"Being a man today hurts." So begins John Rowan's new book, which provides a passionate defence of the potential for therapy to reach into the male soul. This book is extremely ambitious, wide-ranging and rich in ideas and references. John acknowledges the many criticisms of therapy and accepts some of them. But he expresses his deeply held view that no other experience offers men such an initiatory path towards understanding and lasting change.
The author provides an account of therapy as practised from a profeminist and spiritual perspective. He identifies the limits of traditional medical and analytical therapy with its emphasis on prevailing social norms and expectations. John's vision of therapy is as a transformative act, which makes considerable demands on the therapist and client on the path towards liberation. The stages of personal development are outlined in detail drawing heavily on the work of Ken Wilber. The stages of therapy receive similarly detailed scrutiny as they are split into eleven phases with constant reference to how they relate to male experience. Attention is given to the problems and opportunities which arise in therapeutic groupwork.
Those who are familiar with John's previous work will notice echoes of earlier ideas, including his description of sub-per-sonalities, the image of the horned god and his account of ordinary ecstasy. In many ways this book has the feel of a writer reviewing (and in some instances rewriting) his life's work.
Healing the male psyche is rich in imagery and metaphor while also retaining an appealing matter of factness about the whole process. John uses the framework of medieval alchemy to structure the book and reveal the dilemmas and contradictions inherent in the process of personal growth. He recognises the role of feminism in offering insight into the power and oppression, which operates in relationships between men and women. What resonates so strongly throughout is the basic humanity of the author's vision.
No other recent account offers therapists and counsellors so much original thinking and such a spirited defence of their work. Although written primarily for this readership, 'Healing the male psyche' has much to say to all men and women. The only criticism is that the sheer scale of the author's endeavour does inevitably lead to the odd sweeping statement, particularly in response to some criticisms of therapy. That aside, this is a courageous and inspiring piece of writing.
Robin Tuddenham
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