A New Psychotherapy for Traditional Men

Breaking down the barriers Most men are trained from earliest childhood to suppress emotional distress, to avoid the subtle signals of interpersonal conflicts, to experience humiliation at the first hint of failure, and most of all, to resist asking for help. Nontraditional Therapy for the Traditional Man Psychologist Gary Brooks offers a revolutionary therapeutic model for achieving positive results with men who hate therapy. “A comprehensive, scholarly volume brimming with clinical insight into the hearts and minds of the traditional blue-collar men he so adroitly treats. . . . offers not only a guide, but inspiration and hope that men whose lives have been badly damaged—men who are likely to be considered poor risks for therapy—can find significant help in the therapy relationship.” —RONALD F. LEVANT, dean, Center for Psychological Studies, Nova Southeastern University “Carefully weaving the psychological literature together with glimpses into real men’s lives, Gary Brooks creates a tapestry of the ‘new man’ that is at once honest, poignant, and our hope for the future. Millions of men’s and women’s lives will be enriched by reading this book. I already have a number of traditional men on my gift list.” —LENORE WALKER, author of Abused Women and Survivor Therapy and The Battered Woman “This wonderful book is filled with wisdom and compassion. It should be required reading for anyone doing psychotherapy with men; it should be required reading for anyone who is in a relationship with a man! It is clear, sensitive, incisive. In a time of gender strife and misunderstanding, Dr. Brooks provides a beacon of hope.” —JUDITH V. JORDAN, assistant professor of psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and training director, Stone Center, Wellesley College Breaking down the barriers Most men are trained from earliest childhood to suppressemotional distress, to avoid the subtle signals of interpersonalconflicts, to experience humiliation at the first hint of failure,and most of all, to resist asking for help. In this much-neededbook, Gary Brooks shares his experience of working with resistantmale clients and shows how to overcome this resistance and achievepositive results. Brooks reveals how compassion, respect, empathy,and sensitivity to men's defenses help break down barriers and makethem amenable to the therapeutic process.