These days, talking about our mental health is becoming more and more commonplace in society. But for all the progress we’ve made, many men still sit in the dark rather than being a open and honest. In honour of Time to Talk Day – honestly, I’m not making that up, which focuses on bringing together the right ingredients needed to have a conversation about mental health – we caught up with men’s personal development consultant, Kenny Mammarella-D’Cruz, to share his reasons why men’s groups are the most effective method when it comes to therapy for the modern man! Here’s the lowdown:
1. Everyone is equal – in traditional therapy sessions, the therapist is often perceived as superior and therefore as the authority. However, these style of groups are peer based, everyone is equal, everyone takes part however they choose, and everyone gets to learn from each other’s successes and failures without a superior. At MenSpeak men’s groups, power isn’t handed over to anyone else, it is shared and explored in a group without hierarchy, so everyone knows how to wield it in daily life.
2. Greater freedom – in many therapeutic relationships, men know they are going to be committed for the long haul, where in MenSpeak men’s groups, they can choose a drop-in live or online group or a closed group with a short fixed-term commitment and renew their commitment for years to come should they choose.
3. Gain perspective – This style of men’s groups will expose you to a cross-section of men with different backgrounds, stories, ages, racial origins and identifications, sexual orientations, and different stages of change and growth in their lives. All men benefit from such a broad range of experiences and feedback. Traditional therapy can be a more distant, clinical environment with less camaraderie.
4. Leave the past behind – the past is important – as the saying goes ‘You can’t heal what you can’t feel’ – however, too much focus on the past can carry over into excessive thinking and constant self-evaluation, which can make men self-absorbed. So, instead of focusing excessively on the past, men’s groups puts the focus on learning how to be your own man, getting real with the past, accepting the present and with other men by your side, working toward a brighter future with self-awareness and support.
5. Make friends – Men attending MenSpeak men’s groups have made lifelong friends with other guys, without any restrictions on how to be. In many longstanding relationships the old childhood roles, youthful Tomfoolery and social drinking groups with boyish banter and limited depth can be difficult to change. What these groups have in common is that they want more out of life and we’re up for personal growth and change – with other good men who bring out the best in us. MenSpeak men’s groups enable men to leave feeling more passionate, powerful and ready to take on the world !
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