Men Get Sad Too: Rethinking Strength and Mental Health for Modern Men in 2026

We don’t talk about men’s mental health nearly enough. And when we do, it’s often with outdated ideas of what it means to be strong, capable, or “fine.” At Stone Silo Counselling & Wellness, we see every day how real men show up in therapy not because they’re broken or weak, but because they’re human.

This blog is for the fathers, sons, partners, brothers, and friends who carry more than they let on. It’s for the men who feel isolated, overwhelmed, numb, or angry, and aren’t sure where to start. You’re not alone. And your mental health matters.

🚹 The Hidden Struggle: Why Men Don’t Always Reach Out

Mental health challenges affect men just as much as women, but they often look different.

While women are statistically more likely to be diagnosed with anxiety or depression, men are more likely to underreport symptoms, delay seeking help, and experience higher rates of substance use and suicide (American Psychological Association, 2019). In Canada, 75% of suicides are completed by men (CAMH, 2023).

Why the gap? For many men, early messages about masculinity reinforce stoicism, self-reliance, and silence. Talking about emotions is often framed as weakness or worse, dismissed entirely.

As a result, men may show their pain in ways that are less often recognized as mental health issues:

• • Irritability or anger

• • Workaholism or withdrawal

• • Substance use or risk-taking

• • Physical complaints (e.g. fatigue, sleep issues, body pain)

These patterns are coping mechanisms, but they don’t offer real relief. That’s where therapy can help.

💬 Benefits of Therapy to Men

Therapy isn’t solely about talking about your feelings, unless that’s what you choose. It’s focused on learning to:

• • Name what’s happening inside you so it doesn’t control you

• • Develop tools to manage stress, anger, or sadness

• • Make space for healthy relationships with yourself and others

• • Redefine strength as honesty, self-awareness, and emotional agility

Therapy can feel uncomfortable at first. That’s normal. But discomfort is often the first step toward something better.

In fact, when men do engage in therapy, research shows they benefit just as much, if not more than women in terms of reduced symptoms, improved coping, and healthier relationships (Mahalik et al., 2012).

🔄 Reframing Masculinity: Strength Isn’t Silence

Let’s be clear: vulnerability is not the opposite of strength. It’s the foundation of it.

Healthy masculinity includes emotional expression, empathy, and the courage to ask for help. It doesn’t mean losing your identity; it means broadening your abilities.

In a culture that still sometimes shames emotional openness, therapy gives men a place to:

• • Speak without judgment

• • Learn skills they were never taught

• • Reconnect with what really matters: meaning, relationships, and peace of mind

Therapy also supports identity work, exploring how upbringing, culture, or past experiences have shaped your current beliefs about what it means to be a man (Addis & Mahalik, 2003).

🧠 Common Topics Men Bring to Therapy

• • Workplace burnout or chronic stress

• • Anger management and emotional regulation

• • Relationship and family concerns

• • Loss, grief, or life transitions

• • Identity and self-worth

• • Substance use and addictive behaviours

• • Loneliness and disconnection

You don’t need to hit “rock bottom” to start therapy. Sometimes, all it takes is noticing: I’m not okay. And I want to be.

🌿 Why the How Matters: Finding the Right Fit

Many men find that non-traditional therapy formats feel more natural like:

• • Walk-and-talk sessions in nature

• • Group therapy with other men navigating similar challenges

• • Solution-focused or skills-based approaches that feel active and practical

At Stone Silo, we offer these formats alongside traditional one-on-one therapy, so you can choose what feels right for you.

And yes, talking is part of the process. But you’re always in the driver’s seat. You set the pace. You choose what to bring into the room (or out on the trail).

👥 Meet Alex: Supporting Men’s Mental Health in Listowel

If you’re in the Listowel area, Alex Boersen, MSW, RSW, offers thoughtful, down-to-earth support for men navigating stress, trauma, addiction, and identity challenges. With a special focus on men’s mental health, youth emotional regulation, and service-oriented careers, Alex brings a grounded, compassionate approach rooted in real-life experience. He works with individuals aged 16+ and offers a range of modalities including ACT, CBT, Narrative Therapy, and more.