For years, men have been taught to be providers, protectors and silent. But in a world battling rising mental health challenges, more Kenyan men are stepping into therapy rooms, not because they are broken, but because they are brave.
As we observe Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month, an important truth is emerging. Therapy is not weakness it is strength, healing, and survival.
Despite growing mental health awareness, cultural expectations continue to silence men.
“We’re raised to believe that crying or opening up is shameful,” says Geoffrey Kamau, a 30-year-old entrepreneur based in Nairobi. “But bottling it in only made things worse. Therapy saved my life.”
This experience is echoed across generations. Men are more likely to suffer in silence, turn to harmful coping mechanisms, or avoid seeking help altogether often until it’s too late.
“The problem is not that men don’t feel they feel deeply. But society doesn’t give them room to express it. We must unlearn the idea that masculinity means emotional numbness.”
A growing number of Kenyan men are now choosing therapy, coaching, or men’s support groups. Social media platforms and mental health awareness campaigns have played a huge role in this transformation.
Initiatives like Baraza for Men, Mindful Man Kenya, and online spaces such as Twitter X Spaces are becoming safe zones where men share real stories of anxiety, heartbreak, pressure, and healing. “It took losing a job and almost losing myself to finally go for therapy,” shares Collies Munene, 26, from Kiambu. “But when I sat down with a counselor, I realized strength is not silence, it’s speaking up.”
Therapy gives men tools, not just to cope, but to grow. Whether it’s managing work stress, healing from trauma, or navigating fatherhood, mental health support builds resilience.
“You learn to understand your emotions instead of running from them,” says George M a teacher. “Through therapy, I learned forgiveness, for others and myself.” And slowly, the narrative is shifting.
