“Strong, Silent, and Suffering”: The Emotional Education Men Never Got
Most men aren’t taught how to care for their mental health. They’re taught how to perform masculinity.
From early childhood, boys are conditioned to embody a narrow version of manhood: be tough, don’t cry, stay in control. Vulnerability is treated as a liability, and tenderness as a threat. The result? A dangerous emotional straightjacket — one that leaves men silently suffering under the weight of feelings they were never allowed to name.
I needed a change: My path from lawyer to therapist…
For as long as I can remember, I’ve felt a deep desire to help people. I’ve always enjoyed talking and, according to my parents, debating. At one point, I thought law might be a natural fit for me, especially given my passion for advocating for others. But alongside that, I was also drawn to psychology, literature, music, and art— all of which I saw as powerful expressions of the human experience. Growing up, I found myself torn between pursuing law or psychiatry, but at the time, mental health wasn’t as widely discussed, and I didn’t know much about becoming a therapist beyond psychiatry. By the end of high school, I realized medical school wasn’t for me, so I decided to pursue law school instead.
You’re in Therapy… Maybe Your Child Needs It Too
Therapy isn’t just for adults. It’s a space for growth, healing, and breaking patterns—often ones you didn’t even realize were there. That’s a powerful journey. But what about your child? The one watching, absorbing, and moving through a world that doesn’t always make space for their emotions? It’s worth asking: Do they need therapy too?