men’s issues
Mental health is an issue for everyone. Men are generally socialized to suppress their emotions on the basis of needing to be strong, and so are often discouraged from seeking support for their problems. We believe in healthy masculinity, which is rooted in having the understanding and self-confidence to have hard conversations, ask for what you want, create good boundaries, and believe that you deserve more than a “good enough” life.
What we work with
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Men often struggle with feeling unappreciated, unheard, and like there is no space for them in their relationships. Many men also struggle with being able to see their own patterns playing out - like anger and avoidance - but don’t know how to stop it from happening.
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It’s not uncommon to feel out of control of your behaviour. This might be reaching for your phone all the time, doom-scrolling or having a hard time pulling yourself away from video games or porn. This can affect your work, your relationships, and your overall enjoyment of life.
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Men are generally raised with a specific idea of what a man should be, and these ideals often feel impossible to meet. That, combined with the pressure to perform at work, to be the primary initiator of relationships, to look and act a certain way, and negative narratives about men in the world, can make things feel pretty hopeless.
how we support men’s mental health
At their core, emotions are information that your body is giving you about your needs and boundaries. Ignoring them leads us to unhealthy patterns of shutting people out, numbing ourselves, and lashing out at others. Therapy can help you learn to understand what purpose your emotions serve, and how to interpret the information they give you so that you have more power over your reactions.
Our approach is straightforward - we offer support when you need support, and a little tough love when you need it. You control the direction of sessions, and we will support you in meeting your goals, whether it be self-exploration, improving your relationship, managing job stress, parenting or anything else that is bothering you.
Frequently Asked Questions
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The short answer is that you don’t know, until you try it. Ultimately, what you get out of therapy is what you put into it. Therapy involves being uncomfortable, including being annoyed, angry, and scared. That’s not a flaw, that is a fundamental part of the process. We will support you through it, and make it as comfortable as possible, but at the end of the day, you decide how uncomfortable you are willing to get in order to see through the changes you want to make.
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Generally, therapy involves figuring out what changes you want to make, and then figuring out what is keeping you from getting there. Usually, that’s shame, grief and unmet needs.
In an actual session, therapy can look any way you want it to. We can spend as much or as little time as you want digging into your problems, and you can share whatever you feel like sharing - whether that’s deep stuff, opinions on current events, what your most recent interest is, or funny posts you saw online.
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When you first start therapy, we will talk about what your concerns and/or goals are, and from there, your therapist will help guide you towards helpful topics and exercises.
Here’s a therapist secret - we often do our best work in sessions where you don’t know what you want to talk about.
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Lots of people come to therapy because something is wrong, but therapy can also help you go from “fine” to “good” and “great”. Time spent improving yourself is rarely wasted.
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Collaborative, honest, and straightforward. We're here to guide the process, bring ideas to the table, and keep things moving.
Max McKenzie’s approach to therapy is direct, collaborative and intuitive. They focus on the root cause of issues, rather than just symptoms, to help you maintain long term change. Max strives to hold space for you, challenge you and equip you with the intuitive knowledge and body-informed tools to grow through your areas of stuckness.
We provide secure virtual psychotherapy appointments throughout Ontario and within Simcoe County — Orillia, Gravenhurst, Barrie, Midland, Bracebridge, Collingwood, Coldwater, Washago, Oro-Medonte.