ADULT MEN
Men’s Treatment Program
Men live in a world where much is expected but little support is given to them. In life you are expected to be strong, to be a provider, to get a good job, to marry the right person. All of this pressure with no support, on top of a mental health issue can be devastating. Growth Extended is a place where adult men can come knowing that they are in an environment where their needs are going to be met and their worries will be heard. As a man you have likely been socialized not to share your feelings. You bottle things up and always say “I’m fine” when people ask how you are doing. At Growth Extended you will live in an environment where you are encouraged to share your feelings and you do not have to fear shame or ridicule for sharing your personal struggles with the group. To put it simply, our program for men is tailed specifically for males to heal at their own pace.
Differences Between Women & Men in Treatment
Growth Extended is sensitive to the fact that mental health, substance abuse and eating disorder struggles manifest differently in men than they do in women, and what works for a woman may not be the right course of action for a man. With that in mind, your treatment program will be specifically designed with your gender in mind. Men are socialized differently than women and because of this, men struggle in ways that women sometimes do not. You may not be comfortable sharing your feelings with a group, or you may not be comfortable opening up to a therapist. Rest assured that your therapist understands your unique needs and will work with you not to move past the mechanism of your gender but to work with it and compliment it. There are many ways to achieve results and staff at Growth Extended are prepared to help in the way that works for you.
How Our Program for Men is Unique
One area we address in our male population is childhood emotional dynamics and how they impact the adult male. We call this The Shame Examining Link for Men. While both men and women struggle with childhood trauma, often men struggle with issues including emotional abuse, sexual trauma, grief, bullying, educational struggles and substance abuse in a much different way. Men are often shamed for discussing these issues as they are expected to “man up” and move past them without ever processing, grieving or truly recovering from childhood trauma. In order to address these issues in a way that is comfortable for our male clients, we provide a safe and nurturing environment where men can examine how the past has affected their outlook on life and what is possible in recovery.
Components of a man’s capabilities
In a world that has never been more equal, research is still very clear that there are differences between women and men. Men and women often perceive things differently, process things differently and very often they internalize things differently as well. There are specific differences in what you need as a man and what you deem as important and vital to your development and evolution into manhood. One key component that contributes to your growth is respect. While money and power are seem by some to be the driving force for men, at Growth Extended we look beyond “surface fixes” meaning money and power. Men who seek money and power, or who shame themselves for not having those things, are really searching for respect.