This blog is about why it could be helpful to work with a male therapist in Atlanta or online. We will talk about why some people might prefer a male therapist, stigma around men and counseling, as well as some specific concerns that apply to men in therapy.
For many, finding the right therapist includes searching for a therapist who shares a similar background or has a personal and professional understanding of their lived experiences. For men seeking therapy, this can include working with a male-identifying therapist. If you’re considering or looking for a male therapist in Atlanta, you may consider Dr. Vincent Fitch, a psychologist at Best Within You Therapy & Wellness who draws upon many years of experience providing virtual therapy across 43 states.
Why Some Clients Prefer a Male Therapist
While both male and female therapists are capable of working with male clients, many male clients find unique benefits in working with a therapist of the same gender. One such benefit is a greater degree of comfort which can help male clients become more vulnerable and in turn, benefit more from their therapy sessions.
Stigma For Men and Therapy
Before Best Within You Therapy & Wellness, Dr. Fitch worked with many men at Veteran Affair medical facilities, and found that vulnerability came from a general sense of common ground between the male client and male therapist, which led to clients feeling more understood. This was especially true with topics like masculinity, relationships, fatherhood, and men’s sexual health concerns.
This is particularly important for male clients as there is an unfortunate stigma associated with men experiencing normal human emotion and displaying vulnerability. The dominant culture enforces a false and harmful notion that men should not feel or display most negative emotions. As a result, even considering therapy in the first place can feel quite uncomfortable.
Working with a therapist who is sensitive to these challenges and has a deep understanding of the pressure to be strong and stoic at all times can help ease this pressure. As someone living and providing therapy in Atlanta, Georgia, Dr. Fitch understands the especially rigid gendered expectations that men in the Southeast are subjected to from his own experience of grappling with these expectations.
Because of these deeply ingrained expectations, it can be important for some male clients to have a male therapist who can challenge these beliefs.
In Dr. Fitch’s experience, some male clients feel more comfortable upon learning that he shares typically masculine interests, such as sports and working on his car, because they get to see masculinity coexist with the ability to experience and speak openly about emotion. This helps clients work through and unlearn internalized stigma.
Areas Where Male Therapists Can Offer Support
Male psychologists may vary in their individual specialties, but oftentimes their perspective can help them support male clients through not only a psychological lens but also a cultural one. Dr. Fitch, for example, works with clients of both genders who struggle with anxiety, depression, stress management, eating disorders, relationships, family, career pressures, athletics, life transitions, and identity. These are issues that commonly come up in therapy, but for some of his male clients, it can be helpful to talk to another man about these issues due to an assumed similar life experience. Dr. Fitch is able to connect with clients on these issues and can bring a personal understanding of what it is like to struggle with stigma as a man with anxiety or to manage the expectations of being a father, brother, or son.
Men, Eating Disorders, and Body Image
Make therapists are uniquely positioned to recognize and help male clients with concerns that are overlooked or minimized. One such concern is eating disorders and body image.
Eating disorders, a concern mainly thought of among women, carry a strong stigma for men, which may lead some men to experience exacerbation of symptoms, barriers to seeking help, misdiagnosis, or dismissal on the basis of gender. Dr. Fitch, whose doctoral dissertation focused on eating disorders among elite male athletes, has also found that men’s eating disorders tend to manifest in ways that diverge from the experiences more commonly associated with women.
Men are subjected to a different set of standards and may experience gender-specific stressors that worsen eating and body image concerns. Male athletes are also often encouraged to rapidly gain and lose weight, and their relationship with food may be shaped by a culture of overeating rather than undereating.
As a male therapist, Dr. Fitch is acutely aware of these nuances, and he often draws on this knowledge, as well as his master’s degree in exercise science, to ensure that the unique psychological and physical needs of clients with eating, exercise, or body image concerns are met, regardless of gender.
Trauma Therapy
An additional area where a male therapist may offer additional support is recovery from trauma perpetrated by men. Unlike the aforementioned strengths of male therapists, this is not because male providers necessarily have a greater personal understanding of experiencing trauma. Rather, simply by virtue of being men, male therapists can help clients who have experienced trauma at the hands of a male, or even those who have poor relationships with male family members, rebuild trust in men. The official term for this process is a corrective emotional experience, and it involves having new positive experiences that, with time, can challenge negative associations born from past traumatic experiences.
Dr. Fitch has worked with both male and female clients who experienced trauma by a man that affected their relationships with and image of men in general. Through building a relationship with Dr. Fitch, clients learn that men in their life are capable of being caring, trustworthy, and helpful, in turn creating a more positive association with men in general. Thus, working with a male therapist can be healing above and beyond what the client and therapist are actively working on.
Male Psychologist Approach and What to Expect
Individual male therapists differ in their specific techniques and approaches, but they may be able to shape their approaches to best fit a male client. Dr. Fitch has extensive training in CBT but also draws on other evidence-based approaches, such as DBT, values-based therapy, and interpersonal-focused therapy depending on the needs of his client and what they bring to the session.
Dr. Fitch applies this collaborative, person-centered approach in his work with both male and female clients but may individualize this approach further in his work with male clients by placing emphasis on validation for seeking help and using a male-focused lens to conceptualize concerns.
How To Find A Male Therapist
For those interested in working with a male therapist you can look online, ask your doctor for referrals, reach out to local practices, or if you think Dr. Vincent Fitch might be a good fit, you can connect with Best Within You Therapy & Wellness. Dr. Fitch offers virtual therapy available in Atlanta, Georgia and 42 other states. Additionally, he offers complimentary 15 minute phone calls to ensure a quality fit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Should a man go to therapy?
A: For men in our society, the act of asking for help or failing to suppress emotion can be attributed to weakness. In addition to being untrue, this notion is also harmful. Everyone has emotions and what’s most important is being able to understand yourself and your emotions. In doing so, you will not only help yourself but also those you care about, including your partner, family, and children. You don’t have to do this alone, and there is support waiting for you whenever you feel ready at practices like Best Within You Therapy & Wellness.
Q: Should a man get a male therapist?
A: There are many benefits to seeing a male therapist as a man. As explained in more detail above, seeing a male therapist can help a male client feel more understood and comfortable, and male therapists may be able to offer a more nuanced perspective based on their lived experience. However, there is no straightforward answer as to whether men “should” work with a male therapist because every individual’s wants and needs are different. Whether a therapist’s gender is important is ultimately up to the client. Our male and female therapists work with many male clients. We also have many male clients that prefer female providers.
Q: What is the best therapy for men?
A: Our belief at Best Within You is that there is no one-size-fits-all, “best” therapy approach for men, or anyone for that matter. Dr. Fitch emphasizes the individual needs of each client and believes it rests on him to adjust his approach accordingly. The “best” therapy is the therapy that best serves the individual client.
Q: Who is the best male therapist in Atlanta?
A: If you’re searching for a male therapist in Atlanta, Dr. Vincent Fitch may be a great option! Dr. Fitch has received extensive training through his doctoral program and has years of experience as a psychologist in private practices, hospitals, medical centers, residential and intensive outpatient programs, and more recently, he became the clinical director of Best Within You Therapy & Wellness’s new eating disorder intensive outpatient program. He works with both female- and male-identifying clients 16 and older with a variety of concerns ranging from eating disorders, body image, anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship difficulties, and insomnia amongst others.
This blog was written by Judy Crandall and peer reviewed by Dr. Vincent Fitch, a psychologist at Best Within You Therapy & Wellness. To schedule with Dr. Fitch or any of our therapists, please visit our appointment page and submit your information. We look forward to being a part of your healing.
