You do not currently have permission to view the full text for this document. Please sign in to an account with an active subscription or contact support.
This book presents an overview of some of the current work being done with men in the USA. Its main focus is on groupwork but much of what is on offer is relevant to the wider issue of men and mental health. Traditionally, and this is the starting point for most of the contributors, men have not taken to psychotherapy as have women. Psychotherapy may have originally been undertaken by male professionals primarily for women patients but, in general, men themselves have been more reluctant to see themselves as patients. The stereotypical male is independent, self-reliant, strong and emotionally restrained. Historically, this has meant that many have been resistant to therapy and what it could offer. However this has been changing over the past few decades. For instance, since the advent of the women's movement, gender stereotypes have been challenged and men have been forced to face the consequences. Some men have found that they need to seek alternative ways to combat the feelings of alienation and anxiety that have confronted them as their familiar roles have changed. In recent years the mythopoetic men's movement, most clearly represented by the work of Robert Bly, bears witness to this striving for a better understanding of what it means to be a man today. This book attempts to follow on from these popular developments by outlining the work of some mental health professionals who are currently involved with men and men's issues.
Men In Groups is organized into four parts. Each part typically contains chapters on psychotherapy and supportive and educational groupwork. Throughout, particular attention is paid to cultural and social factors and the way in which these influence and affect working with men. The first section looks at homogeneous all-male groups, including treatment for therapy-resistant men, homeless men, middle-class men and Asian men, and at mentoring groups. Section two concentrates on heterogeneous and mixed-gender groups. This includes work with Af