Men in Counseling: A Content Analysis of the Journal of Counseling & Development and Counselor Education and Supervision 1981–2011

In 1981, the Journal of Counseling & Development (JCD) published a special issue on men in counseling (Scher, 1981). The articles in the special issue examined the changing gender roles and expectations of men in society and the importance of the counseling profession in acknowledging the special needs of men. A primary observation of this special issue was the emphasis on men being reticent to seek mental health services and interventions offered by the counseling profession. Additionally, Scher (1981) declared a need to improve mental health services offered to this segment of the population. Specifically, this 1981 special issue was focused on the need for counselors to understand the role gender plays in men seeking counseling services, gender role conflict, sex role development, counseling male adolescents and adults, teenage fathers, career development, hypermasculinity, men who commit violence, counseling gay men, and many other important areas. The JCD special issue concluded with several recommendations for the counseling profession to pursue in working with men. One of the primary recommendations from the editor of the 1981 special issue centered on the need of the counseling profession to recognize the importance of specialized training for counselors in working with men (Scher, 1981). The intent of the present content analysis was to explore the counseling research literature in two of counseling's primary journals to determine the status of Scher's recommendations. It should be noted that, in 1990, Scher and Good coedited a special section in JCD called Gender Issues in Counseling. This special section of JCD included articles addressing evolving gender roles and the importance of the counseling profession to emphasize these issues in preparing future counselors, supervisors, and educators. Although the articles in this special feature were focused on gender, attention was also paid to men in counseling.  Need for the Study The 2010 Census reported that the total United States population was 308,745,548. Of the total population reported, 151,781,326 (49.2%) were men and 156,964,212 (50.8%) were women (U.S. Census, 2011). These numbers are important to the profession of counseling because men are half of our population. A natural question is: Are men being adequately represented in our professional membership, training, research, and leadership arenas? Membership statistics information received from the Deputy Executive Director of the American Counseling Association (ACA) indicated that 26% of ACA members self-reported as men and 74% as women in 2011 and 2012 (Table 1; C. Neiman, personal communication, June 19, 2012). Additionally, the vital statistics survey data of accredited counseling programs collected by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) indicated that men comprised 16.96% of enrolled students, and women constituted 83.04% (T. Kimbel, personal communication, November 7, 2012). Yet, men represent 49% of the general population of the United States. These percentages demonstrate disparity in gender and the need for recruitment and retention of men in the counseling profession. As the profession strives to produce more culturally competent counselors, academic institutions and conference programming needs to provide training that emphasizes the differences between men and women in using mental health services (Addis & Mahalik, 2003; World Health Organization [WHO], 2010). Research articles have shown that women are more likely to demonstrate help-seeking behaviors than men (Addis & Mahalik, 2003; Doherty & Kartalova-O'Doherty, 2010; Galdas, Cheater, & Marshall, 2005; Husaini, Moore, & Cain, 1994; Levant, Wimer, Williams, Smalley, & Noronha, 2009; Padesky & Hammen, 1981). Additionally,  (2010) identified a lack of research related to men's mental health issues and treatment. Though gender differences exist in help-seeking behaviors, counseling is beneficial for each gender. …