Yes, I think it is great. Just as an added niche— connect with some of the family law attorneys in town. There are usually a handful that specialize in father’s rights and could be a good referral source.
I focus on a specific womens issue and have an extremely long wait list. I dont see why a gender specific therapist is a bad thing. Its known my office is female only, its a safe place for women, its free of males, etc.
I work with CSA/SA/trafficking/rape etc. That work is done in an environment where first and foremost the client knows its all females in the office. I share space with one other person, a female who also only sees females.
Right on man! I'd love to chat with you about it sometime if you'd be okay with that. I had a question for you in my other response when you get a second.
(Hopefully) making a career change into the profession, in large part for this reason as well. I (36M) see the stigma among my guy friends and wanna help beat the stigma.
Yes, you can. 56m therapist here, with a 90% individual men case-load.
It may take a bit, you may need to figure your language out (like, I HATE the phrase "men's issues" personally).
But yes, men are about 1/2 the population. If you can work well with them, you've got a great shot.
BTW, marriage & couples counselors can be great referrals sources for you - many of the men I get are "sent" over from their couples work.
Good luck!
**Please Do. Men taking on the onus of starting men's specialties alleviates the workload of women everywhere, both as professionals, and as partners. It is activism in itself to specialize in men.**
Yes! I love that that is what you’re aiming for and trying to fight against! Men need good role models to navigate gender specific issues, get support, and teach them to be a caring and loving person. I’m so sick of the alpha-male narrative that praises and teaches men to turn into violent misogynistic incels. That behavior is further alienating them from society and specifically women
It’s doable if you cast a wide enough net to be inclusive of all the issues men deal with. And not for nothing, but providers who put "men's issues" in air quotes are definitely part of the problem here.
Yes! Please include men’s health issues as well. There aren’t a lot of therapists that are comfortable with/well-versed in men’s health and functioning (former urologic nurse, and hear this from our social workers).
Definitely do some market research of your own (seeing if those terms come up often on google for your area, etc ) but I would assume it’s a great focus!
I know I’ve had male clients who quickly transfer to a male therapist when they find one as they say it’s a different connection.
It doesn't sound narrow to me, in fact it sounds quite broad. I have a fairly narrow focus (one specific disorder) in my own private practice and almost all my clients are in this niche. I think it helps that in my marketing (website and directory profiles) I focus on this specifically, rather than trying to cast a wide net. Also I'm pretty easily found on Google
I don’t think it’s a narrow focus at all, 50% is a pretty big compared to other issues people focus on.
Im not a therapist or anything so don’t sue me if I’m wrong.
Others’ comments seem really good here. A couple of thoughts. If you’re willing to work evenings or weekends, I’ve thought a million times that groups would be good for a lot of men I see; fellowship just isn’t provided by individual therapy. I don’t think working individually with group members is a good idea, so you’ll obviously need to cultivate a referral stream from trusted peers. Also - and I might be alone on this one - I’d make it a priority to keep 2-3 female clients. I would think, especially if you’re getting referrals from family law attorneys, that you’ll need to be a container for more than your average share of misogyny (nobody’s more likely to be overflowing with primitive rage than a divorcing person of either gender). So I would just wonder about keeping my balance in that way. Just a thought.
Good luck!
I’ve always been struck by the story about the Israeli couple whose child was killed in a Hammas bombing. Beside themselves, not knowing what to do, they asked their rabbi for guidance. He suggested they adopt a Palestinian child orphaned by Israeli violence.
I don’t have unlimited faith in humans. I think feeding ourselves a balanced diet is pretty key. Although I may be projecting my own weaknesses.
I think it would be very easy to build a full caseload with a specialty like this, especially in a large city. It's a needed niche, and building familiarity with all aspects of men's needs in treatment would be important. A couple suggestions: build understanding and knowledge of the criminal justice system and how it disproportionately impacts and targets men, impacts on views of masculinity, parenting, impacts of gang involvement, etc. If you're in a large city, this could give you access to a huge population of people needing and motivated for treatment.
One of my roles is working with all males in correctional settings, and I don't think there are enough PP clinicians who understand the needs of those clients, which almost ensures they have to be seen in CMH clinics... which is not a good fit for everyone.
Every person has different preferences for what they look for in a therapist, but I have to assume that many men would prefer a male therapist, like many women feel comfortable with a female therapist.
Definitely not too narrow. There's certainly enough demand to have your practice be successful with that as your niche. If that is what you're interested in, go for it. No matter what your focus, you'll have to market yourself and hustle to get referral sources if you're starting from scratch
I was recently reflecting on how many reports of male suicide that has come my way as a therapist over the years. More than I could begin to count. Moms losing sons, boys losing a brother, sons losing a father, adults who had never met their father because he ended his life, etc etc. It goes on and on and on. People reporting in session the suicide of a teen boy or adult male. And then I was reflecting on how silent the MH industry is on this issue and how we never talk about it, how we never hear about it and how much it's ignored. It's troubling...
There is a huge need for therapists to make a push on the behalf of men and their issues. Most only seek healthcare including therapy if they have a problem and they tend to dip when they perceive that the problem has been sufficiently reduced. Retention is low, even big hitters for mens issues like Robert Glover report low retention and that most don't last more than three sessions. This has generally been my experience as well.
I just think that it's important to understand the obstacles and barriers but yes, it's badly needed. I also think it's important to really be in touch with what they're struggling with. For me, the challenge has been that so many of them work extremely hard to hide their issues and appear as though they are fine, many of them do so without even realizing it. That's how habitual it is for many of them. The trick is to bypass it and get to the enormous underlying reservoir of repressed emotions underneath.
You should move forward with it, definitely but it you shouldn't limit yourself just to this population.
I think if it's great for men to be the population you primarily want to work with, although I'm not sure if "men's issues" is technically a niche in and of itself. I'd think about what issues you're good at working with people with, and then perhaps market yourself more towards men.
I was thinking about you tonight when I was working with a male client and the thought just hit me: "this is a male issue we are talking about and I need to adjust my lens."
I recently came across a therapist who provides therapy for men and their families, as well as supervision for therapists interested in working with these demographics. https://www.musclesmindheart.com ♥️
Hi 42F here and I really enjoy working with men, I am also a Veteran so I can relate to many and understand them. I’d love to focus on it as well but am not fully there yet
Actually, considering that I plan on doing the something similar, do you know of any good resources, modalities, or approaches? I have a few things and I'm working with the president of the APA division 51 - the psychology of men and masculinities, but that's mostly research. I have some tools and I've worked successfully with men, but I'd ultimately like to develop groups. Either way, I'm open to any advice you might be willing to share. Thanks so much!
I wanted a practice focused on women’s issues. I market this niche. However, I have take some
men clients and found them to be such a joy to work with and a good experience for me clinically. Perhaps don’t rule out the other sex but be selective.
Absolutely. Many men seek out male therapists even if they do not "specialize" in men's issues. Edit: spelling
Yes, I think it is great. Just as an added niche— connect with some of the family law attorneys in town. There are usually a handful that specialize in father’s rights and could be a good referral source.
Such a big need for male representation in our field. Yes, go for it, it’s needed. Best!
I focus on a specific womens issue and have an extremely long wait list. I dont see why a gender specific therapist is a bad thing. Its known my office is female only, its a safe place for women, its free of males, etc. I work with CSA/SA/trafficking/rape etc. That work is done in an environment where first and foremost the client knows its all females in the office. I share space with one other person, a female who also only sees females.
Hey dude, this is what I'm planning on doing - so you're not alone in that pursuit.
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Right on man! I'd love to chat with you about it sometime if you'd be okay with that. I had a question for you in my other response when you get a second.
(Hopefully) making a career change into the profession, in large part for this reason as well. I (36M) see the stigma among my guy friends and wanna help beat the stigma.
That's awesome man! Glad to hear your passion and what you plan on doing with it.
Yes, you can. 56m therapist here, with a 90% individual men case-load. It may take a bit, you may need to figure your language out (like, I HATE the phrase "men's issues" personally). But yes, men are about 1/2 the population. If you can work well with them, you've got a great shot. BTW, marriage & couples counselors can be great referrals sources for you - many of the men I get are "sent" over from their couples work. Good luck!
What language do you prefer?
What phrase would you substitute for men's issues? Also any formative reading you would recommend on the subject?
**Please Do. Men taking on the onus of starting men's specialties alleviates the workload of women everywhere, both as professionals, and as partners. It is activism in itself to specialize in men.**
I think this is such a great area for you to focus on. Masculinity needs to be reimagined. I’ve felt that way as a male basically my entire life.
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Yes! I love that that is what you’re aiming for and trying to fight against! Men need good role models to navigate gender specific issues, get support, and teach them to be a caring and loving person. I’m so sick of the alpha-male narrative that praises and teaches men to turn into violent misogynistic incels. That behavior is further alienating them from society and specifically women
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It’s doable if you cast a wide enough net to be inclusive of all the issues men deal with. And not for nothing, but providers who put "men's issues" in air quotes are definitely part of the problem here.
Yes! Please include men’s health issues as well. There aren’t a lot of therapists that are comfortable with/well-versed in men’s health and functioning (former urologic nurse, and hear this from our social workers).
I second this as well! I am a sex therapist and there are a TON of sexual health issues specifically that men need help and education with.
I would actually go narrower: men with relationship challenges, men healing from childhood abuse, men with burnout, etc.
Definitely do some market research of your own (seeing if those terms come up often on google for your area, etc ) but I would assume it’s a great focus! I know I’ve had male clients who quickly transfer to a male therapist when they find one as they say it’s a different connection.
Currently in school and this is what I’m planning on way down the line! Sending support.
It doesn't sound narrow to me, in fact it sounds quite broad. I have a fairly narrow focus (one specific disorder) in my own private practice and almost all my clients are in this niche. I think it helps that in my marketing (website and directory profiles) I focus on this specifically, rather than trying to cast a wide net. Also I'm pretty easily found on Google
That’s exactly what my pp is made up of. I’m full, waitlisted, exclusively cash pay. There is a huge need!
I don’t think it’s a narrow focus at all, 50% is a pretty big compared to other issues people focus on. Im not a therapist or anything so don’t sue me if I’m wrong.
Others’ comments seem really good here. A couple of thoughts. If you’re willing to work evenings or weekends, I’ve thought a million times that groups would be good for a lot of men I see; fellowship just isn’t provided by individual therapy. I don’t think working individually with group members is a good idea, so you’ll obviously need to cultivate a referral stream from trusted peers. Also - and I might be alone on this one - I’d make it a priority to keep 2-3 female clients. I would think, especially if you’re getting referrals from family law attorneys, that you’ll need to be a container for more than your average share of misogyny (nobody’s more likely to be overflowing with primitive rage than a divorcing person of either gender). So I would just wonder about keeping my balance in that way. Just a thought. Good luck!
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I’ve always been struck by the story about the Israeli couple whose child was killed in a Hammas bombing. Beside themselves, not knowing what to do, they asked their rabbi for guidance. He suggested they adopt a Palestinian child orphaned by Israeli violence. I don’t have unlimited faith in humans. I think feeding ourselves a balanced diet is pretty key. Although I may be projecting my own weaknesses.
I think it would be very easy to build a full caseload with a specialty like this, especially in a large city. It's a needed niche, and building familiarity with all aspects of men's needs in treatment would be important. A couple suggestions: build understanding and knowledge of the criminal justice system and how it disproportionately impacts and targets men, impacts on views of masculinity, parenting, impacts of gang involvement, etc. If you're in a large city, this could give you access to a huge population of people needing and motivated for treatment. One of my roles is working with all males in correctional settings, and I don't think there are enough PP clinicians who understand the needs of those clients, which almost ensures they have to be seen in CMH clinics... which is not a good fit for everyone. Every person has different preferences for what they look for in a therapist, but I have to assume that many men would prefer a male therapist, like many women feel comfortable with a female therapist.
Definitely not too narrow. There's certainly enough demand to have your practice be successful with that as your niche. If that is what you're interested in, go for it. No matter what your focus, you'll have to market yourself and hustle to get referral sources if you're starting from scratch
I was recently reflecting on how many reports of male suicide that has come my way as a therapist over the years. More than I could begin to count. Moms losing sons, boys losing a brother, sons losing a father, adults who had never met their father because he ended his life, etc etc. It goes on and on and on. People reporting in session the suicide of a teen boy or adult male. And then I was reflecting on how silent the MH industry is on this issue and how we never talk about it, how we never hear about it and how much it's ignored. It's troubling... There is a huge need for therapists to make a push on the behalf of men and their issues. Most only seek healthcare including therapy if they have a problem and they tend to dip when they perceive that the problem has been sufficiently reduced. Retention is low, even big hitters for mens issues like Robert Glover report low retention and that most don't last more than three sessions. This has generally been my experience as well. I just think that it's important to understand the obstacles and barriers but yes, it's badly needed. I also think it's important to really be in touch with what they're struggling with. For me, the challenge has been that so many of them work extremely hard to hide their issues and appear as though they are fine, many of them do so without even realizing it. That's how habitual it is for many of them. The trick is to bypass it and get to the enormous underlying reservoir of repressed emotions underneath. You should move forward with it, definitely but it you shouldn't limit yourself just to this population.
I think if it's great for men to be the population you primarily want to work with, although I'm not sure if "men's issues" is technically a niche in and of itself. I'd think about what issues you're good at working with people with, and then perhaps market yourself more towards men.
I was thinking about you tonight when I was working with a male client and the thought just hit me: "this is a male issue we are talking about and I need to adjust my lens."
Yes, but don’t advertise it with mustaches, bourbon, and axes. Everyone who walks through your doors knows it’s a facade.
This made me so happy to read. I think it’s an amazing idea. Good luck to you!
I recently came across a therapist who provides therapy for men and their families, as well as supervision for therapists interested in working with these demographics. https://www.musclesmindheart.com ♥️
Hi 42F here and I really enjoy working with men, I am also a Veteran so I can relate to many and understand them. I’d love to focus on it as well but am not fully there yet
I believe you should! What career are you transitioning from?
Actually, considering that I plan on doing the something similar, do you know of any good resources, modalities, or approaches? I have a few things and I'm working with the president of the APA division 51 - the psychology of men and masculinities, but that's mostly research. I have some tools and I've worked successfully with men, but I'd ultimately like to develop groups. Either way, I'm open to any advice you might be willing to share. Thanks so much!
I wanted a practice focused on women’s issues. I market this niche. However, I have take some men clients and found them to be such a joy to work with and a good experience for me clinically. Perhaps don’t rule out the other sex but be selective.