Brave beginnings

Whether prompted by a crisis, life changes, the weight of unresolved emotions, or the need for personal growth, the decision to sit down with a therapist is often one of the most courageous steps a person can take. For many it involves confronting long-buried thoughts and feelings, possibly traumas, acknowledging vulnerabilities, and, perhaps for the first time, actually admitting that you need help.

I've witnessed a real shift this year and have seen more and more men coming into therapy. These are individuals who have built successful careers or businesses, navigated complex professional landscapes, and often carry the responsibility of leading others. Yet, despite their external successes, they find themselves grappling with internal challenges.

I’ve seen that for many the journey to therapy is neither straightforward nor easy. The societal expectation for men to remain stoic, self-sufficient, and in control can be a significant barrier to seeking help; indeed one senior leader said in his first session that he’d always seen therapy  as a weakness.

However, the reality is quite the opposite. Coming to therapy requires immense strength. It takes courage to confront the truth of your emotional state, especially when it challenges the very foundations of how you’ve been living and working. These men are discovering that the pressures of high responsibility, often compounded by years of suppressing emotions, can lead to profound psychological strain, particularly if they experience extraordinary or sudden life-changing events. For some, therapy is the first time for space to openly explore these struggles without judgment.

Therapy as a Transformative Experience

As a therapist, it is both a privilege and a responsibility to listen to my clients. My role is to create a safe, confidential environment where clients feel supported in their exploration of self. The therapeutic relationship is built on trust, and it’s through this trust that clients can begin to gently unpack their experiences, fears, and desires.

Listening to someone unravel their life story, perhaps for the first time, is a humbling experience. It’s not just about hearing words, but about understanding the emotions behind them—the pain, the relief, the hope for change. Each session is a step forward in the client’s journey toward self-understanding and healing.

Supporting Clients Through Their Journey

Supporting clients through therapy involves more than just listening; it’s about validating their experiences, offering insights, and helping them develop tools to manage their emotions and reactions. Therapy offers the opportunity to redefine strength. In therapy, strength is not about being invulnerable; it’s about being authentic, adaptable, and self-aware. It’s about learning to express emotions in a healthy way (often for the first time), building resilience, and cultivating a sense of lasting inner peace.

Starting therapy is not just about fixing what’s broken or working through a crisis; it’s about understanding ourselves more deeply, embracing vulnerability, sitting with our feelings and building a life that’s aligned with our values, hopes and goals (or finding them).

For those who take that first brave step into therapy, or may be thinking about it, the journey ahead may be challenging, but it is also one of the most rewarding paths you will take. At the end of the day it’s okay to be human, it’s okay to seek support, and it’s definitely okay to prioritise our mental well-being.

Position of privilege

At the risk of repeating myself, yet again, it really is an absolute privilege to hear clients’ stories, to be entrusted with their deepest thoughts, worst fears, traumas, difficulties and to support them. I have the utmost respect for anyone and everyone that comes through the door, no matter what they are struggling with. It’s even more of a privilege to be able to help them, to see them move forward with their lives, and flourish!