GENDER-ORIENTED COUNSELING FOR MEN

A concrete and extensive description of the development of male identi ty and the inner psychological processes which accompany the various l ife stages for men has not been developed satisfactorily because curre nt developmental models are largely gender-neutral. Gender-oriented co unselling for men provides deeper insights into this field, even if th ese have not yet been validated, and is simultaneously dependent on su ch insights. In an incomplete overview the present state of the art is reviewed from the perspective of typical male norms and life situatio ns. Possible consequences for counselling services are presented. The gender-oriented approach is a necessary expansion of psyche-social act ivities and will probably lead to new insights in research.