“Going to therapy at such a young age? That is not how it should be. That’s not normal.” Diego González-Clark was told this at the age of 18 when he told his parents at home in Wouw that he was attracted to men. Now, years later, therapy is the same as going grocery shopping for him. “If I neglect myself then my child will suffer at least as much from it.”
Diego lives in Amsterdam with his son Sem (2), where he is best known as a (musical) actor, presenter and model. In addition, in 2022 he went looking for his ‘Prince Charming’ in the queer dating show of the same name on Videoland. “But the people in Wouw know me from the past and know about my situation. The fact that I am single and have an adopted son, that is why they often come to me when I am in Brabant. I see that as something very nice: a conversation You can start talking about mental health in a village.”
“If you start doing that now, at such a young age, then something is wrong.”
His mental health plays an important role in his life, which is partly why Diego is this year’s ambassador Movember. Diego comes from a family of hard workers. “My parents had the In Den Veehandel café in the village. That was hard work all together. I was able to escape by singing and dancing in my room.” Shortly after 18-year-old Diego came out of the closet, he wanted to talk to a psychologist. “My parents advised me against that. “If you start doing that now, at such a young age, then something is wrong,” they said. That reaction was “not useful,” Diego looks back.
“When you are forming your identity at a young age, it is crucial that you have the right guidance. If you then hear that therapy is not good or that your parents do not accept it, this can determine the rest of your life. your life.” For years, the actor felt that seeking psychological help was not normal. “But the many rejections at castings had an impact. And the work I also did, modeling and TV commercials, was all about appearance. “I finally only started talking to someone when I was 26. I then thought: Why would there be so many specialists if it were not normal? These people are there for a reason.”
This story is part of a story series for the Omroep Brabant podcast Towards the Man. In this podcast, journalists Eva de Schipper and Evie Hendriks work their way through the man’s mind. They do this by having honest conversations with men from young to old, by questioning the men in their own lives, by secretly listening in with men and by looking critically at themselves. As icing on the cake, reporter René Snippert helps the ladies to discover the market for men and self-development.
“It takes a village to raise a kid
“I really get it shit have to go. Especially the past two years fucking heavy. Finding yourself alone just after your adoption process has started, paying two mortgages, quitting work. I just couldn’t do it alone. It takes a village to raise a kid: I really need a village like Wouw,” he laughs. “If I neglect myself, my child will suffer from it at least as much as it will suffer from me. Here in Amsterdam, therapy is the same as going grocery shopping. But if I told them at a birthday party in Brabant that I was in therapy, the whole room would be like, ‘What’s wrong with him?!’ But now my family just knows about it.”
The theme month Movember focuses on prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health in men and the prevention of suicide. Money is raised by, for example, growing your moustache, something that Diego himself also participates in. “Early detection of prostate and testicular cancer is very important. I am also in the risk group: it is often young men who get it. But the majority of men will not go to the doctor so quickly. That is why I am calling on you : Check in with yourself more often. Do I have mental or physical complaints?”
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