1 August 2012
You Are Not Weak
One of the quiet, yet pernicious, ways which serve to steer people away from seeking the assistance that psychotherapy can bring is the idea that, somehow, seeking assistance is a sign of weakness.
I think part of this comes from movies and TV (though their depictions are getting better), which have historically portrayed individuals seeking therapeutic help as hopelessly neurotic.
Let me be frank: anyone seeking the help of a therapist soon discovers that the opposite is true. Seeking increased self-awareness (an inevitable part of psychotherapy) is an act of will. It is you, saying that you can feel better, be better. It is saying that you deserve to understand yourself better than you currently do. It is to say that keeping things the way they are is not good enough.
Self-improvement is not the admission of weakness of character, but the admission of strength of mind.
If you are interested in learning more about my services, about me, or perhaps booking an appointment, please call me at 416-873-7828 or email me at info@downtowntherapy.ca for more information.
filed under: psychotherapy• self• strength
18 July 2012
What About Me(n)?
With all that has been written, advocated, or spoken about lately with respect to “mental health awareness”, it occurred to me how, perhaps in spite of its intentions, the message may be missing it’s mark. And by “mark”, I mean men.
When I look at the public service announcements, take for instance Bell Canada’s “Let’s Talk” campaign (featuring Olympian Clara Hughes), or consider the large percentage of women who both practice psychotherapy or who see a therapist, I have to speculate, in the mind of the average “guy” standing on the outskirts of all this information, two assumptions might be poking about:
1. Therapy is for women.
2. If therapy is for men, it’s not speaking my language.
First, it goes without saying that therapy is for everyone. Yet, it’s one thing to throw around phrases like “therapy is for everyone”, quite another to show how therapy can benefit everyone, particularly those portions – of which men largely consist – who historically have not embraced talk therapy as passionately as you would assume from movies and TV depictions.
This leads us to the second point: language.
I do believe that the language – heck, even the imagery – we use to raise awareness of mental health perhaps does not yet speak clearly to a wide variety of people. Within the context of this blog post, I’m thinking specifically of men who may not be feel comfortable speaking openly with others about their feelings or conflicts – it is specifically this category of people, I feel, who still struggle in silence.
There is definitely a place for men in talk therapy. Therapists such as myself are here for you, male or female, straight or gay, young or old, even if at first it takes time for you to become comfortable talking about your concerns.
If you are interested in learning more about my services, about me, or perhaps booking an appointment, please call me at 416-873-7828 or email me at info@downtowntherapy.ca for more information.
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