{"id":1158,"date":"2025-06-24T08:04:11","date_gmt":"2025-06-24T07:04:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/?page_id=1158"},"modified":"2025-06-24T08:19:30","modified_gmt":"2025-06-24T07:19:30","slug":"from-bottled-up-to-breakthrough-a-real-story-of-anger-stigma-man-and-counselling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/2025\/06\/24\/from-bottled-up-to-breakthrough-a-real-story-of-anger-stigma-man-and-counselling\/","title":{"rendered":"From Bottled-Up to Breakthrough: A Real Story of Anger, Stigma, Man and Counselling"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>For many men, the idea of counselling (I often hear now referred to as &#8216;man counselling&#8217;) feels like a foreign concept\u2014something reserved for \u201cwhen things get really bad,\u201d or worse, something that\u2019s simply not for them.  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.counselling-directory.org.uk\/men-and-mental-health-stats.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">According to the Counselling Directory, <strong>only 36% of NHS referrals for psychological therapies in England are for men<\/strong>, despite 12.5% of men having a diagnosable mental health disorder<\/a> . The truth is, counselling isn\u2019t about weakness. It\u2019s about strength. It\u2019s about choosing to face what\u2019s difficult rather than burying it. And for a lot of us, that\u2019s the hardest part.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Clearly, in my work supporting men through <em>anger management<\/em>, stress, anxiety emotional overwhelm and with many other common mental health disorders, I\u2019ve seen how powerful it can be when someone decides to take that first step.  Undoubtedly,  I\u2019ve also seen how stigma\u2014both internal and external\u2014can keep that step just out of reach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This post is for the man who\u2019s been holding it all in. The one who\u2019s been told to \u201cman up,\u201d to \u201cget on with it,\u201d to \u201cstop overthinking.\u201d If that sounds familiar, you\u2019re not alone. And you don\u2019t have to keep carrying it all by yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"663\" src=\"https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/bereavement-a-man-looking-sad-out-of-a-window-1024x663.jpg\" alt=\"a-man-looking-anxious-looking-out-of-a-window\" class=\"wp-image-1164\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/bereavement-a-man-looking-sad-out-of-a-window-1024x663.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/bereavement-a-man-looking-sad-out-of-a-window-300x194.jpg 300w, https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/bereavement-a-man-looking-sad-out-of-a-window-768x498.jpg 768w, https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/bereavement-a-man-looking-sad-out-of-a-window-1536x995.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/bereavement-a-man-looking-sad-out-of-a-window-900x583.jpg 900w, https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/bereavement-a-man-looking-sad-out-of-a-window-1280x829.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/bereavement-a-man-looking-sad-out-of-a-window.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2>The Messages We Inherit<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>From a young age, many of us are taught a very narrow definition of what it means to be a man. We\u2019re told to be strong, stoic, and self-reliant. We\u2019re praised for our ability to \u201ckeep it together\u201d and discouraged from showing vulnerability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"alignfull wp-block-ugb-blockquote ugb-blockquote ugb-e6aad4d ugb-blockquote--v3 ugb-blockquote--design-plain ugb-main-block ugb-main-block--inner-center ugb--has-block-background ugb--has-background-overlay\" id=\"\"><style>.ugb-e6aad4d .ugb-blockquote__quote{width:70px !important;height:70px !important}.ugb-e6aad4d .ugb-blockquote__text{font-size:37px !important;color:#fff}.ugb-e6aad4d .ugb-blockquote__item{text-align:center !important}.ugb-e6aad4d.ugb-blockquote{background-color:#000000;background-image:url(https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Men-playing-basketball.jpg)}.ugb-e6aad4d.ugb-blockquote:before{background-color:#000000;opacity:0.2}<\/style><div class=\"ugb-inner-block\"><div class=\"ugb-block-content\"><div class=\"ugb-blockquote__item\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 50 50\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"ugb-blockquote__quote\" width=\"70\" height=\"70\"><path d=\"M19.8 9.3C10.5 11.8 4.6 17 2.1 24.8c2.3-3.6 5.6-5.4 9.9-5.4 3.3 0 6 1.1 8.3 3.3 2.2 2.2 3.4 5 3.4 8.3 0 3.2-1.1 5.8-3.3 8-2.2 2.2-5.1 3.2-8.7 3.2-3.7 0-6.5-1.2-8.6-3.5C1 36.3 0 33.1 0 29 0 18.3 6.5 11.2 19.6 7.9l.2 1.4zm26.4 0C36.9 11.9 31 17 28.5 24.8c2.2-3.6 5.5-5.4 9.8-5.4 3.2 0 6 1.1 8.3 3.2 2.3 2.2 3.4 4.9 3.4 8.3 0 3.1-1.1 5.8-3.3 7.9-2.2 2.2-5.1 3.3-8.6 3.3-3.7 0-6.6-1.1-8.6-3.4-2.1-2.3-3.1-5.5-3.1-9.7 0-10.7 6.6-17.8 19.7-21.1l.1 1.4z\"><\/path><\/svg><div class=\"ugb-blockquote__content\"><p class=\"ugb-blockquote__text\">Some people want it to happen, some wish it could happen, others make it happen &#8211; Michael Jordan<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Crying? That\u2019s weak. Talking about your feelings? That\u2019s soft. Asking for help? That\u2019s failure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These messages might not always be spoken aloud, but they\u2019re there\u2014in the way we\u2019re raised, the media we consume, the way our mates talk about emotions (or don\u2019t). Over time, they become internalised. And when life gets hard\u2014as it inevitably does\u2014we often don\u2019t have the tools or the language to deal with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead, we bottle it up. We push it down. We tell ourselves to get over it. Until one day, it all spills out.  Without doubt, this isn&#8217;t healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>When Anger Becomes the Default<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the most common ways this emotional suppression shows up is through anger. And that\u2019s why <em>anger management for men<\/em> is such a vital part of the conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Anger is often misunderstood. It\u2019s not inherently bad\u2014it\u2019s a signal. A flare going up to say, \u201cSomething\u2019s not right.\u201d But when we don\u2019t know how to interpret that signal, or when we\u2019ve been taught to ignore everything underneath it, anger becomes the only emotion we allow ourselves to feel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019ve worked with men who describe themselves as \u201calways on edge,\u201d \u201cquick to snap,\u201d or \u201cjust not myself anymore.\u201d They\u2019re not bad people. They\u2019re not broken. They\u2019re overwhelmed. And they\u2019ve never been given permission\u2014or the tools\u2014to unpack what\u2019s really going on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<h2>My Own Turning Point<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019ll be honest: I didn\u2019t always believe in man counselling (or counselling for women, for that matter) either. I thought I had to figure everything out on my own. For me, opening up would make me look weak. I thought no one would understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It wasn\u2019t until I sat in my first counselling session\u2014nervous, guarded, unsure of what to say\u2014that something shifted. I didn\u2019t have to have the perfect words. There was no need to have to explain everything straight away. I just had to start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And once I did, I realised how much I\u2019d been carrying. How much I\u2019d been hiding. How much I needed that space to just be honest\u2014for the first time in a long time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That session didn\u2019t fix everything overnight. But it was the beginning of something better. It was the first time I felt like I could breathe again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>The Cost of Staying Silent<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When we don\u2019t talk about what\u2019s going on, it doesn\u2019t go away. It just finds other ways to show up\u2014often in ways that hurt us or the people around us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Maybe it\u2019s snapping at your partner over something small. Perhaps it\u2019s withdrawing from your mates because you don\u2019t want to talk. Maybe it\u2019s drinking more than usual just to take the edge off. Maybe it\u2019s lying awake at night, your mind racing with everything you can\u2019t say out loud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These are signs\u2014not of failure, but of pressure. And pressure needs a release valve. Without one, it builds. And builds. And builds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s why counselling matters. It\u2019s not about fixing you. It\u2019s about giving you space to understand yourself. To process what\u2019s going on beneath the surface. To learn new ways of coping that don\u2019t involve shutting down or lashing out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/a-man-smiling-1-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1183\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/a-man-smiling-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/a-man-smiling-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/a-man-smiling-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/a-man-smiling-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/a-man-smiling-1-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/a-man-smiling-1-1280x853.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/a-man-smiling-1.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>&#8220;Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.&#8221;\u00a0<em>\u2014Thomas Edison<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2>What Man Counselling Actually Looks Like<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s demystify it a bit. Counselling isn\u2019t lying on a couch while someone nods silently and takes notes. It\u2019s a conversation. A safe, confidential space where you can talk about what\u2019s really going on\u2014without judgment, without pressure, and without having to \u201chave it all together&#8221;.  Man counselling or any type of counselling, doesn&#8217;t involve putting on a brave face and pretending &#8220;everything&#8217;s fine&#8221;, when perhaps it isn&#8217;t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You set the pace. You decide what you want to explore. And over time, you start to notice the patterns. The triggers. The beliefs that have been shaping your behaviour for years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In my counselling sessions with men, we often talk about:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>Workplace stress<\/strong> and the pressure to perform<\/li><li><strong>Relationship challenges<\/strong> and communication breakdowns<\/li><li><strong>Unresolved anger<\/strong> and how it shows up in daily life<\/li><li><strong>Low self-worth<\/strong> and the inner critic that never shuts up<\/li><li><strong>The fear of being vulnerable<\/strong> and what it means to be emotionally honest<\/li><li><strong>Fatherhood<\/strong> and the pressures of setting the right example to your children<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>And through those conversations, something powerful happens: clarity. Relief. A sense of control that doesn\u2019t come from bottling things up, but from understanding them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>&#8220;Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts&#8221;<\/p><cite><em>&nbsp;<\/em>winston churchill<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2>One Client\u2019s Story<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Let me tell you about a client\u2014we\u2019ll call him Tom. He came to counselling after a heated argument at work that left him shaken. It wasn\u2019t the first time he\u2019d lost his temper, but this time felt different. He was scared of what he might do next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At first, he was sceptical.  Indeed he referred to it as &#8220;man counselling&#8221; when we first spoke on the phone. He didn\u2019t think talking would help. But he showed up. Week after week. And slowly, he started to open up and felt the benefits of counselling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We talked about his childhood\u2014how anger was the only emotion that was ever acknowledged in his family.  He talked about how the idea of man counselling was a foreign concept to his ex  military father. We talked about his job\u2014how he felt constantly under pressure but never able to say no. We talked about his relationship\u2014how he wanted to be more present, but didn\u2019t know how to switch off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Over time, Tom began to recognise his triggers. He learned how to pause before reacting. How to practice new ways of expressing himself\u2014ways that felt authentic, not forced.  He took risks with being vulnerable to those close to him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And the best part? He started to feel more like himself again. Not a different person. Just a more grounded, more self-aware version of who he already was.  Who knew man counselling could be so effective?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Rewriting the Narrative<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The stigma around men\u2019s mental health and man counselling is slowly shifting. More men are speaking up. More men are seeking support. But we still have work to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Every time a man chooses to talk instead of shut down, he challenges the old narrative. Every time a man says, \u201cI\u2019m struggling,\u201d he gives others permission to do the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re reading this and something resonates and you feel man counselling could help you\u2014if you\u2019ve been feeling stuck, angry, or overwhelmed\u2014know this: you\u2019re not alone. And you don\u2019t have to figure it all out by yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Counselling isn\u2019t about being broken. It\u2019s about being brave enough to want something better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" src=\"https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/A-man-looking-confident-with-good-self-esteem-1024x684.jpg\" alt=\"man-counselling\" class=\"wp-image-1165\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/A-man-looking-confident-with-good-self-esteem-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/A-man-looking-confident-with-good-self-esteem-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/A-man-looking-confident-with-good-self-esteem-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/A-man-looking-confident-with-good-self-esteem-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/A-man-looking-confident-with-good-self-esteem-2048x1367.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/A-man-looking-confident-with-good-self-esteem-900x601.jpg 900w, https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/A-man-looking-confident-with-good-self-esteem-1280x854.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2>What You Can Do Today<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re not sure where to start, that\u2019s okay. Start small. Be honest and start with a conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>Talk to someone you trust.<\/strong> A friend, a partner, a colleague. Let them know you\u2019re finding things tough.<\/li><li><strong>Journal your thoughts.<\/strong> Sometimes writing things down can help you make sense of what\u2019s going on.<\/li><li><strong>Book a consultation.<\/strong> Even if you\u2019re not sure what you want to talk about, showing up is a powerful first step.  You can book an appointment with me <a href=\"https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/Booking.html\">here<\/a> (or if you can&#8217;t find a time that suits you, you can contact me <a href=\"https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/Contact.html\">here<\/a> and I&#8217;ll see what I can do).<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>And if you\u2019re ready to explore counselling, I offer a free consultation to help you decide if it\u2019s the right fit. No pressure. Just a chance to talk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Final Thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You don\u2019t have to wait for a crisis to seek support. You don\u2019t have to hit rock bottom to deserve help. And you don\u2019t have to do it alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whether you\u2019re dealing with <em>anger management<\/em>, stress, relationship issues, or just a general sense that something\u2019s not right\u2014counselling can help you find your footing again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s not about changing who you are. It\u2019s about reconnecting with the parts of you that have been buried under pressure, expectation, and silence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019re allowed to feel. You\u2019re allowed to struggle. And you\u2019re allowed to get support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Because being your own man doesn\u2019t mean doing it all alone. It means choosing what\u2019s right for you\u2014even when it\u2019s hard. Especially when it\u2019s hard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"alignfull wp-block-ugb-cta ugb-cta ugb-0e7911c ugb-cta ugb-cta--v2 ugb-main-block ugb-main-block--inner-center ugb--has-block-background ugb--has-background-overlay\" id=\"\"><style>.ugb-0e7911c .ugb-cta__item{background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0.2) !important}.ugb-0e7911c .ugb-cta__item:before{background-color:#fff !important}.ugb-0e7911c .ugb-button{background-color:#000000}.ugb-0e7911c .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-0e7911c .ugb-button svg{color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-0e7911c.ugb-cta{background-image:url(https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/relaxed-man.jpg)}.ugb-0e7911c.ugb-cta:before{opacity:0.5}<\/style><div class=\"ugb-inner-block\"><div class=\"ugb-block-content\"><div class=\"ugb-cta__item\"><h3 class=\"ugb-cta__title\">Need help with anger?<\/h3><p class=\"ugb-cta__description\"><span style=\"color: #fff;\" class=\"ugb-highlight\">If you would like to talk to someone confidentially about managing anger, then I can help.<\/span><\/p><div class=\"ugb-button-container\"><a class=\"ugb-button ugb-button--size-normal\" href=\"https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/contact.html\" rel=\"\"><span class=\"ugb-button--inner\">Help is here<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For many men, the idea of counselling (I often hear now referred to as &#8216;man counselling&#8217;) feels like a foreign concept\u2014something reserved for \u201cwhen things get really bad,\u201d or worse, something that\u2019s simply not for them. According to the Counselling Directory, only 36% of NHS referrals for psychological therapies in England are for men, despite [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":730,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false},"categories":[5,7,9,25,18],"tags":[6,52,57,8,32],"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Man-suffering-with-depression.jpg",1920,1280,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Man-suffering-with-depression-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Man-suffering-with-depression-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Man-suffering-with-depression-768x512.jpg",629,419,true],"large":["https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Man-suffering-with-depression-1024x683.jpg",629,420,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Man-suffering-with-depression-1536x1024.jpg",1536,1024,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Man-suffering-with-depression.jpg",1920,1280,false],"post-thumbnail":["https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Man-suffering-with-depression-88x88.jpg",88,88,true],"post-image":["https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Man-suffering-with-depression-900x600.jpg",900,600,true],"post-image-cover":["https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Man-suffering-with-depression-1280x853.jpg",1280,853,true]},"post_excerpt_stackable":"<p>For many men, the idea of counselling (I often hear now referred to as &#8216;man counselling&#8217;) feels like a foreign concept\u2014something reserved for \u201cwhen things get really bad,\u201d or worse, something that\u2019s simply not for them. According to the Counselling Directory, only 36% of NHS referrals for psychological therapies in England are for men, despite 12.5% of men having a diagnosable mental health disorder . The truth is, counselling isn\u2019t about weakness. It\u2019s about strength. It\u2019s about choosing to face what\u2019s difficult rather than burying it. And for a lot of us, that\u2019s the hardest part. Clearly, in my work&hellip;<\/p>\n","category_list":"<a href=\"https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/category\/anger-management\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Anger management<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/category\/anxiety\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Anxiety<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/category\/confidence\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Confidence<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/category\/depression\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Depression<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/category\/self-care\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Self care<\/a>","author_info":{"name":"Kieran","url":"https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/author\/dbs393045\/"},"comments_num":"0 comments","yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v14.0.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>From Bottled-Up to Breakthrough: A Real Story of Anger, Stigma, Man and Counselling - His Own Man&#039;s Counselling Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow\" \/>\n<meta name=\"googlebot\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"bingbot\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/?page_id=1158\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"From Bottled-Up to Breakthrough: A Real Story of Anger, Stigma, Man and Counselling - His Own Man&#039;s Counselling Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"For many men, the idea of counselling (I often hear now referred to as &#8216;man counselling&#8217;) feels like a foreign concept\u2014something reserved for \u201cwhen things get really bad,\u201d or worse, something that\u2019s simply not for them. According to the Counselling Directory, only 36% of NHS referrals for psychological therapies in England are for men, despite [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/?page_id=1158\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"His Own Man&#039;s Counselling Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-06-24T07:19:30+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Man-suffering-with-depression.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"His Own Man&#039;s Counselling Blog\",\"description\":\"This blog is for those who want to learn more about anger management, anxiety, depression, shame and other related topics\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":\"https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\",\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/?page_id=1158\/#primaryimage\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Man-suffering-with-depression.jpg\",\"width\":1920,\"height\":1280,\"caption\":\"a side profile of a bearded man with a wooly hat on and a red scarf who looks sad\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/?page_id=1158\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/?page_id=1158\/\",\"name\":\"From Bottled-Up to Breakthrough: A Real Story of Anger, Stigma, Man and Counselling - His Own Man&#039;s Counselling Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/?page_id=1158\/#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2025-06-24T07:04:11+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-06-24T07:19:30+00:00\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/?page_id=1158\/\"]}]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1158"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1158"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1158\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1209,"href":"https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1158\/revisions\/1209"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/730"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1158"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1158"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1158"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}