Abstract
Becoming a psychotherapist following a former career can be arduous and uncertain, yet also purposeful and meaningful for those undertaking the challenge. As considerably fewer men than women enter this profession, we thought it interesting to explore men’s specific experiences by looking at the lived experience of seven male participants’ transition into psychotherapy from a previous career. With the application of van Manen’s existential-hermeneutic phenomenological approach, three themes emerged: Fermenting discontent, Pilgrimage as project and The ambivalent allure of acceptance. We briefly describe each with reference to relevant existential concepts, attending in more detail to the final theme. We conclude by discussing the challenges for men making this transition, and how becoming more aware of the experiences of men can be a mechanism for promotion and support in this profession.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Notes on contributors
Nigel Smaller is a UKCP-registered existential and gestalt therapist and supervisor. He works in private practice and supervises both individuals and groups. Prior to this he worked in the software industry for over 20 years, and now bridges both worlds through organizational consultancy and training, through coaching, organizational consultancy and training.
Linda Finlay is an Integrative Psychotherapist (UKCP-registered) practising in North Yorkshire, and she teaches both psychology and research at the Open University. She also teaches/mentors psychotherapy students in institutions across Europe. Her particular research interest is exploring the lived experience of disability and trauma. She has published widely. Her most recent books, published by Wiley, are Relational Integrative Psychotherapy, Phenomenology for Therapists and Relational-Centred Research for Psychotherapists (written with Ken Evans).
Notes
1. In the field of counselling and psychotherapy, pay scales are 6% lower than the national average for salaries in the UK. The UK national career service website (National Career Service, Citation2015) estimates the average annual salary across all sectors of the UK at £27,017 (in May 2015); the average counselling salary is listed as £25,368.
2. The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) reports less than 16% male membership. The United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) estimates this number to be 25%. Both figures based on personal correspondence in 2012 and 2013, respectively.