Men

Coming to therapy is profoundly courageous (many will never be able to muster the courage required). Introspection, being in touch with emotions, and being vulnerable with others are things that our society has incorrectly classified as "feminine" attributes, and the therapy field (female dominated) has long perpetuated this. We (men) are long overdue to show up in this arena (as therapists and as clients). Understanding ourselves and improving our lives is our right, and we need to work with people who understand that the way we go about these pursuits is different to how women do it. Men communicate emotions differently, we use different language, and we perceive things differently. We can have hang ups rooted in our physical bodies, our hopes and dreams, and our behaviours and performance. We've also observed that many men have profound shame and guilt directly related to their gender (especially white, cis, hetero men) and this can cause considerable distress. Some men fear that counselling will be too lovey-dovey; too compassionate (we've heard from male clients that their experience of female counsellors can be like this). There also exists a breed of male counsellors who have gone in the other direction, and adopt the stance "you sit down, shut up, do what I say or get fucked". We believe that in between these two extremes lies a therapy style that is somewhat compassionate whilst also being hard-hitting and straight-talking. However, the exact balance depends on the circumstances and preferences of each client. Bestquest strives to make counselling pleasant, fun, responsive, and respectful of men. Part of this involves flexibility. We assess each client and open a discussion around therapy preferences at the first session. We then foster feedback, and seek your input in treatment planning ongoingly. Some of the issues men turn to Bestquest to treat include: Relationships, anger, conflict, processing difficult emotions, work/career issues, physical health concerns, ageing, ADHD symptom management, depression anxiety, procrastination, mundanity, addictions, self perception/self esteem, and body image. Get in touch with us today if you have questions, or book a free online consultation - there's no obligation.