Men Aged 50+
When working with older men, especially if you are new to therapy, the most important thing to me is that you feel comfortable.
Part of building comfort is regularly acknowledging out loud that sharing and doing new things are hard. While you might not need the reminder that change is tough, I circle back to that as reassurance in moments where our conversation pauses or you’re not sure what to talk about next.
In all therapy I provide, I use Relational-Cultural Therapy (RCT) as a guide. The general roadmap of RCT has the following stops marked: exploring the impact of your significant relationships, looking together at your past experiences of disconnection from others, and talking through ways of building meaningful connections with others.
Don’t worry, we aren’t rushing into all of that.
As you likely know well, society has a lot to say about men being emotional, and so I like to emphasize: therapy is meant to be a pause from the regular pace and routine of life! We can talk, too, about adjusting back into the rest of your day at the end of sessions.
From time to time, I’ll remind you that I’m a vault* for what you say, in an orbit outside your family, friends, partner, colleagues, and healthcare providers.
What does that mean?
I don’t judge you.
I don’t “But why?” to what you feel or share.
I don’t have unspoken expectations of you.
Mutual Respect & Authenticity
You’re the expert of your own life and there’s no disputing that. I’m here to help you explore parts of it in a new way, with new curiosity. I am direct and I ask a lot of questions, and I do those things respectfully. I have down-to-earth energy. I’m here to validate your experiences. Therapy is a collaborative thing, meaning we are a two-person team.
Relationships Are Key & Communication Nourishes Them
We are shaped by the relationships we’ve had—family, friends, work connections—and expressing emotions leads them to be stronger and longer-lasting. Even if you have been taught to be independent and tough, we all need connection, and our sessions provide space to better understand how your connections influence the way you see yourself and the world.
Other areas we may explore:
Experiences of disconnection and how it impacted you
Handling emotions growing up and as an adult
Changes in identity as you age
Changes in how you view masculinity
Messages you received about “being a man”
*Outside the regular limitations of confidentiality, that is!
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