Masculinity scripts, presenting concerns, and help seeking: Implications for practice and training.

Abstract

Men are a unique population to work with in psychotherapy, but what does research indicate about how masculinity relates to therapeutic issues? Summarizing research on masculinity's relationship to a range of presenting issues, this article organizes and discusses the findings according to masculinity that clinicians are likely to recognize when working with male clients. The article then addresses how masculinity is also associated with less help seeking and with negative attitudes toward psychological help seeking. This irony, that traditional masculinity scripts contribute to men's presenting concerns and act as barriers to help seeking, is then addressed through recommendations for training and practice that incorporate a sociocultural context into working with men.