November: A Time to Talk – Men’s Mental Health and the Power of Therapy

November, often marked by Movember moustaches and growing conversations about men’s health, provides a vital opportunity to focus on men’s mental wellbeing. While the campaign often highlights physical health issues such as prostate and testicular cancer, an equally urgent conversation is unfolding around men’s mental health and the role therapy can play in changing lives.

Despite increasing awareness, many men continue to struggle in silence. Societal expectations, traditional gender roles, and internalised beliefs about masculinity often create barriers to seeking help. Phrases like “man up” or “keep it together” can still echo in the background, reinforcing the idea that emotional vulnerability equates to weakness. But therapy offers a powerful antidote: a safe, non-judgemental space where men can explore, express, and evolve.

Understanding Men’s Mental Health

Statistics paint a sobering picture. In the UK, men account for around three-quarters of suicide deaths, and many report finding it difficult to talk about their emotions. Common challenges include depression, anxiety, relationship difficulties, stress, and feelings of isolation — all issues that can be compounded by societal pressure to appear strong and self-reliant.

From a therapeutic perspective, understanding how men experience and express distress is key. Therapy is not about forcing emotion or fitting into a stereotype of vulnerability. Instead, it’s about meeting men where they are and offering tools and perspectives that make sense for them.

A Person-Centred Approach: Building Trust and Authenticity

Person-Centred Therapy (PCT), developed by Carl Rogers, offers a foundation of empathy, genuineness, and unconditional positive regard. For many men, this can be a transformative experience. In a world that often expects them to “perform” emotionally, the therapy room becomes one of the few spaces where they can simply be without judgement or expectation.

The therapist’s role is not to diagnose or direct but to listen deeply and offer a relationship built on authenticity and respect. Over time, this can allow men to reconnect with parts of themselves they may have suppressed, sadness, fear, even joy, and to develop a stronger sense of self-acceptance. The power of being genuinely heard should not be underestimated; it can dismantle years of emotional armour.

Psychodynamic Therapy: Understanding the Roots

Where PCT focuses on the here and now, psychodynamic therapy invites exploration of the past — the unconscious patterns and early experiences that shape our adult relationships and emotional responses. For many men, early conditioning around strength, independence, and emotional control can lead to repression and difficulty expressing needs or vulnerability.

Through psychodynamic work, men can begin to understand how these early messages continue to influence their present. A man who struggles to communicate with his partner, for example, might discover that he learned as a child that emotions were “unsafe” or “unmanly.” By bringing these patterns into awareness, therapy helps to loosen their grip, creating space for new ways of relating to oneself and others.

This approach can also help men understand the emotional weight of expectations — not only those imposed by society, but those they’ve internalised. Recognising that “strength” can also mean self-awareness, compassion, and emotional honesty can be deeply healing.

Solution-Focused Therapy: Building Hope and Momentum

While exploration and understanding are crucial, many men also appreciate a practical and goal-oriented approach. Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) offers exactly that. It shifts the focus from problems to possibilities, from “what’s wrong?” to “what works?”

In SFBT, the therapist collaborates with the client to identify strengths, resources, and small steps that move them closer to their preferred future. This can feel particularly empowering for men who value action and progress. Rather than dwelling on the past, the emphasis is on noticing what’s already going well and amplifying it. Even small changes, improved communication, setting boundaries, taking time for self-care can create a ripple effect of positive momentum.

Bringing It All Together

Each of these therapeutic approaches offers something unique, and many therapists integrate them to meet the individual needs of their clients. For men’s mental health, the combination can be especially powerful:

• Person-Centred Therapy builds safety and trust.

• Psychodynamic Therapy brings understanding and depth.

• Solution-Focused Therapy provides direction and hope.

Together, they support men not only in processing pain but also in discovering new ways to live more authentically and meaningfully.

A Call to Conversation

As we move through November, it’s worth remembering that awareness only matters if it leads to action. Checking in on a friend, asking how someone really is, or encouraging a loved one to seek support can make all the difference. And for men who might be hesitant to reach out; therapy is not about weakness. It’s about courage, connection, and growth.

Men’s mental health is not a side issue or a seasonal topic; it’s a vital, ongoing conversation. This November, perhaps the most powerful thing we can do is listen and remind one another that no one has to go it alone.