Assessing and Treating Emotionally Inexpressive Men (Archived)

What if your new client, a man in his early 40s, cannot answer basic questions in your initial assessment interview? You were aware that many men do not like to talk about their feelings, but this client seems kind of frozen. You think he might be alexithymic, but you do not know how to assess for that, or even more importantly, how to treat it. Dr. Levant explains why some men are emotionally inexpressive because of their childhood socialization. In addition, he discusses scales for assessing alexithymia in men and treatment manuals for helping these men become more emotionally self-aware. Dr. Levant also discusses how to treat alexithymia in the early sessions of psychotherapy to improve treatment uptake and outcomes.