Clinical Behavior Therapy and the Male Sex Role

Male client–male therapist: Issues in a therapeutic alliance.

“…All individuals have some limitations in their ability to be expressive and open in their relationships. Most men are seen as being particularly deficient in this aspect of human functioning (Goldfried & Friedman, 1982). Being emotionally inexpressive is a vital part of the very nature of "manliness."…”

“…Even though a growing number of men are realizing that many of the expectations placed on them as males are frequently the major cause of conflicts and even destructiveness, few of them seek therapy. It appears that men seek therapy only as a last resort, when their lives are in very serious trouble or absolutely chaotic (Goldfried & Friedman, 1982). Even in crises most men will not seek therapy of their own volition, but at the insistence of someone else-either a wife or partner, a physician, a clergyperson, or an employer.…”