Woo and the Nature of Man
What can services learn from men seeking psychedelic treatment?
This research project accompanies my study on the MSc Psychedelics: Mind, Medicine and Culture postgrad degree course at The University of Exeter, UK. ‘What can services learn from men seeking psychedelic treatment?’ appeared in the Poster Presentation at the uni’s 2024 Psychedelic Integration Conference. Why are men choosing psychedelics to help improve their mental health and wellbeing, over methods like talk therapy? How can existing services adjust?
Details from my talk ‘How psychedelics help men engage with spirituality’ are also up now via the Research section.
I’d be delighted to present at upcoming conferences and events – get in touch here and find out more about me here.
Why are men choosing psychedelics to help improve their mental health and wellbeing?
1 Therapy is for women
According to academic studies, women use, and benefit from, talk therapy services far more than men (with notable exceptions).
For example: 44.8% of Australian men quit therapy within 1-4 sessions and never return (Spendelow, 2015; Hill, 2015). More men engage with talk therapy than ever before, but they remain cautious and unmotivated (Good & Robertson, 2010; Sierra Hernandez, 2014).
APA professional psychotherapeutic guidelines for men and boys (2018) fail both science and help-seekers, according to Ferguson (2018) who claims the APA framework for men and boys focuses on masculinity as a social construct alienating men with diverse identities in particular.
2 Men seek meaning
Men claim to be equally aware of mindfulness programs – known to enhance a sense of spirituality – as women are (Simonsson et al 2020). But more men leave mindfulness programs before completion (Landau & Jones 2021), plus men benefit less overall (Ford et al, 2020).
Conversely, media reports claim men are seeking to address spiritual needs (Men's Health, 2020; The Guardian, 2022; NHS, 2022; THEOS, 2022).
In contrast to both talk therapy and mindfulness services, surveys by (EG) Palmer and Maynard (2022) show men are intrigued by psychedelic approaches to mental health and spirituality, possibly informing further discussion.
3 Hold space for the lads
‘Meaning-making’, considered key to men’s mental health (Brown et al, 2023), is one of many benefits associated with psychedelic experiences that are also generated by spiritual and religious practices (Hartogsohn, 2018; Park, 2013).
Diverse integration of influential ‘mystical experiences’ (Griffiths, 2006; Palitsky et al, 2023) offers potential for outreach to minority groups: thought currently under-represented in psychedelic circles, and in mental health services (Kamboj et al, 2015; Sjöstedt-Hughes, 2023).
What can services learn from men seeking psychedelic treatment?
1 Military men and women quit trauma therapies at similar levels
Moral injury + ontological shock
Female ex-military and emergency service-people quit existing trauma therapies at the same levels as men (Blain et al., 2010 implying core limitations besides any gender bias (Lentz et al, 2021). Feminist psychologists criticise therapeutic narratives, EG demonisation of negative emotions (Yakushko, 2018, 2019a & 2019b), similarly to some male patients (EG Danforth & Wester, 2014; Seidler et al., 2024).
Moral injury involves rupturing of what an individual considers certain, or true
(Molendik et al, 2022). Studies show difficult choices, misunderstood outside of context, plus a sustained, perceived, direct or indirect, lack of support, can contribute to post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This affects military, emergency services, and other professionals including teachers and leadership (Van Middendorp et al, 2018; Lentz et al, 2021).
Psychedelics show promise for treating PTSD (Mithoefer et al, 2010; Burback et al, 2023). Ontological shock, collapse of psychic reality in psychedelic harm reduction terms (Argyri et al, 2024) has similarities to moral injury.
Psychedelic experience and traditional indigenous wisdom provides space for new conversations around complex issues contributing to PTSD, such as family and belief system wounds (Healy et al, 2021; Healy, 2021; Vogt, 2013), including ongoing moral injuries.
“Of nine core psychology texts only three mention power - and none money”
Dr. David Smail, Why Therapy Doesn’t Work
2 Emerging spiritualities inform new male identities
Decolonising Masculinity
Men's therapy initiatives lead to stereotyping of men and men's issues (Harding & Fox, 2014).
During psychedelic experiences, men can examine 'rigid, outdated male stereotypes' and develop new strategies on more autonomous terms (Petersen et al, 2022).
Emerging spiritualities encourage exploration of diverse masculinities, for better or worse (Feraro, 2022, 2023a & 2023b; Whitehead & Letcher, 2023).
Decolonisation intiatives among South African hospital workers led to higher self-reported rates of personal growth and self-knowledge (Matahela & van Rensburg 2023), both associated with improvement in men’s wellbeing.
Psychedelic decolonisation of the self is a lifelong learning process, where one works toward a personal vision aligning values and relationships (Jooste & Frantz 2017; Shields, 2008).
“For us, there is no spring: just the wind that smells fresh before a storm”
Conan the Barbarian
3 Men are Crap at Therapy
Complex Guys
Men claim clinician-patient power dynamics feel inappropriate (Benakovic et al, 2024). Psychedelics might help by increasingly enhancing therapeutic alliance (Levin et al, 2024; Murphy et al, 2022).
'Meeting them where they're at' is a key characteristic of mens' group facilitators. Most men lack the emotional literacy required for meaningful talk therapy exchanges, and would benefit from communication skills (Stewart et al, 2022).
For facilitators, relaying standards and managing interactions provides opportunities to model positive behaviour and encourage vulnerability (Stewart et al, 2022).
Emphasis on men's services can be impeded by gender conflict: tailored programs show promise (Cox et al., 2014, Kivari et al, 2016) but wider replication appears elusive (Seidler et al, 2026).
“Looks like Karen'll be alright. But I'm thinking about the mandem"
Darren 'Le Baron' Springer, Breaking Convention 2023
4 Shifts in success markers provoke discomfort
The Money Trap
Men pursuing decolonised lifestyles encounter othering: it is society that continues to insist on capitalist vocations for men and women, not men per se. Openly and successfully advocating for beneficial psychedelic use violates social norms with declared intention to protect the vulnerable and/or less competent (Petersen et al, 2022).
Recent group LSD therapy research shows psychological interventions are often required before transpersonal elements can be examined, supporting Grof (2022) and verifying a continuing role for contemporary biomedical services (Oehen & Glasser, 2022).
“Chaos gives birth to a new order of greater complexity than before”
Maria Papaspyrou, Femtheogenic Consciousness, 2015
Taken from:
Integrating Psychedelic Integration
University of Exeter 2024
‘What Can Existing Services Learn from Men Seeking Psychedelic Treatments?’
See also:
Soon I’ll post highlights from ‘How psychedelics help men engage with spiriutality’ which I spoke about at Boston College’s Psychology and the Other in London.
If you came here via a direct link and you’re wondering “WTF are this guy’s credentials?” I’m Steve Langsford Beale, recently MSc. Psychol. (GBC). I’m a journalist and magazine editor: this has included working in what are considered ‘male spaces’ like magazines Arena, Homme Plus and FHM, for menswear brands Stone Island and Ben Sherman, plus in the sport of mixed martial arts (not competing).
Here’s my website and work email plus a sample piece on how to talk to your boss about mental health in Mr Porter Journal. By all means hit me up on LinkedIn. The especially intrigued can read this interview with me by Harriet Sheperd on Resident Advisor.
I blog about my psychedelic studies here at newpsychonaut.com and via @newpsychonaut. All emails go to the same place but get in touch about psychedelic stuff via steve@newpsychonaut.com.