Men are a unique population to work with in psychotherapy, but what does research indicate about how masculinity relates to therapeutic issues? Summarizing research on masculinity's relationship to a range of presenting issues, this article organizes and discusses the findings according to masculinity "scripts" that clinicians are likely to recognize when working with male clients. The article then addresses how masculinity is also associated with less help seeking and with negative attitudes toward psychological help seeking. This irony, that traditional masculinity scripts contribute to men's presenting concerns and act as barriers to help seeking, is then addressed through recommendations for training and practice that incorporate a sociocultural context into working with men. JAMES R. MAHALIK received his PhD in counseling psychology from the University of Maryland in 1990. He is an associate professor in the Department of Counseling, Developmental, and Educational Psychology at Boston College. His specialty interests include understanding the sources of gender role conformity and how it affects developmental, psychological, and relational well-being for individuals, families, and communities, along with how gender role conformity affects men's utilization of and experiences with psychotherapy. GLENN E. GOOD received his PhD in counseling psychology from the Ohio State University in 1987. He is an associate professor in the Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology at the University of Missouri-Columbia. His research interests include the implications of gender roles for individuals' psychosocial and biomedical well-being and their utilization of psychotherapy.

The bulk of the extant literature on the psychology of boys, men and masculinity has been focused on the important challenges of: a) creating an awareness about the detrimental effects of constricted forms of masculinity on boys and men and their relationships with others; and b) developing remedial approaches to psychotherapy that are designed to help boys and men recover from dysfunctional masculinity. The purpose of this article is to expand this literature by introducing the positive psychology/positive masculinity (PPPM) framework, which emphasizes male strengths as the starting point for psychotherapy with boys and men. The central principles of the PPPM framework are described, and the application of the PPPM model with an adult man in psychotherapy is presented. The implications of the PPPM model for future practice and research pertaining to boys, men, and masculinity are discussed.

Scholarship on men and masculinity has greatly informed the mental health field about the experiences of men. Despite this growth in information, there is limited exploration of understanding the healthy and adaptive experiences of men. The authors examine the emerging area of positive masculinity with a focus on applying a strength‐based approach to counseling men.

Eleven counseling psychology and counselor education academics were interviewed regarding their experiences of progressing from lower-or lower-middle-class backgrounds to college and, further, to academic positions. Grounded theory method was used for data analysis, and consensual qualitative research methods were used for triangulation and data presentation. Participants described experiences of hardship as children, obstacles to advancement, resources that enabled academic pursuits, and thwarted belonging needs in academic environments and original referent group settings. Bicultural and tricultural identity development were identified as central phenomena for participants. Implications regarding social class as an important aspect of multiculturalism are discussed.

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