MY thoughts on mental health

Male Domestic Violence, Masculinity, and the Hidden Barriers to Speaking Up Today, as I write this, I turn 55. Birthdays tend to invite reflection. This one feels particularly significant because I am writing about male domestic abuse - something that has shaped my life in ways I only fully understood years later. Before I had language for words like violence, protection, or masculinity; domestic abuse was already present in my story. My father stayed silent about it. He beli

Why men avoid therapy - and the hidden cost of waiting until crisis. A grounded look at strength, stigma and early support for men.

Becoming a father can trigger anxiety, old wounds and fear of repeating the past. Explore how men can break intergenerational trauma, recognise paternal postnatal depression and grow into fatherhood with intention.

Many men experience anxiety about becoming a father, fear repeating their own upbringing, or struggle with paternal postnatal depression. Explore the hidden emotional challenges of fatherhood and when to seek support.

Porn addiction in men, compulsive habits, and why this isn’t a willpower issue Many men who seek therapy are capable, responsible, and outwardly functioning well. They hold demanding jobs, show up for family, and carry significant responsibility. From the outside, life can look stable or even successful. Yet privately, many feel increasingly disconnected, conflicted, or stuck. In my work with men, I often hear about habits they feel uneasy about but rarely talk about. Pattern

There are times when motivation doesn’t disappear dramatically, but fades quietly in the background. Not enough to stop us entirely, but enough to make things feel heavier, flatter, and harder to sustain.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been aware of a subtle shift, both in my own experience and in the conversations I’m having with clients. The focus that often arrives at the beginning of January begins to wear off, intentions that were set with determination start to feel harder to sustain, and the familiar language of motivation and discipline no longer fits the reality of daily life.

Mental fitness for men isn’t about pushing harder or relying on willpower. This article explores how sustainable habits support resilience, regulation, and steadiness, especially at this time of year when motivation can waver and pressure starts to build in the background.

A reflective essay on completing 52 waterfalls in one year, exploring hope, despair, resilience, and what sustains men’s mental health when plans fall apart.

As the year winds down, stress can narrow perspective and pull men towards retreat. A personal reflection on the nervous system, connection, and finding balance through nature.

A personal reflection on male suicide, shame, isolation, and what actually helps men stay alive, especially during the pressures of December.

A grounded guide for men navigating grief at Christmas. Learn how grief affects the male nervous system, why Christmas intensifies emotions, and practical ways men can manage grief, stress, and overwhelm during the festive season.

What happens when burnout forces you to leave the role that shaped your identity? A reflective piece on teaching, men’s mental health, identity loss, and starting again.

Discover the real signs of burnout in men, how it shows up in the body and nervous system, and practical ways to reset, rebalance, and recover

Why self-limiting beliefs show up during change, how they hold men back, and what helps us step forward with confidence and integrity.

This week’s blog is a write-up of my presentation at the Association for Outdoor Therapy Conference. It explores how Walk and Talk, Paddleboard Therapy, and other active approaches can create the right conditions for men to open up, reconnect, and heal.

Struggling with imposter syndrome? Discover how movement, nature, and Walk and Talk Therapy in the Lake District can help men find clarity and confidence.

Many men carry wounds that run deeper than they realise - old pain, shame, or loss that still shapes how they live. At Stand Tall Therapy in Cumbria, we explore how men can transform those emotional wounds into strength, purpose, and connection. Drawing on Robert Bly’s Iron John, this article looks at men’s healing, trauma recovery, and the power of nature-based therapy and men’s groups to turn pain into purpose.

Walking through the Valley of Desolation I was reminded how nature holds both the memory of the storm and the beauty of renewal. This reflection explores how the labels we carry - from diagnoses to the stories we tell ourselves - can shape, limit, or liberate us. Drawing on my own experience of PTSD recovery and my work in men’s mental health, I look at how we can honour our past without being defined by it, and how healing begins when we remember who we are beneath the word

Interoception is simply your ability to sense what’s happening inside your body: the uncomfortable feeling in your stomach before a tough conversation; the tightness in your chest when stresses pile up; and the warmth in your legs after a long exhale. These signals are the raw data your brain uses to decide whether you’re safe, stressed, hungry, tired, threatened or ready. If you can read those signals earlier, you can respond sooner and more appropriately.