This paper offers theoretical and philosophical conceptual framework for clinicians and researchers to address impasses in working with men's groups. Framed in an Integrity model, values-based perspective, it examines the role of the clinician/researcher in men's psychotherapy and counselling groups. Based on over forty years of group work with men in clinical/mental health tertiary care and community settings, this article highlights the role of values in: (a) group composition and intake; (b) the therapeutic group process; (c) the formulation of a conceptual vehicle for men to understand themselves as a function of their values; and (d) the role of the group therapist and researcher with the potential for a hidden or masked bias in the therapist or the theory.
AdamsE. (2011). Men mentoring men: A life enrichment program for men. In HarrisonM.E. & SchnarrsP.W. (Eds.), Growing our field: Emerging perspectives on masculinities and men's lives. The 18th annual American Men's Studies conference proceedings (pp. 12–19). Harriman, TN: Men's Studies Press.
2.
AdamsEM. (2012, March). Multimodal therapy: As a male friendly treatment approach. Paper presented at the American Men's Studies Association 20th Annual Conference on Men and Masculinities, Minneapolis, MN.
3.
Akinsulure-SmithA.M. (2012). Using group work to rebuild family and community ties among displaced African men. Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 37(2), 95–112.
4.
American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-IV) (4th ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.
5.
American Psychological Association. (2012). PsycINFO®. Retrieved 2012-06-23.
6.
BoonzaierA.SchubachK.TroupK.PollardA.ArandaS., & SchofieldP. (2008). Development of a psychoeducational intervention for men with prostate cancer. Journal of Psychosocial Oncology, 27(1), 136–153.
7.
Chinese Society of Psychiatry. (2001). CCMD-3: Chinese classification of mental disorders, Jinan, China: Shandong Press of Science and Technology.
8.
GoodG.E., & BrooksG.R. (2005). Introduction. In GoodG.E. & BrooksG.R. (Eds.), The new handbook of psychotherapy and counseling with men: A comprehensive guide to settings, problems, and treatment approaches revised and abridged from the previous edition (pp. 1–13). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Inc.
9.
HarperS.R. (2012, March). Beyond deficits and douchebag discourse about college-age men. Scholar in residence address presented at the American Men's Studies Association 20th Annual Conference on Men and Masculinities, Minneapolis, MN.
10.
KimmelM. (2008). Guyland: The perilous world where boys become men, New York, NY: Harper Collins.
11.
LanderN. (1986, October). Hobart Mowrer's Integrity (therapy) groups. Paper presented at the Canadian Group Psychotherapy Annual Meeting, Gray Rocks, QC.
12.
LanderN.R., & NahonD. (1992). Betrayed within the therapeutic relationship: An Integrity Therapy perspective. In SternE.M. (Ed.), Betrayal in psychotherapy and its antidotes: Challenges for patient and therapist (pp. 113–125). Binghamton, NY: The Haworth Press, Inc.
13.
LanderN.R., & NahonD. (1995). Danger or opportunity: Countertransference in couples therapy from an Integrity Therapy perspective. Journal of Couples Therapy, 5(3), 72–92.
14.
LanderN.R., & NahonD. (1999). Impasses within the group: Issues of values and therapist integrity. The International Forum of Group Psychotherapy, 7(1), 8–12.
15.
LanderN.R., & NahonD. (2000a). Personhood of the therapist in couples therapy: An Integrity Therapy perspective. Journal of Couples Therapy, 9(3/4), 29–42.
16.
LanderN.R., & NahonD. (2000b). Working with men from a Mythopoetic perspective: An Integrity Therapy framework. In BartonE.R. (Ed.), Mythopoetic perspectives of men's healing work: An anthology for therapists and others (pp. 130–144). Westport, CT: Bergin & Garvey.
17.
LanderN.R., & NahonD. (2005). The Integrity model of existential psychotherapy in working with the “difficult patient.”London, UK: Routledge.
18.
LanderN.R., & NahonD. (2008). An Integrity model perspective on working with occupational stress in men. Journal of Men's Health, 5(2), 141–147.
19.
LanderN.R., & NahonD. (2009, November). Integrity model, wellness-based interventions with medical residents. In DayA. L. Chair, Health & well-being in health-care organizations: Developing psychologically healthy workplaces, Symposium conducted at the 8th APA/NIOSH International Conference on Occupational Health and Stress, San Juan, PR.
20.
LanderN.R., & NahonD. (2010). Integrity: A way in and out of the existential abyss. International Journal of Existential Psychology and Psychotherapy, 3(1), 1–14.
21.
LanderN.R., & NahonD. (2011a). Finding meaningfulness & harmony in daily life: The Integrity model in counselling and psychotherapy with men; A reflective workshop on value clarification. In HarrisonM.E. & SchnarrsP.W. (Eds.), Beyond borders: Masculinities and margins. The 17th annual American Men's Studies conference proceedings (pp. 130–140). Harriman, TN: Men's Studies Press.
22.
LanderN.R., & NahonD. (2011b, May). The travails in academic medicine: An Integrity model perspective. In ErtelM. Chair, Innovative stress prevention and management programs, Symposium conducted at the 9th APA/NIOSH International Conference on Occupational Stress and Health, Orlando, FL.
23.
LevantR.F. (2001). Desperately seeking language: Understanding, assessing, and treating normative male alexithymia. In BrooksG.R. & GoodG.E. (Eds.), The new handbook of psychotherapy and counseling with men: A comprehensive guide to settings, problems, and treatment approaches (pp. 424–443). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Inc.
24.
MandelH., & JustadM. (2012, March). Celebrating men's friendships. Workshop presented at the American Men's Studies Association 20th Annual Conference on Men and Masculinities, Minneapolis, MN.
25.
MowrerO.H. (1953). Neurosis: A disorder of conditioning or problem solving?Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 56, 273–288.
26.
MowrerO.H. (1961). The crisis in psychiatry and religion, Princeton, NJ: D. Van Nostrand.
27.
MowrerO.H. (1964). The new group therapy, Princeton, NJ: D. Van Nostrand.
28.
MowrerO.H. (1966). Integrity therapy: A self-help approach. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice, 3, 114–119.
29.
MowrerO.H. (1970). Conflict, contract, conscience, and confession. Course notes, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL.
30.
MowrerO.H., & VattanoA.J. (1976). Integrity groups: A context for growth in honesty, responsibility, and involvement. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 12(3), 419–431.
31.
NahonD. (1993). Clinic addresses unique counseling needs of men. In American College of Physician Executives, Innovations '93: Models for cost management and health care quality (pp. 299–303). Tampa, FL: ACPE.
32.
NahonD., & LanderN.R. (1992). A clinic for men: Challenging individual and social myths. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 14(3), 405–416.
33.
NahonD., & LanderN.R. (1998). Men's health: Towards a healthier global society. Orgyn, IX(2), 12–16.
34.
NahonD., & LanderN.R. (2008). Recruitment and engagement in men's psychotherapy groups: An Integrity model, value-based perspective. The International Journal of Men's Health, 7(3), 218–236.
35.
NahonD., & LanderN.R. (2010). The effectiveness of gender role re-evaluation and non-gender-focused group psychotherapy in the treatment of recently separated men. The International Journal of Men's Health, 9(2), 102–125.
36.
NahonD., & LanderN.R. (2011). Emerging perspectives on masculinities and men's lives: Challenging the “myth of the emotionally defective male.”. In HarrisonM.E. & SchnarrsP.W. (Eds.), Growing our field: Emerging perspectives on masculinities and men's lives. The 18th annual American Men's Studies conference proceedings (pp. 20–30). Harriman, TN: Men's Studies Press.
37.
NahonD., & LanderN.R. (2012). PTSD and the common good: Working with men from an Integrity model perspective. In SchnarrsP. W. & MarinoJ. P. (Eds.), Men, masculinity and the common good in an era of economic uncertainty (pp. 154–164). Harriman, TN: Men's Studies Press.
38.
OgrodniczukJ.S., & OliffeJ.L. (2009). Grief and groups: Considerations for the treatment of depressed men. Journal of Men's Health, 6(4), 295–298.
39.
PageK. (2009). Gift theory: A new theoretical construct and its application to gay, bisexual, and transgender men in large-group retreats. Group, 33(3), 235–244.
40.
RabinowitzF.E. (2005). Group therapy for men. In GoodG.E. & BrooksG.R. (Eds.), The new handbook of psychotherapy and counseling with men: A comprehensive guide to settings, problems, and treatment approaches revised and abridged from the previous edition (pp. 264–277). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Inc.
41.
RabinowitzF.E., & CochranS.V. (2008). Men and therapy: A case of masked male depression. Clinical Case Studies, 7(6), 575–591.
42.
RochlenA.B.PaternitiD.A.EpsteinR.M.DubersteinP.WillefordL., & KravitzR.L. (2010). Barriers in diagnosing and treating men with depression: A focus group report. American Journal of Men's Health, 4(2), 167–175.
43.
GameroRomero R.VucinovichN., & OnatePoves S. (2010). Men with major and chronic depressive disorder group psychotherapy in a community mental health unit. Apuntes de Psicologia, 28(1), 107–119.
44.
GameroRomero R.VucinovichN., & OnatePoves S. (2011). Group psychotherapy for men with chronic major depressive disorder in a community mental health unit. Psychology in Spain, 15(1), 1–8.
45.
ScheinfeldD.E.RochlenA.B., & BuserS.J. (2011). Adventure therapy: A supplementary group therapy approach for men. Psychology of Men & Masculinity, 12(2), 188–194.
46.
SeagerM., & ThümmelU. (2009). “Chocolates and flowers? You must be joking!” Of men and tenderness in group therapy. Group Analysis, 42(3), 250–271.
47.
SeidlerV. (2009). Masculinities beyond borders: Thinking from the margins. Keynote presentation, American Men's Studies Association's 17th Annual Conference on Men and Masculinities, Montreal, QC.
48.
TaylorC.L.de MoorC.Basen-EngquistK.SmithM.A.DunnA.L.BadrH. (2007). Moderator analyses of participants in the Active for Life After Cancer trial: Implications for physical activity group intervention studies. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 33(1), 99–104.
49.
VinogradS.CoxP., & YalomY.D. (2003). Group therapy. In HalesR.E. & YudofskyS.C. (Eds.), The American psychiatric publishing textbook of clinical psychology, fourth edition (pp. 1333–1371). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc.
50.
WoodmanB. (2011). Shifting views: How an existentialist learning approach engaged male college and high school students in discussions concerning the social harms of current gender socialization. In HarrisonM.E. & SchnarrsP.W. (Eds.), Growing our field: Emerging perspectives on masculinities and men's lives. The 18th annual American Men's Studies conference proceedings (pp. 51–77). Harriman, TN: Men's Studies Press.
51.
World Health Organisation. (1992). ICD-10 classification of mental and behavioural disorders: Clinical descriptions and diagnostic guidelines, Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organisation.
52.
ZhaoZ.ChenH.SuX.HaoC.CaoX.SunD. (2010). The efficacy of structural group therapy on the loneliness in male inpatients with chronic schizophrenia. Chinese Mental Health Journal, 24(11), 818–822.
