Healing Our Men

By Respark | October 27, 2020

Healing Our Men

By Taylor Spaziani, Clinical Manager for Respark

Something I am extremely passionate about in my work around masculinity is using feminist theory to work with male identified individuals. Why feminist theory, to work with MEN?!

Because in the United States, male identified individuals commit suicide at 4x the rate than females. Male deaths represent 79% of all US suicides (cdc.gov) (save.org)

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The major issue here, is that we collectively socialize our men in a society that represents toxic masculinity. We teach our men that they need to be bulked with muscles and never shed a tear. We teach men to “man up” & push those emotions down. We teach men that they are superior to women, especially White men. We teach men that they must be the financial head of household and must work as hard as they can, with very little rest. We see pictures of men in the media with chiseled bodies rather than realistic bodies. We teach men that the size of their penis matters more than the size of their hearts. We teach men that if they have any sort of affection towards other males, that they must be gay (as if being gay were a bad thing.) We teach men that they must have a high sex drive, and if they don’t, something must be wrong with them.

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These are the ideas that define toxic masculinity in our culture & these are the very ideas that provide us with the deeply saddening statistics listed above. Using feminist theory to work with men in therapy allows men to be freed from these ideas of what it means to be a man. Masculine healing will begin when we can step down from these ideas, step into our emotions, and create a world where men do not have to hide behind their shields. Men have mental health, too.

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Thank you for the artwork, @katieellenherrington

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#malesuicideawareness #toxicmasculinity #mentalhealthmatters #mensmentalhealth #feelingtazz #feministtheory

Next Steps & Resources:

Ready to take the next step?

What online counseling options do I have?

For the past decade we have excelled at online therapy, tele-therapy and phone counseling. We have seen couples online and conducted Sex Therapy online through video platforms. Everything can be completed online including your intake, first session all the way through graduation! You can even find a Respark Therapist or Coach and book your first session online without having to pick up the phone. Many of our clients love online therapy as there are so many pros! Learn more about our online couples therapy, online individual therapy and online Sex Therapy process here.

What is Respark all about?

We have therapists throughout all of Texas and Colorado. We offer the best couples therapy and sex therapy because our team had 200+ hours of training post graduate. Many of them are already certified or about to become certified sex therapists. We have therapists trained in trauma, EMDR, eating disorders and Health at Every Size informed.

I want to become a sex therapist or sexual health professional, how do I do that?
Check out our podcast with Respark Founder, Heather McPherson at Practice Outside the Lines.

I want to become a certified sex therapist or certified sex coach or educator?

We also started one of the largest sexual health training organizations in the country. Check out Sexual Health Alliance for sexuality certification programs.

I need additional support around growing my sexual health focused practice as a sex therapist, sex coach or sexuality professional. Where can I find more information?

We started Practice Outside the Lines to support new and seasoned sexuality professionals learn how to start and grow a sexual health focused business.