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Atlanta Men's Counseling and Coaching Program

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 "When you're a guy struggling with life- 

 controlling problems it's important to get the help that you need. We are here to work alongside you to achieve the changes and  the growth that you desire in order to  live a more successful, happier, and fulfilling life."

 
Daniel P. David, Ph.D., LCSW
Men's Therapist 

Executive/Life Coach
 

CALL Today!
Atlanta Men's Counseling & Recovery Center 
​A free 15-minute consultation! 678-456-2911

Daniel P. David, Ph.D., LCSW ~ Therapist

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Men: Why therapy? How it can help.

"It often takes a lot for a guy to reach out for assistance.  Most men just don't feel comfortable with traditional models of counseling therapy. That's why men experience a more interactive, solutions-focused, and guy-friendly approach with me.

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It takes a lot of courage for a guy to talk to a professional psychotherapist. Most guys initially come due to difficulties in a relationship, stress at work, or because of a sudden change in their home or career lives, and they may fear losing everything.  

 

Sometimes men are confused about the deep anger that they feel. Many men need help with overcoming their addictions. And frequently, men come to counseling to seek answers about how to live a more productive, healthier life through self-exploration, recovery, and deep personal change.

 

Your desire to take the initial steps toward deepening your understanding of yourself and to work on your issues in order to achieve the changes that lead to self-mastery is the foundation of our work together. 

I will work alongside you to find healing for your wounds, the answers to your questions about yourself and life, and provide you with the professional help you desire in order to achieve the changes and success that you want for your life."

Sincerely,

Daniel P. David, Ph.D., LCSW

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CALL Today!

Atlanta Men's Counseling & Coaching Center 

​A free 15-minute consultation! 678-456-5887

Daniel P. David, Ph.D., LCSW

~ Men's Therapist

Atlanta, GA 

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Benefits for Guys like You

 

  • Understand yourself better

  • Heal emotional wounds

  • Achieve deeper peace of mind

  • Develop mastery over your thoughts and behaviors

  • Overcome fears, anxiety, low self-confidence, etc. 

  • Improve your relationship patterns

  • Prevent self-sabotaging behaviors

  • Improve your depression

  • Discover your identity as a man

  • Re-invent yourself

  • Enhance your personal resilience


 

Our Contact Information

 

We realize that your concerns are very important to you! You can call us at

(678)456-2911  to set up an appointment or free 15-minute consultation.

 

We will contact you within 24 hours during the week and on Monday morning if you contact us over the weekend. 

Dr. Daniel David discusses the importance of children, especially boys, learning how to be more assertive and how he teaches assertiveness in his practice, it starts with identity. Episode 16 on the Dad to Dads Podcast

Our Metro Atlanta Metropolitan services areas include Atlanta, Alpharetta, Brookhaven, Johns Creek, Marietta, Roswell, Decatur, Lawrenceville, Buckhead, Roswell, Duluth, Woodstock, Acworth, Sandy Springs, Symrna, Ellijay, and North Georgia.

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This art work is based on Joseph Campbell's writings and research that has deeply impacted the world of myth and mythology and the relevance that it has to men's psychology.  Joseph Campbell wrote The Hero with a Thousand Faces and The Hero's Journey. Utilizing the Hero's Journey in men's therapy and addiction recovery is a powerful way to enhance a process of self-growth, initiation, and mental health recovery. 

Atlanta Men's Counseling Center
Dr. Daniel P. David's Video Recommendation for Men:

Robert Bly is a leading authority on men's issues and masculine psychology. Here are some videos that might be insightful for you to watch. 

(Art work commissioned and owned by Daniel P. David, PhD)

Men and Masculinity

"Masculinity is not toxic."

 

The APA debate has just started. Scholars offer their disagreement with the latest paper that the APA put out as guidelines for working with men and boys. The APA guidelines are seriously flawed and possibly unethical. Read this article: 

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Twelve Scholars Respond to the APA’s Guidance for Treating Men and Boys

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Masculinity is not toxic! We, at the Men's Counseling and Mental Health Center, align ourselves with the 12 Scholars' views about the APA guidance.  We see a male-positive, male-affirming approach to counseling men as what brings the most healing and strength to men's mental health and lives. Identity is central to building a stronger, healthier mental wellness.  Male identity needs to be restored, not demonized. 

 

Terms like "toxic masculinity," "mascupathy," "man-splaining," "man-spreading," and the like are absolutely abusive terms used to shame and shut men down.  The news and social media is guilty of spreading male-shaming ideologies that absolutely do more harm to boys and young men than good. We reject this sort of radical ideology!  Male identity in its healthiest forms is creative, life-giving, nurturing, protective and restorative.

 

Society has maligned maleness by attempting to deconstruct masculinity, by labeling it "toxic" and ultimately by disempowering men in the name of equality.  Good intentions can cause great harm and young men have been hurt by the push to label masculinity as toxic.  It is important to understand that "We don't have to put down our sons in order to raise our daughters in a modern world."  Therefore, it is important to consider how children, especially boys are being hurt by a predominantly girl-friendly environment that disenfranchises boys and young men.  Considering that when nearly a third of children are being raised by single mothers (who do their best) and when almost 75% of school teachers are female (who are excellent), it's not "toxic masculinity" that is the problem, but rather, it is the lack of masculinity that is the real problem in society. Fathers, male teachers, and male role models are fundamentally needed to bring the best possible health to children, especially for boys and young men. All the research evidence proves this. 

 

Initiated men, boys who matured into healthy manhood through an ancient inward journey of tests, trials, and struggle, are needed in modern society. Male initiation no longer happens as it should. Male psychology needs to be guided and shown a pathway to create and develop a healthy masculine identity. Therapy for men can help men mature regardless of age. Younger men, new to adulthood, and older men who may have missed out on an inside-out initiation of the heart can experience a healthier connection to their authentic selves by taking a deeper look inward and by facing their Shadows. 

 

We specialize in restorative male identity therapy based on real research into what makes men healthy.  We believe that it takes a male-affirming, male-positive counseling approach to help men heal and improve their lives. We respect that each man has his own version of masculinity that he brings into the therapeutic process.  We work with all sorts of men from all sorts of backgrounds including respecting their sexual orientations. 

 

What makes men (and women) healthy? Read the HARVARD STUDY ON MEN. 

Men experience shame yet they may not be conscious that they are feeling shame. Instead, men express shame through anger, aggression or they shut down. John Bradshaw did a PBS special on Healing the Shame that Binds You. 

The Hero's Journey was developed by Joseph Campbell as a foundational understanding of the human story through myths, folklore, epic stories told among our ancestors around the camp fires and now through big screen movies, highlights a man's personal development and self-discovery.  We use the Hero's Journey as a metaphor for men in therapy. 

It's important to address the mental health needs of black men and boys. This video highlights depression among black men. 

Here's a TED Talk about the Harvard Study on mainly men's lives over 80 years.

Rejection of the APA's Guidelines on Men and Boys.  

The Therapeutic Psychology of the Hero's Journey,   Facilitating Male Initiation and Self-Identity Maturity
by Dr. Daniel P. David

(Article Under Construction)

 

The 12 Stages of the Hero's Journey is a powerful road map for helping men to psychologically and socially be initiated into a healthy path of masculinity and identity growth. 

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"Know thyself" is a powerful maxim for men to truly be able to develop self-control and self-discipline. Using the Hero's Journey as a psychological road map can be extremely helpful for most guys to "know thyself" through the stages of the journey.

 

Most men struggle with their self-image, especially if they haven't achieved their "ideal self" or if they haven't been successful in their own eyes. Men frequently come into therapy feeling confused or lost about their next steps in life. Struggling with identity issues and finding direction in life function in tandem and are interdependent, as indicated by these essential questions: Who am I? What is the purpose of my life?

 

Men reaching 40 are starting to reassess their lives and feel the need to change direction ....Younger men in their 20s or 30s ...struggle with achieving their 

 

A healthy male identity just doesn't spontaneously happen for most men. A man's identity comes about through a lifelong process of growth and maturity. It is important for men to be intentional about developing an overall  fullness to their lives. Imagine a tree that only has one large, overgrown branch, and you now have the image of the typical man who has spent most of his life developing his "work" and "career" rather than nurturing a full tree with many branches that represent other aspects of his life, such as family, friends, community, health, travel, new experiences, and service to others. A tree with only one branch is off balance and will ultimately fall over.

 

who after spending a lifetime of ....attention to how   Erik Erikson's Eight Stages of Psychosocial Development was a monumental contribution to the world of psychology.  It's a completely overlooked process that most parents, educators, coaches, and everyone else 

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Whenever appropriate, I suggest and use The Hero's Journey as a life map to help guide men through the therapeutic process of self-initiation, inner healing, and identity development. 

What is the overall goal of your work through therapy? 

 

Achieving a more positive, healthier self-identity that comes with self-understanding and self-mastery is the goal of most men who enter therapy. Not only healing your past emotional wounds and traumas, but also learning how to become a more confident and healthier man is the aim of our work together. When working with Dr. David, you will experience several levels of psychotherapeutic work to foster psychological and emotional healing and growth. Here are the levels:

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Level 1 Crisis management: for men in crisis, the goals are: 1) stabilization of the individual and 2) to address the “urgencies” in a person’s life.

 

Level 2 Heal Past Unconscious Wounds that Impact Behaviors: 

Psychodynamic  therapy – the tasks are to: 1) explore your development history, 2) identify unconscious past emotional wounds, 3) do Shadow work through the Hero’s Journey 4) do inner child work, 5) identify your narrative, 6) raise consciousness of your underlying unconscious thought patterns, 7) connect with your emotions, 8) and learning new skills and techniques to cope better. 

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Level 3 Work on Behavioral Changes: Self-sabotage, relationship patterns, and negative thought patterns seriously impact a man's life and happiness.  Evidence-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy “Change your thoughts, change your life” is the focus of CBT. Working with the mechanics of what you think, how you think, what you believe, and changing your habitual thought patterns into healthier ways of thinking. 

 

Level 4 Life Coaching:  Learning life skills (e.g., self-care, relationships, etc.), college academic coaching, career coaching, dating strategies, leadership and social skills coaching. Life Coaching helps to increase self-mastery.

 

Level 5 Executive Psychological Coaching: 1) Master your workplace psychological dynamic, 2) learn skills to navigate professional relationships, and 3) increase your emotional intelligence in management, leadership, and negotiation skills.

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The Importance of Male Initiation & Masculine Maturity ~ Joseph Campbell

Boys need to go from dependency on authority figures to independent-adult thinking and being. Joseph Campbell explains this process which has been lost in the Western world.  Men who are not truly initiated into manhood live perpetually as "boys in men's bodies," which is the reason that so many young men and older men struggle with immature, unhealthy, uninitiated behaviors and impulsivity. 

"Boy Crisis" highlights the works  and research of Warren Farrell, PhD concerning raising boys in a world of assaults on masculinity, boyhood, and manhood. 

How to Get Out of the Goldfish Bowl of Conditioned Thinking

 

The problem with most guys is that we think that we know ourselves, but self-knowledge is very tricky.  I often ask guys, "Does a goldfish know that it is in a bowl?" The answer is, "Probably not." Because the goldfish is conditioned by its surroundings, which limits its perception of itself. The human mind is very much conditioned by its surroundings, relationships, family upbringing, etc. to the point that the conditioning limits the mind's perceptions and creates biases that we may not recognize within ourselves.  Therapy is like someone looking from outside the goldfish bowl who not only will help you see your "bowl thinking," but also help you to get out of the bowl. 

 

 

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See this video to further look at the notion of "conditioned thinking" and how we get stuck in irrational mental conditioning. 

(Disclaimer: All electronic communications are not guaranteed to be HIPPA compliant and/or secure and/or private. Individuals calling APPA or emailing the APPA front desk  assume full awareness and responsibility for their confidentiality and privacy. APPA staff are not responsible for your confidentiality and privacy from where you are calling us. Please ensure that you call from a securely private place when calling APPA about your mental health concerns.)

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