counseling for men
san francisco, ca
stephen manning
PhD MFT
an ally for the male soul:
gay, straight or unlabeled
Unlike his perfect David, this great unfinished work of Michelangelo reveals the reality, energy and struggle of men becoming who they're meant to be.
What is AndroTherapy?
It’s a way of counseling that’s fundamentally positive about men and supportive of the male soul.
Andro+therapy comes from Greek; it means Man+healing.
It's not a special technique, but it's rare enough in the world of psychotherapy to deserve a clear mention. All too often now, just being male is seen as problem, as some kind of pathology. We hear about "male privilege" and "toxic masculinity", etc.
I reject all of that.
A man handles a challenge better to the extent that he feels strong, confident, competent and trustworthy.
I work to help a man to recognize these qualities in himself and encourage their further growth as an integral part of working through whatever problem brings him to contact me.
That is what I mean by being an ally to the male soul.
Manhood is like a constellation: composed of many stars of varying places and intensity that make a whole. No single man can embody them all; each of us incarnates several of them as our unique contribution to the larger male tribe, without which the world cannot function.