Emotional Intimacy among Men

Although males report more same‐sex friendships than women do, most of these are not close, intimate, or characterized by self‐disclosure. Many barriers exist to emotional intimacy between men, some stemming from the demands of traditional male roles in our society, such as pressures to compete, homophobia, and aversion to vulnerability and openness, as well as from the lack of adequate role models. Exercises to increase self‐disclosure, openness, and the potential for deeper affection between men are described as the goals of workshops developed to enable male participants to initiate and maintain meaningful relationships with other men.