As a licensed mental health counselor, there are several things you need to consider when working with male clients. Understanding the challenges of counseling male clients can help you be a more effective professional. It would help if you thought about gender stereotypes, backdoor racial stereotyping, and socioeconomic factors.
Socioeconomic factors can make treatment options less available.
One might question the wisdom of spending some of your hard-earned cash on something as practical as mental health counseling such as Elevated Counseling. For starters, the cost of therapy can be prohibitive for the working man, and more psychotherapy providers are needed for those blessed enough to make it out of the gate. It should be no surprise that there are several psychotherapy centers of excellence in the country. The trick is in selecting the best one to call your business. You can find the best ones via a simple online search, or if your budget is in the tens of thousands, a quick trip to the nearest city center.
Backdoor racial stereotyping
As psychologists develop promising interventions for men of color, addressing racism is integral to the equation. Racial disparities in mental health have remained resistant to cultural competency training and standardized diagnostic tools.
For psychologists to effectively work with men of color, they must recognize racial stereotypes and work to eliminate them. Developing a more culturally competent mental health care system will benefit society.
Researchers have found that stereotypes about men of color affect their behavior. These stereotypes can be self-fulfilling prophecies. People can be negatively affected emotionally and psychologically due to constant exposure to these stereotypes. Educating yourself about the stereotypes that affect you may help you change them.
For example, you may make a split-second judgment about someone based on their appearance. You might stereotype them as being inarticulate or sitting on a specific seat in a class. This can negatively affect how you treat them.
Gender stereotypes
Gender stereotypes in mental health counseling for men have been largely overlooked. However, these stereotypes influence decision-making, public perception, and physician diagnoses.
Gender stereotypes are socially constructed beliefs about an individual that affect their behavior. They often overgeneralize and influence individuals’ perceptions, behaviors, and self-esteem.
A growing body of scholarship has investigated the impact of gender stereotypes on health. Some studies have shown that male patients who conformed to traditional masculine gender roles had late initiation into inpatient treatment after experiencing a crisis.
Men’s self-esteem is also affected by gender stereotypes. For example, if men believe that women have a higher risk for depression, they may be more likely to seek treatment for depression. Similarly, gender stereotypes influence males’ attitudes toward family planning.
Researchers have also found that gender stereotypes influence rates of disclosure. In addition, gender stereotypes are associated with health-related attitudes and preventative health behaviors.
Until recently, research on men’s gender roles was primarily focused on sex. However, it has been argued that men have multiple life identities. These identities are tied to gender, race, sexual orientation, and ability status. Therefore, a multidimensional framework is required to assess and treat men adequately.
Impediments to treatment for trans men
Gender-affirming care has become a topic of debate globally. There is evidence that gender-affirming interventions are associated with positive health outcomes. However, not all transgender people seek gender-affirming treatment. These individuals may require traditional gender services, such as transgender transition care, and have other preventive and acute care needs.
Studies have reported that transgender youths are disproportionately burdened by poor mental health. Their health problems include a high prevalence of depression, substance misuse, and self-harm. They also have lower social support and increased stigma.
In the United States, there is some evidence that individuals who undergo gender-affirming surgeries have fewer visits to the emergency room for anxiety and mood disorders. Additionally, there are decreased rates of suicide attempts and a reduced incidence of self-harm. However, there is no reliable data regarding the incidence of HIV infection in transgender persons.
Gender-affirming health care is not available in all parts of the world. This is partly because of the cost. The lack of coverage drives the use of non-medically supervised hormones and surgeries.
