Course Description:

Through 25 years of work with men in court related and wellness programs, The Men's Resource Center of West Michigan has found that persistent mental and behavioral health problems can be effectively addressed through a diagnostic paradigm that evaluates men’s experience with masculinity as the primary target of therapeutic interventions. We have found that rigid expectations of men's emotional and social experiences and presentations stand in the way of healthy development particularly in the areas of emotional intelligence, healthy self-concept and relational capacity resulting in a propensity to externalize unwanted emotions. Naming these tendencies Mascupathy—a pathological version of masculinity-- and grounding our treatment plans within this context has resulted in remarkable recoveries for our clients. This workshop will discuss how utilizing the paradigm of Mascupathy, otherwise known as toxic masculinity, provides a broad based and effective context for maintaining men's mental wellness, can effectively intervene into problems like domestic and sexual violence, and how we have developed this knowledge into preventative programs that give men and boys the cognitive and emotional tools they need to develop whole hearted and thriving masculinities.

Course Link:
http://www.gvsu.edu/swce

CE Value (credits): 3
CE Type: Standard

Grand Valley State University

Contact Information:
Leslie Bateman
616-331-7180
batemanl@gvsu.edu