3 Ways Men Benefit from Therapy
Three easy reasons why men should be in therapy.
–Steven Rishard, MS, LAPC
BCA Therapist APRIL, 2025
#1. Live longer.
#2. More ease.
#3. Greater personal satisfaction.
3 ways men benefit from therapy
LIVE LONGER.
No, really, I mean it. The stigmas that keep many men from seeking help
are driving them into the grave at at faster rate. There is enough evidence from the last
ten years of studies to suggest that some of the reasons men’s lifespans are shorter are
- due to a lack of connected relationships
- less attention to stress management
- not enough time spent on mental health.
We need more people around us as we get older,
and men with a greater number of connected relationships have more people looking
out for their well being, sharing in their ups and downs, and giving them a greater
sense of community. Men who attend to their inner turmoil, ( anger, anxiety, sadness,
etc. ) are more likely to have better health benefits
- lower blood pressure
- less risk of cardiovascular disease.
We live longer with a nervous system that is
cared for as opposed to ignored. Though therapy can occasionally be tough, it is
always a great way to learn to care for yourself.
MORE EASE.
Most of us do not grow up with a ready made bag of tactics for stress
management and/or tools for great communication, nor do most of us develop sure fire
ways to manage our expectations for our lives, but the way most men are raised in our
western culture leaves them at a greater disadvantage. Being in any relationship has
it’s challenges, be it with a spouse, a sibling, a parent, co-worker, or a child.
Men who actively learn better ways to communicate and manage stress find their relationships
more enjoyable and fruitful. Not to mention what it can do for the daily tasks of living.
Responsibilities and pressures mount, but they do not have to rule the day. Life should
feel less like punching at the ocean, and a little more like adapting to the ebb and flow
of the changes.
Therapy is great for learning how to do this, and more.
GREATER PERSONAL SATISFACTION.
Socrate’s gave us a great quote in “The unexamined
life is not worth living.”
Our world moves much faster and louder than his, still taking
the time and effort to reflect on your life is always worth it. Many men are trying to
engage with their lives within a set of values and beliefs they have had no time to stop
and examine.
All men have been affected by the idea of an “ideal” man. Mythologies
and legacies of “manhood” pervade every culture and family. Without examination,
without occasional reflection and reorganization of our perspectives, men can easily
loose sight of what might bring them more enjoyment, fulfillment, and meaning.
Often when this happens men can be left with a sense of shame, of not “measuring up”.
Simply sitting with someone who’s task it is to help you sort through it all, can be of
great benefit.
If you are looking for support and would like to experience some of these benefits, we are here to help.
Learn MoreOvercome Anxiety with These Specific Skills
How to Work Through It When It’s Not Working for You
You may not believe it, but anxiety isn’t always bad. It acts as a warning system and sends alerts when there is danger. It helps us identify risks and react to emergencies. Anxiety helps us prepare, navigate uncertainty, anticipate obstacles, and identify possible solutions.
This all sounds great – but then why does it also make us feel so bad?
Anxiety is part of a fight-or-flight response, preparing our bodies to react to danger. If you were being chased by a tiger, your anxious fight-or-flight response would kick in to keep you safe. The problem lies when our brain perceives danger that is not life threatening, such as a job interview, the first day of school, or being in a new environment.
The good news is you can learn to respond to anxiety in a way that is more supportive and productive, while decreasing your anxious thoughts and feelings, and developing strategies to cope.
Here are 3 specific tools to help you work through anxiety when it’s not working for you:
Anxiety challenging skills
When you’re not being chased by a tiger
Engaging in balanced thinking, considering multiple outcomes, and staying connected to your body using progressive muscle relaxation are just some of the tools you can use to work through anxiety when it’s not working for you.
Engage in balanced thinking
Anxiety often propels us into all-or-nothing thinking. This extreme position leaves us feeling hopeless and stuck, unable to create change. We’ve all been there.
“There is no solution to this problem.”
“If I don’t get this right, I’m a failure.”
“They didn’t agree with me. They are against me.”
Next time these thoughts pop up, take back control by reframing them in a more balanced way:
“There are multiple answers to this situation. If I choose to try something new it does not mean it is wrong.”
“I can make mistakes and still succeed.”
“Just because I disagree with someone and we have differences, doesn’t mean they do not like me as a person.”
Consider multiple outcomes
Another way to get unstuck is to think:
“What’s the best case, worst case, and most realistic case scenario?”
With school approaching, lets talk about the possibilities for the first day.
BEST case: Today is going to be the best day ever. I’ll see all my friends, we will have all the same classes, and my teachers will be super cool, creative, and funny.
WORST case: Today is going to be the worst day of my life. No one will talk to me, my teachers will assign tons of homework the first day, and I’ll get lost in this new building.
REALISTIC case: I have teachers who care about my learning, although they may have different teaching styles. I might know someone in my class or I’ll meet new people and make new friends. I might not know where to go, but I can ask for help from a teacher or student and make it to class without getting lost.
Considering all 3 options slows down our thinking, gets all parts of our brain working together, and helps us gain control over anxiety and not stay stuck.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Using our bodies is an effective way to reduce anxious feelings and get unstuck.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) is a structured exercise where you tense then release certain areas of the body, one at a time, starting from the top of your head and moving down. Being mindful of the release and noticing the changes in your body increases your closeness to calmness and relaxation.
PMR increases your mind-body connection, slows down the strong emotional and reactive parts of the brain, and slows down breathing. All of these outcomes are effective and proven in gaining control over anxiety.
In addition to these three skills, Veronica works with clients to utilize logic to identify unhelpful thoughts and work to disprove them and practice in-the-moment strategies to cope with anxiety that you can use outside of sessions.
Veronica is available now to support you and help you take control over your anxiety when it’s not working for you.
We LOVE our clients!
Immediate help is always available
All new clients receive a return call or email (double check your spam folder) in less than 24 hours.
BCA Therapy does not maintain a waitlist and we never will. There shouldn’t be any roadblocks when you are asking for help.
Mental Health Champion
BCA Therapy has been awarded a LOVE Award as a Mental Health Champion for both our Bucks County and Main Line locations. We are so grateful and couldn’t be more proud of our clients and how they show up for themselves every week!
Learn More
We Have Been Honored Among the 2024 Best for Families!
Both our Wayne and Yardley location have been selected to be honored among the 2024 Best for Families! We have been selected for the “Main Line Parent 2024 LOVE Award Winner – Mental Health Champion” and “Bucks County Parent 2024 LOVE Award Winner – Mental Health Champion”!
We love and care for our clients deeply. This only reinforces that we are providing quality care every single time and it’s making a difference!
Learn MoreBucks County Parent Woman of Influence in 2023 Chat!
After being honored as a Main Line Parent and Bucks County Parent Woman of Influence in 2023, Ivory Tree Portraits’ Founder and Owner, Lara Mattey, has invited several fellow Women of Influence into the photo studio for a chat and a Headshot Session. It’s been a wonderful way to get to know a diverse and driven group of local women doing amazing things in our local community!
Meet Brynn Cicippio, Founder and Owner of BCA Therapy, a private therapy practice comprised of a group of compassionate, ethical, and experienced therapists offering individual, couples, and family therapy. With two practices, one in Yardley and the other in Wayne, Brynn’s supportive work has helped many and has earned her a Main Line Parent and a Bucks County Parent Women of Influence Award in 2023.
Learn More
New Therapy Group for Men!
Are these true for you?
- Want to be a better leader, father, partner or friend.
- Have lost track of your goals or purpose.
- Are curious about what it means to be a man in today’s world.
- Struggle to express your joy, passion, and pain with those you love.
- Eager to connect with like-minded men.
Our wonderful therapist Steven has created a safe and supportive place for men to really connect and take a deep exploration at what they want for themselves and how to make it happen. For $25 you can register for the new 5-week therapy group for men!
Group details–
- Date and Time:
- April 2nd – April 30th
- Tuesdays, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM
- Location:
- Wayne, PA
- Men, 21 years+
- Sign up at hello@bcatherapy.com
Learn More