Welcome to Built for Better Counseling, a small Veteran-owned therapy practice with a mission to improve mental health access for men in Washington and Oregon. We believe that men’s mental health is often overlooked and that it’s okay to unapologetically focus our practice on improving their health & wellness.
You might have a mental picture - the hypermasculine male who is out of touch with his sensitive side. Labels like these create a trap that is all too easy for men to fall into. We want to break the mold of these stereotypes, which is why we primarily focus on men’s mental health. We know from experience – personal and professional – that going through life in a bubble of “toxic masculinity” is like a personal prison. It doesn’t meet the emotional needs of men. It creates barriers to healthy relationships that can make a crucial difference in navigating life’s stressors. The result is that families, friends, and loved ones pay the price. The key is working together to battle the stereotypes and develop the toolbox of skills needed to lead healthier lives.
We are a team of licensed mental health professionals with more than 17 years of combined experience working with Veterans and their families. We’ve all been co-workers and friends for several years. Our work friendship gradually sprung into regular evening get togethers. In those conversations, we realized that we want to help meet the therapy needs of men in our area. We agreed that men don’t have enough supportive places to grow emotionally and mentally healthier. Men, like anyone else, need a therapy environment that is safe, personal, and effective.
Why men? Per the American Journal of Men’s Health*, one in five adults experiences a mental illness in the US every year, but men are much more likely to go untreated. Men are far less likely to seek help. Depression and suicide are ranked as the leading cause of death among men. Men die by suicide at a rate four times higher than women. More than twice as many men die related to alcohol and three times as many men misuse drugs compared to women. Beyond the statistics, our commitment is deep and personal. At one of our get togethers, I shared that when my family went through a series of deaths, I struggled to find a therapist. I needed help through my grief and depression. I searched the internet for a local therapist who I felt could understand me and help me get back to thriving. I could not find a counselor that seemed like they could relate to me. Jeremy & Kristine echoed that they had similar experiences. If seasoned counselors can’t find the right professionals to understand our unique needs, others must be feeling the same. This is the foundation of Built for Better. We are here to help bridge the gap between men’s struggles to engage with treatment, and the absolute need for them to have it.
From that night, we set out on a mission - to explore and test our theory. We revisited multiple therapy websites and surveyed them broadly. What we realized is this – men need to be able to see themselves going to a counselor and getting the help they want. It seemed to us that finding a therapist is like going online to find your next rotary hammer. You know what you’re looking for and when you’ve found it. Finding your therapist and choosing to make that first appointment, is a gut-level “fit” decision. If it’s going to be awkward, you’re not in. Finally, one night in the middle of a bite of pizza and finishing my thought, I said, “It seems like we’ve talked enough, let’s do something about it.” Then Built for Better Counseling was born.
If our story resonates with you – if you can relate – give us a call and let’s talk.