Men face daunting dilemmas in today’s world. Should a man be strong and powerful? Should he be chivalrous and well-spoken? Should he be on an island and independent? Should he need others? Should he need a partner?

Society reinforces men to behave in specific ways, which typically come at a cost. One cost may be your authenticity – you’d like to act one way but feel forced to make a different decision. You may want to be vulnerable and open, but fear the potential mockery and ball-busting that comes from others.

It’s important to identify the forces that are influencing the decisions that you make. These decisions may not line up with what you want or value in your life. Therapy provides a way for us to identify these obstacles for authenticity and find ways to navigate being a well-balanced man in our culture.