Dr John Barry’s Blog
Ethics, ideology and the APA
At last, the twelfth blog in the series The 12 blogs of Christmas based on the Psychreg Journal of Psychology (PJP) special issue on male psychology. The American Psychological Association (APA) produced guidelines in late 2018 on how to conduct therapy with boys and men. Some parts of the guidelines are, in my opinion, welcome (Guideline 9 has lots of good advice), but other parts of the guidelines were perplexingly ideological and caused a wave of critical reaction, including my own blog.
The impact of gender politics on therapy
This is the eleventh blog in the series The 12 blogs of Christmas based on the Psychreg Journal of Psychology (PJP) special issue on male psychology. People go to therapy usually because they feel distressed and are seeking professional advice from someone who is skilled in therapy and will care about their feelings.
The relevance of male psychology to modern South Africa
This is the ninth blog in the series The 12 blogs of Christmas based on the Psychreg Journal of Psychology (PJP) special issue on male psychology. Given generations of trauma in South Africa, the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) set up a psychology degree which equipped graduates with practical counselling skills based on contemporary Western ideas. Sounds like a fantastic idea, so what could possibly go wrong?
Male broodiness – is there such a thing?
This is the fifth blog in the series The 12 blogs of Christmas based on the Psychreg Journal of Psychology special issue on male psychology. Yesterday’s blog demonstrated that one of the greatest sources of pain for men was not being allowed to see their children.
The psychological impact on separated dads of restrictions on seeing their children
This is the fourth blog in the series The 12 blogs of Christmas. Yesterday’s blog showed the impact of domestic abuse risk on separated fathers. Todays blog highlights a deeply personal hurt that many separated dads experience – restrictions on seeing their children.
How writing can help reduce trauma in men
This is the second blog in the series The 12 blogs of Christmas. “On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me, two turtle doves”. It is easy to see that some of the greatest novels – like Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein – are said to have been some of the greatest acts of catharsis for their authors.
What makes men happy?
This is the first blog (after the intro) in the series The 12 blogs of Christmas. “On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me, a partridge in a pear tree”. The first paper in the special issue of the Psychreg Journal of Psychology is a peach rather than a pear (if that doesn’t sound too much like Alan Partridge!)