Men's Issues & Masculine Roles
Gender-Inclusive, Supportive Therapy to Embody
Dynamic Energy, Confidence, and Masculine Roles
It's not easy being masculine in today's world (regardless of gender).
While this therapy is typically described as Men's Issues, this version is for individuals who choose to adopt a masculine role in their relationships, family, and community
Much of today's masculinity has lost its dynamic energy, confidence, vitality, swagger, and purpose. And this has become a huge problem.
This therapy is for individuals who want to reclaim these dynamic qualities and integrate them into their relationships, careers, and families.
And this integration needs to happen in a world that hasn't decided what healthy masculinity is. Our culture's tendency to focus on toxic masculinity creates confusion and shame.
Yet when we do not show up with our dynamic masculinity, everyone feels that something very essential is missing.
Every so often, you see someone who moves with confidence, vitality, and freedom.
While others are clamoring around, they somehow seem to know what to do. They simply step right up and do their thing. Wherever they are, they seem to feel at ease- like they belong there.
They seem to draw on some kind of purpose and direction that most people lack access to.
Because he seems to know what he's doing, women are naturally attracted to him. And some men and non-binary folk are as well. All sorts of people seem to want to be around him.
And people just feel safe around them. Perhaps they figure, "The whole world's upside down, and this person seems to know what they're doing and where they're going. I'm with them."
Did you ever wonder what's different about people like this? Or how you could get some of that working for you?
What if all the confidence and swagger you ever wanted are already inside you?
And all you really needed to access it was to have a safe place to tap into it? We all have these abilities. They just need to be accessed and developed
This is a huge distinction when assessing confidence, courage, and vitality. Instead of seeking something, you are allowing something out that's already a part of you.
You'll walk with confidence in your relationships and purpose in your life. And after you get a feel for it, it just flows out of you as a natural expression of yourself.
And people respond to you differently. People take you seriously. Women are attracted to you. Men respect you. People feel safe around you.
This all happens energetically. People sense that your words and actions are coming from a different place. They come across as authentic strength and confidence.
And finally, it's so much more enjoyable being you. You're no longer mired in all that self-doubt and self-consciousness. You learn to trust yourself, and your life becomes enjoyable and fulfilling.
Isn't it time you enjoy some dynamic masculinity in your life?
Men's Issues & Masculine Roles Specialties
Bringing Masculine Energy to Relationships
It all starts by investing in yourself and registering for a service. Taking a healthy risk begins your journey to the life you would have for yourself.
Assuming a Dynamic Masculine Role
Skills and integration practices provide resolution for relationship challenges. Continued work opens the door to trust and intimacy.
Owning Your Personal Power & Dynamic Energy
Life Transitions such as Divorce, Empty Nest, Marriage, Grief & Loss, Birth of a Child, Adulthood, & Retirement provide an opportunity for personal growth.
Hi, I'm Michael
When I'm not playing the drums, exploring the Pacific Northwest, or interpreting dreams, I offer psychotherapy sessions with my root cause approach, which both relieves current symptoms and heals the underlying core issues to provide lasting freedom to fully enjoy life.
I bring 30 years of postgraduate experience and extensive training to create a personalized program tailored to your specific needs and situation.
My specialties include: 1) relationship issues and intimacy; 2) anxiety, depression, and social isolation;
3) men's issues and masculine roles; and 4) life transitions such as empty nest, divorce, and breakup.
I'm happy to guide you. Therapy works. Find someone you can work with. It's worth it. Whether it's working with me or somebody else, you owe it to yourself. If you'd like, schedule a free 15-minute consultation. I'm easy to talk to, and I'll help you get the ball rolling.
How Root Cause Psychotherapy Works
Phase 1
Relieve Your Current Symptoms
The first priority is to relieve the stress, pain, and suffering of your current symptoms. We'll work together to identify and understand your current symptoms. Then we'll design a personalized program that will alleviate your symptoms.
Phase 2
Heal the Root Cause of Your Symptoms
Now that you've identified your symptoms, we can trace them to identify your underlying core issues. Healing these core emotional issues frees you from future symptoms and helps you enjoy happiness, love, and freedom in your life.
Phase 3
Create the Life You Truly Want
Now that your symptoms don't define what you can and can't have in your life, you are free to create the life you choose for yourself. Ongoing guidance and support help you integrate the things you value into your relationships and daily life.
Men's Issues and Masculine Roles
Therapy Workflow
This is for those of you who like to see things broken down in the specific work we will be doing together. For some, the above section of the three phases will suffice. Either way is fine. We will address what we need to as we proceed in our work together.
While each client's symptoms of anxiety, depression, and isolation require specific interventions, the following is a general therapy workflow to treat current symptoms and underlying issues to achieve lasting personal freedom.
Phase 1: Relieve Current Symptoms
1. Identify Your Current Symptoms Related to Men's Issues and Challenges Assuming a Masculine Role.
With your life history and experience, and my knowledge of the symptoms of men's issues & assuming masculine roles, we'll compile a list of your current symptoms. During our therapy sessions, we will work together to identify ways to manage each of these symptoms.
2. Explore the Costs and the Payoffs (or Secondary Gains) of Your Men's Issues and Masculine Roles.
What have men's issues and challenges assuming a heatlhy maculine role cost you? Has it hijacked your ability to enjoy the things that matter most to you? Has it prevented you from having loving relationships? Conversely, what are the payoffs of men's issues and maculine role challenges? Have they created a comfort zone? Have they allowed you to hide or avoid things? Addressing these opens the doors for change.
3. Understand the Behavioral Patterns of your Men's Issues and Challenges Assuming a Masculine Role.
These repetitive patterns rob you of your ability to choose what you want in your life because you do them over and over without realizing it. By becoming aware of these patterns, you can choose something different..
4. Create a Personal Program to Relieve Symptoms Related to Men's Issues & Masculine Roles
Together, we will design a personalized program that will alleviate your current symptoms. This program will provide a new orientation for your life and will replace the previous orientation you were conditioned to rely on.
Phase 2: Identify the Root Causes
1. Walk Your Symptoms of Men's Issues & Masculine Roles Back to their Underlying Core Issues.
Now that you have identified your symptoms related to men's issues and masculine roles, we can walk them back to identify your underlying core issues. Your symptoms point to your core issues if you know what to look for. By addressing your core emotional issues, you can free yourself from experiencing future symptoms and enjoy greater happiness, love, and freedom in your life.
2. Challenge your Limiting Beliefs Associated with your Core Issues.
We acquire various core beliefs about ourselves and the world in childhood, which are reinforced as we grow into adulthood. While these beliefs serve you for a while, they limit you as you grow and mature. We will explore the beliefs and stories you tell yourself that obstruct your life.
3. Disempower the Fear Associated with your Core Issues.
Fear naturally arises as you get close to what you want most. Since fear is future-based, you can break each fear down to an if/then statement about what you believe will happen. This format clarifies how fear limits your life and puts it into terms that are manageable.
4. Heal the Core Emotional Wounds Associated with your Core Issues.
Beneath all the symptoms, core issues, limiting beliefs, and fear, deep-seated emotional wounds reside. They may arise when you become triggered by experiences. They often involve trauma, betrayal, abandonment, and loss. These wounds surfacing offer an opportunity to feel and heal them, creating lasting emotional freedom.
Phase 3: Create the Life You Want
1. Consider What You Want in your Life Now that your Symptoms and Underlying Issues No Longer Define what you Can and Can't Have in your Life.
Now you have the freedom to choose and create the things you want for yourself. It helps to break down the things you want in your life into their core elements or essence. Examples of elements include love, friendship, abundance, community, intimacy, strength, and purpose.
2. Create a Clear Intention for the Life You Want.
When you offer your intention, it initiates and activates a new way of being. We work with what you choose to create in your life and boil it down to an intention for your life. This creates a crystal-clear focus for working with and integrating the things you want into your life.
3. Integrate the Things You Want into your Life.
Taking action and practicing trial and error brings the things you want into your life. Introduce new approaches to your life, and notice what works and what doesn't. An updated personal program and therapy sessions provide the guidance and support to sustain these approaches long enough to integrate them into your life.
"The real core of the work I did with Michael is seeing how I have always been looking outward to define myself. What I have found in working with him is that I already had the resources within me to actually create the changes I wanted to make. For me, this has been the pivotal change. I have to say, Michael held my feet to the fire, and that is what I really needed. He helped me get in touch with trusting my heart and moving from that place."
Steps to Your First Session
Step 1:
Consultation
Text/Call Office to Schedule Free Consultation
a. Text/Call our office to book Free 15-min. Phone Consultation to discuss your needs & determine therapy fit.
b. Office staff will Text/Call you to initiate your therapy journey.
Step 2: Register
Register Text Line
& Client Portal; Complete Forms
a. Respond to Spruce invite for text service. b. Respond to Therapy Notes invite to create Client Portal. c. Fill out forms in Client Portal. d. Notify office when forms are complete.
Step 3: Eligibility
Office Text/Calls on Insurance Eligibility; Book First Session
a. Office Staff will text or call you to discuss Insurance Eligibility.
b. Text/Call office to schedule your First Session. c. Receive a Video-Conference Link for your First Session.
Step 4:
1st Session
Create Your Personal Program in First Session
Together, in your first therapy session, we'll create a personalized program that resolves your current symptoms and explores their root cause for lasting relief & personal freedom.