The Guardian - Life & Style • Jan. 30, 2026, 4:30 p.m.

A clinical psychologist on why men still don’t seek help for their mental health When Jake, a businessman in his 50s, first arrives at my therapy practice, it’s obvious that he has some misgivings. Jake’s marriage to Louise is in trouble, and she has insisted he come and see me.

“If not for Louise, you wouldn’t be here, would you?” I enquire tentatively. He looks sheepish at first; then emboldened, he gives an emphatic “No.” As is almost always the case, Jake’s wife has registered a problem that has passed him by, and prompted his visit.

Over the next few weeks, we sift through a maze of obstacles, and in the end, Jake is full of emotion: “I’m alone in the world, everyone leans on me, there’s no one for me,” he says. “There’s no one to turn to.” It’s a common pattern, one I’ve seen throughout my 35 years as a psychologist specialising in male mental health.

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