Although research on men's gender role conflict reveals that it adversely a
ffects men's psychological health and interpersonal relationships, psychoth
erapists typically underuse knowledge of masculine gender roles in psycholo
gical assessment and treatment. Interpersonal psychotherapy is proposed as
a useful framework for working with men whose rigid enactment of traditiona
l male gender roles leads to intrapersonal and interpersonal conflict (i.e.
, gender role conflict). Thus, this article integrates knowledge of male ge
nder role conflict and interpersonal psychotherapy to examine issues that m
en who experience gender role conflict bring to their important interperson
al relationships and the therapeutic relationship.