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"Sessions with Gareth have transformed my life for the better."

Why Therapy?

Are you living with anxiety? Do you feel stuck in the same way of thinking? Are you troubled by repetitive thoughts? Do you have annoying habits and behaviours?

You don’t have to live like this anymore.

• worked successfully with hundreds of men over 15 years.

• former Professor.

• 10,000 hours with men in Manchester City centre.

Why therapy? After all whatever’s going on with you can always be talked over with your partner or a mate can’t it?
Well maybe. If you’re lucky enough to be in a relationship in which absolutely anything can be said then I guess you can talk. But you’ll be in the minority.
However honest and open people like to think their relationships there are usually quite a few boundaries. These might be implicit – the sort of subjects you cant talk about with mates (usually anything outside sex and sports for men) or explicit. And that’s fine. Most days you can get by relegating the more tricky elements of your psyche to the corners of your mind.
But some days you cant and that’s why Men Should Talk is here.
Our office represents the space where you can talk about whatever it is that’s concerning you in complete confidence. Whether it’s a sexual issue or an eating problem or a behaviour that seems inexplicable to you we can help.
What we bring to therapy is :
considerable expertise as therapists and practitioners
• a warm and open approach to each and every client
• a dedication to every client and the drive to help them
• discretion and complete confidentiality
You’ll be relieved to know that the problem that you thought was yours and yours alone is one that many men share. You’ll be even more relieved to feel the solitary burden lifted as you come to realise that not only are you in good company but that there is a solution.
Gareth sees a small number of clients and is therefore able to offer you a complete service including inter-session emails and a text service. You’ll relax into a comfortable setting and experience a growing confidence that you can talk, learn and change in ways that completely suit you and your needs.
We look forward to talking to you.

Therapy Areas

At MenShouldTalk we specialise in helping men deal with difficulties. We are eclectic therapists using a combination of hypnotherapy, mindfulness and meditation to help clients overcome:

anxiety

Anxiety is a normal, if unpleasant, part of life, and it can affect us all in different ways and at different times, and is something that can persist whether or not the cause is clear to the sufferer.

self-confidence

When our self-confidence is low, we tend to see ourselves and our life in a more negative and critical light. We also feel less able to take on the challenges of life.

depression

Depression is a disorder that causes people to experience loss of interest, feelings of guilt or low self-worth, disturbed sleep or appetite, low energy, and poor concentration.

body image

What do you see when you look in the mirror? Most people see at least one part or aspect of their physical appearance that they don’t like or want to change.

stress

Stress and its associated feelings is something that will come and go as the external factor causing it (be it a work, relationship or money problems, etc.) comes and goes.

weight-loss

You’ve tried dieting, along with every form of exercise that even remotely breaks a sweat, but still can’t ditch the weight. You’ve hired trainers, doctors, nutritionists.

Although these issues may have troubled you for some time they can all be addressed and overcome using therapy in the relaxed settings of our rooms in central Manchester.

Psychotherapy

The method we use describes the self as something that can be broken down into four parts – body, others, thinking and emotions.

In the introductory session the client details the outline of the issue which has brought him to therapy and from this point on we begin to explore his relationship to his body, to others, to his thinking and to his emotions. It will be seen that his unexplored history has informed the way he treats each of these relationships. Progress is made by recognising that many aspects of the self and how it functions have not been conscious choices but habits which are the consequence of the attachments and adjustments he has made in order to survive.

The line of alignment looks specifically at the relationship between the body and others. We will consider how much of the body is given to the service of others and how much is retained for the self. How much of these behaviours are freely chosen and how much are the result of habit?
The line of balance looks into the relationship between thinking and emotions. On what occasions does one inform the other? Is the client bullied by his thinking? Is he easily prey to his emotions?

Hypnotherapy

Hypnotherapy will enable you to relax and slow down sufficiently to gain a new perspective on your problems. You will be aware throughout the process and will experience a calm and a quality of insight that will help you to see the way ahead for whatever concerns you. Our aim is to help you feel more in control of your life. In order to do this we will show you the benefits of meditation and mindfulness.

Clients come to see us with a range of problems ranging from nail biting, shyness, weight-loss, eating disorders, anxiety, performance problems and sexual difficulties. One core problem that underlies many of these issues is quite simply confidence. By coming to an understanding of how your childhood experiences have helped formed your personality we can begin the process of re-building your confidence. By developing a stronger and more confident personality you will feel able to cope with modern life’s stresses and strains.

At the core of our practice is the elementary work of just sitting with clients. In the free 60 minute consultation we offer a calm and receptive presence where you are encouraged to offload your problem so that we can see what we might do together. The key to our work is compassion both for yourselves and those you live and work with. Sitting with you in a non-judgemental way we develop an empathy that helps you come to terms with your problems and provides the foundation for developing yourself.

About Gareth

Gareth Palmer

Manchester is well-served by a number of excellent therapists. However MenShouldTalk is one of the very few therapy services in England that caters specifically to men and their issues. I qualified in 2000, gained my General Hypnotherapy Registration (GHR) and have been practicing since then. In that time I have developed a distinct specialism and expertise in using hypnotherapy and other skills to help men.

In In 2000 I studied a hypnotherapy diploma for a year before qualifying as a Hypnotherapist. I then went into private practice. Over the following years I have attended workshops in Mindfulness. More recently I have attended Zen Buddhist retreats to develop my skills in meditation. In September 2009 I began working for Butterfly Effect and Lasting Change in Manchester. It is as a result of my successes here as well as my research work that I have decided to establish ‘menshouldtalk.com’ - it is the only practice of its kind in England.

I left my professorial post at The University of Salford in 2014 to focus full time on my practice. I am registered with the General Hypnotherapy Register, and the Complementary & Natural Healthcare Council. I am fully insured and attend regular supervision to maintain the high standards of my practice.

GHR & CNHC registration

Testimonials

I can honestly say sessions with Gareth have transformed my life for the better. Despite my huge initial reservations at seeing anyone, I immediately found Gareth’s calm, laid back manner reassuring. At a pace that suits me, Gareth’s in-depth advice and practical exercises have systematically encouraged me to permanently change the way I see myself, which had been 90 per cent negative. ‘Having met with quite a few counsellors in my life for various reasons none ever seemed to make much impact. However I can honestly say that my sessions with Gareth massively changed my perspective on myself and life in general for the better with actually very few sessions. I uncovered deeper issues than the ones I initially came to see him about and through helping me to understand and accept my feelings and thoughts, I have been able to overcome them and let go. I made a very life changing career decision as a result – the best decision I have ever made and I now feel that I know much more who I am and am much happier in myself. I continue to recommend Gareth to friends who have also thoroughly benefitted from seeing him.’
H.J. – Designer. 25
I have known Gareth for the last 4 years and he has been of immense help. His wisdom and vast experience was evident from the outset. His deep understanding of the ‘male psyche’ which stems from both his personal experiences and his academic research is very unique. I found the sessions with Gareth very comforting and helpful. Gareth was very versatile and our discussions ranged from my personal difficulties to the latest research in psychology. He used a variety of techniques tailored to the needs of his client. More importantly, Gareth was a source of comfort and compassion and his desire to help was very palpable. Through his guidance in practising mindful self-compassion I was able to deal with many of my anxieties and discover a more relaxed ‘at ease’ way of being with myself and dealing with whatever challenges life brings forth. Gareth’s persistence and effort to ensure lasting change is what makes him stand out among many other therapists. Indeed, he endeavours to stay in touch and see how I am doing on a regular basis. I recommend him wholeheartedly!’
T. S. – Doctor. 29

Contact

The process begins with a free sixty minute consultation in which we talk through your issue in a non-judgemental and empathic setting. Clients often find that they feel much better after this initial consultation. The simple business of sharing a problem with another person can be both therapeutic and enlightening.

We then arrange another appointment and begin the process of developing a treatment that is tailored just to you and your needs.

The sessions themselves last 60 minutes and cost £100. We often supplement these sessions with ‘homework’ enabling you to develop your new sense of ease.

We look forward to talking to you.

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