In Continuing on our health journey, our brother site, Inside First :Men’s Health Resource, we are aiming for better health, current and quality  information on issues of mental health, fitness and nutrition. We are expanding and strengthening our team everday. Below our teams newest contributor, Dr. Todd Troutman. ”Dr. Troutman holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, and a Masters and Doctorate in Clinical Psychology. He has delivered psychological services to children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families in multiple settings, including: the Marin City School District, Berkley Mental Health Community Clinic, Access Institute For Psychological Services, and Ann Martin Center. In 2009, Dr. Troutman was awarded the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) stipend, which is a grant program that provides practitioners funding to deliver psychological services to underserved communities in California. His work through the MHSA program was focused on the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment planning of individuals struggling with complex cognitive, emotional, and behavioral challenges.

Dr. Troutman currently works delivering individual psychotherapy to adults and adolescents, and provides clinical consultation services in his private practice in San Francisco. When he is not working in his private practice, Dr. Troutman teaches several classes in the Community Mental Health program at the California Institute Of Integral Studies (CIIS) and the Masters in Counseling Psychology program at San Francisco State University.”  drtoddtroutman.com

Treating Symptoms or Treating People?
Why Some Therapies Succeed and Others Fail:

A Relational Perspective on The Psychological Treatment of Gay Men

Public health research conducted over the last decade indicates that gay men experience higher rates of depression, panic attacks, and psychological distress than their heterosexual counterparts (Cochran et al., 2003). For their distress, many gay men seek short-term psychological treatment that is primarily focused on reducing symptoms. However, despite the use of symptom-focused therapies such as cognitive-behavioral forms of treatment (CBT), a significant portion of gay men experience chronic or recurring bouts of depression and/or anxiety. While many factors contribute to the mental health of an individual (e.g., economic status, discrimination, trauma, etc.), one reason gay men experience chronic psychological distress may be the type of mental health treatment they are receiving. Continue reading →