Men’s Group Counselling

Men’s Group Counselling with Dr. Michael Dadson (Mike Dadson)

Dr. Michael Dadson finds “Cultural conditioning poses obstacles that create barriers for men, hindering them from seeking mental health care and accessing counseling”

Extensive research exists to demonstrate that men’s mental health problems are often downplayed, and they encounter formidable barriers when attempting to seek assistance. “In numerous cultures, men are raised to perceive their primary duty as providing for their families through work” , explains Michael Dadson. Even in contemporary male-dominated workplaces, emotions and relationships are often undervalued unless they directly contribute to workplace objectives.

Mike Dadson interprets:

As a result of cultural conditioning, men frequently fail to grasp the significance of emotions or how they can contribute to their own mental well-being, as well as that of their loved ones. “The conditioning of men often revolves around utilitarian relationships like the work place where men often spend extended hours sometimes spending more time there than with their partners and children at home”.

Much of men’s day is consumed in an environment where emotions carry little, if any, importance and may even be seen as a liability. Men are also socialized at an early age to understand their value and even their attractiveness to a potential romantic partner may be assigned because of how effective they are at providing. As a result, men may find themselves ill-equipped and lacking experience in emotional connections family relationships due to their prolonged engagement in an environment that does not welcome many emotional expressions.

You need only ask a man how comfortable he feels shedding tears with a colleague or expressing feelings of being overwhelmed to a supervisor to understand this conditioning. Yet in family life, raising children and maintaining feelings of connection, emotional skills like emotional availability, emotional expression and emotional insight are essential.

This mindset (largely shaped by cultural conditioning), frequently acts as the primary obstacle preventing men from seeking mental health care, seeking help, or participating in activities that promote their mental well-being. “This presents a challenge for men because successful relationships, particularly with intimate partners and children, necessitate a certain level of awareness, competence, and skill in expressing emotions while creating space for others to express theirs”, emphasizes Dr. Michael Dadson.

Moreover, addressing mental health concerns such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, adjustment issues, addictions and anger management “all require developing greater proficiency in emotional availability and expression” Dr. Dadson concludes.

In order for men to embark on the journey of healing, it is crucial in counselling men, to address and overcome the commonly perceived lack of emotional sophistication associated with masculinity.

Dr. Mike Dadson points out:

To effectively engage men in the counseling process, it is essential to have a trained Registered Clinical Counsellor who possesses a deep understanding of men’s issues and has cultural competency and acknowledges the specific cultural barriers men face. When a man seeks treatment, it is important to be aware of potential obstacles that may hinder his progress.

Further, numerous studies focusing on military veterans and first responders have shown that men respond positively to group-based approaches when addressing their mental health. Michael Dadson identifies, “Men thrive when they have the opportunity to dedicate themselves to a prolonged sustained effort, and they may find one-long individual sessions to be slow-paced. Men often desire to witness tangible results from their committed efforts”.

This approach has been proven effective in helping men recover from various challenges such as trauma, workplace stress, conflicts within families and couples, recovering from divorce, parenting difficulties, childhood psychological trauma, coping with loss, dealing with death, and navigating the grieving process.

Men’s Group Counselling