ABSTRACT
Males requesting for, or actively engaging with, individual psychotherapy were approached to consider joining a men’s group. An unintentional, unplanned gender homogenous psychotherapy group was, over time, systematically converted into a deliberate gender conscious therapeutic strategy with male emotions, later culminating into a doctoral thesis that examined the emotional experiences of participants of all-male psychotherapy groups. The developing therapeutic alliance between therapist and clients, in which they form agreements about therapeutic expectations, goals, tasks and the logistics of treatment, are framed with contextualised cultural ideas about personhood. The therapeutic process is initiated by reclaiming a situated, relational self, suspended in tradition, culture and community. Harmonising the process of psychotherapy with meanings of manhood placated a hitherto elusive sense of professional fit and belonging. The chapter presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book.
