Welcome to Episode 28 of No Man’s an Island – a podcast powered by Men’s Therapy Hub, a directory of male therapists for male clients.

In this conversation, Chris Hemmings speaks with Philip Adlem, a psychodynamic psychotherapist whose path into therapy was shaped by years working in high-pressure emergency services environments, as well as roles within the NHS, bereavement support and the criminal justice system.

Philip recently published a paper exploring what he calls gender-split social defences – a framework describing how unconscious beliefs about masculinity and femininity influence who is seen as vulnerable, who is believed and who is excluded from empathy and compassion in therapeutic spaces and training.

Together they explore Philip’s personal story of trauma, homophobia and violence, his journey through therapy and the way these experiences shaped his research into men’s experiences in mental health systems.

They discuss the psychology behind prejudice, why men’s suffering is often minimised, the cultural narratives that shape expectations of masculinity and how therapy training may unintentionally reproduce the very biases it seeks to challenge.

This episode is a powerful conversation about vulnerability, bias and the importance of creating therapeutic spaces where every person’s experience is seen and understood.

You can find Philip here:

https://menstherapyhub.co.uk/philip-adlem/

You can find Chris here:

https://chrishemmings.co.uk

Episode page on Men's Therapy Hub:

https://menstherapyhub.co.uk/the-empathy-gap-men-bias-and-therapy-with-philip-adlem/

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🎵 Music: Raindear

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