of my clients are men.I see them alone
or often with their partner and sometimes with their children.
The stories they tell me about their life concerns
are not so far removed from issues I have had to confront in my own life..how to
balance stressful work life with family relationships...how to maintaim
respectful and loving relationships with partners and how to make a meaningful
contribution to our children's lives.
This degree of empathy does not preclude naming and
confronting behaviour which is damaging to the client or those around him.But
it's not a war!The core conditions for helpful therapy with men and women
continue to require acceptance and a genuine spirit of inquiry about the other's
life.A therapy which encourages men to become curious about the ideas and
emotions which underly their behaviour offers the best chance of
meaningful change.(See my "Five useful questions in Couples
Therapy"..ANZJFT June 2005.)
Michael Madden.