All About Androphobia, the Fear of Men, and How to Overcome it with Psychological Therapy & Counselling

What is Androphobia?

Androphobia is the Fear of Men and, like all other fears and phobias, can be a cause of significant anxiety and stress if you suffer from it.

There may be a number of reasons why you developed Androphobia such as:

• Negative experiences of men in the past.
• Childhood maltreatment by a male.
• Pogonophobia – fear of men with beards.

Additionally, there is no scientific evidence that Androphobia is the result of any kind of biological fault or chemical imbalance in spite of the traction that biomedical models of mental illness are given in the media.

On the contrary, Androphobia is much more likely to be the result of your own, subjective evaluation (meaning-making) of what happened to you and is therefore a psychosocial phenomenon.

Androphobia Symptoms & Behaviours

All phobias, including Androphobia, create feelings of anxiety because phobic objects or situations are always perceived as a threat.

Consequently, the symptoms of Androphobia are both specific and generic and may include:

• Fear or anxiety about being in the presence of men, even if they are strangers or acquaintances.
• Panic attacks or anxiety attacks in situations where men are present or anticipated to be present.
• Avoidance of situations that may involve men, such as social events or work-related activities.
• Physical symptoms such as rapid heartbeat, sweating, trembling, and shortness of breath when faced with men.
• Feeling of helplessness or being out of control in the presence of men.
• Intrusive thoughts or nightmares related to men or male violence.
• Depression, irritability, or other mood changes related to androphobia.
• Sexual problems, including a lack of interest in sex or fear of sexual contact with men.

You may have all, some or even different symptoms to these listed here and this is due to the subjective nature of Androphobia.

However, it is important to be aware that these symptoms WILL subside over time and rarely last for more that 20 to 30 minutes.

What Causes Androphobia?

It’s possible that your Androphobia may be the result of traumatic events or adverse situations that you have experienced at some point in your life.

You may, for example, have been stuck in an abusive relationship or had a male parent who was very overbearing, abusive or bullying.

However, because a Fear of Men is by no means universal, the most likely explanation for your Androphobia is your subjective evaluation of earlier experiences around which you have constructed a set of beliefs.

Counselling and Therapy for Androphobia

We offer a number of different types of therapy and counselling for Androphobia the Fear of Men.

Choosing the most suitable therapy depends on a number of different considerations including factors such as:

• How long you have had the problem.
• Your personal preferences.
• How your problem is affecting you today.

You can read more about the different types of therapy for Androphobia on the following links:

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Androphobia
• Counselling for Androphobia
• Pluralistic Therapy for the Fear of Men

Although all therapies use slightly different approaches, the one thing they all have in common is the relationship that is formed between the client and therapist.

Furthermore, research also suggests that the therapy relationship may be the most important factor in achieving a good therapy outcome.

Behaviour Change Framework – BCF

All of our Androphobia counselling sessions and programmes are enhanced by applying the Behaviour Change Framework (BCF).

This scientifically proven protocol clearly defines the incremental stages of behaviour change that you need to go through in order to achieve long lasting and sustainable change.

Drawn from the Transtheoretical Model of Behaviour Change (TTM), the framework provides a roadmap that not only gauges the current stage of progression through the change process, but also indicates if more change is required before entering the next phase of therapy or coaching.

In this way, we are able to ensure that you get the best possible level of support in overcoming your problems as well as ensuring that we don’t terminate the change process prematurely.

You can read more about the Science of Change here.

Arrange your FREE initial consultation here.

If you’d like to find out more about overcoming Androphobia or recovering from related mental health problems then why not arrange a free initial consultation with us.

During this consultation we will discuss your particular phobia and the different types of mental health counselling we offer without you having to commit to any counselling going forward.

The consultation lasts around 50 minutes and is a great opportunity to meet with either Paul or Joan and decide if you would like to proceed with any support.