Men’s Mental Health Month: Understanding, Expressing, and Pursuing What Matters

Written by Brian Carreira, LPC, NCC, June 2025

June is Men’s Mental Health Month

Even though there has been a significant increase in the acceptance of addressing one’s mental health through therapy over the last several years, one demographic that often doesn’t come into counseling are men.

There are probably a lot of reasons for this. Men have typically been taught resiliency over emotional expressiveness. Related to this, there is a (not totally unjustified) stereotype that therapy is “touchy feely”—a place where guys get some kind of sensitivity training. Unsurprisingly, that doesn’t appeal to a lot of men.

That said, learning to acknowledge emotions and notice how our feelings impact what we do—and what we want to be doing—is an incredibly useful skill. It’s one that helps men move toward what matters in their lives and connect more deeply with friends, spouses, kids, and loved ones. As a culture, we’re slowly starting to recognize that emotional well-being is a critical part of overall health. And for men, it’s often the missing piece.

The Silent Crisis

Statistics paint a sobering picture. In the United States:

• Men die by suicide nearly four times more often than women.

• They’re less likely to seek mental health treatment, despite experiencing comparable rates of depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues.

• Middle-aged white men in particular represent one of the highest-risk groups for suicide.

Men’s Mental Health Month is an opportunity to draw attention to the ways mental health challenges can look different for guys—and to build more effective strategies for support and change.

What’s Going On Beneath the Surface?

In both clinical and personal experience, many men struggle with identifying what they want and have difficulty pursuing it clearly and consistently. This isn’t due to a lack of ambition or interest, but often because they’ve spent years—sometimes decades—adapting to external demands. Whether it’s the pressures of work, family, or cultural expectations, men often subsume their wants and needs to a sense of duty or a “greater good.”

Over time, this pattern can lead to chronic dissatisfaction and a quiet kind of burnout. They’re going through the motions, but feeling increasingly disconnected—from themselves and from others. This disconnection can manifest as:

• Anxiety and depression

• Substance use or other coping behaviors

• Irritability, aggression, or emotional withdrawal

In this context, therapy isn’t about becoming more “sensitive”—it’s about becoming more attuned. To what matters. To what hurts. To what’s worth fighting for.

Part of the healing work for many men involves redefining what strength means.

It’s not about holding everything in, going it alone, or ignoring pain. Real strength is about facing discomfort honestly, developing emotional flexibility, and taking responsibility—not just for your actions, but for your internal world.

This shift doesn’t happen overnight. But more men are starting to see that self-awareness and emotional skill aren’t soft or weak—they’re powerful tools for building a life of meaning, purpose, and connection.

How to Support Men’s Mental Health

Whether you're a man navigating this yourself, a partner or friend trying to help, or a therapist working with male clients, there are practical ways to engage with Men’s Mental Health Month in a meaningful way:

1. Normalize Emotional Insight

Therapy doesn’t need to look like sitting on a couch dissecting childhood memories (though it can). Sometimes it’s more like working towards goals, values, communication, and habits that build a better life.

2. Model Vulnerability

If you’re a man who’s done some work on your mental health, share that. You don’t have to get into details, but being open about having a therapist, a hard season, or a personal breakthrough can encourage others to do the same.

3. Challenge Stereotypes

Speak out against the old narratives that equate silence with strength and sensitivity with weakness. Those ideas aren’t useful. 

4. Encourage Clear Wants

Ask the men in your life: “What do you want right now?” It’s a powerful question that can lead to clarity, agency, and ultimately, better mental health.

5. Promote Resources

Organizations like Movember, HeadsUpGuys, and NAMI provide accessible support and information tailored for men.

Final Thoughts

Being able to identify and pursue what he wants—while being attuned to his thoughts and feelings—can help a man feel more whole, more connected, and more at peace. Mental health isn’t a luxury or an indulgence. It’s a foundation for a better life.

Men’s Mental Health Month is not just a calendar event. It’s a call to action—to stop avoiding, start talking, and move toward a more meaningful, emotionally connected way of living.