Therapy for Men in Ottawa
✔ For teens 12+, adults (18+), and older adults (60+)
✔ In-person therapy in Ottawa
✔ Virtual therapy anywhere across Ontario
✔ Available in English & Français
We help men feel more confident in health, decisions, and relationships.
Strong body. strong mind. strong purpose.
Are you ready to leave bad habits behind and finally live your healthiest life with amazing relationships?
are you the guy that…
✔is trying to figure out his career… you’ve worked hard, you’re not where you thought you’d be, and you’re tired of feeling stuck.
✔drinks at night to cope with stress… it’s not “a problem,” but it’s becoming a pattern you don’t feel great about.
✔loses his temper with people he loves… you don’t want to yell, you don’t want to be that guy, and you’re ready to change it.
✔is wondering how to cope with ADHD… you want to get organized but you just can’t keep a routine or a clean space, let alone stay consistent with goals.
✔feels responsible for everyone but himself… you carry the load, you show up, and you’re exhausted from being the strong one.
✔knows something needs to shift but doesn’t know where to start… life is “fine,” but not actually fine, and you’re ready for a real reset.
✔wants to be a better partner, father, friend, or man… not perfect, not superhuman — just better than you’ve been feeling lately.
Tools, not just talk.
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Practical tools
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Better communication
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confidential space
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evidence-based therapy
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deeper relationships
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drop the act
What is Therapy for Men?
Therapy is a space that belongs to you. There is nothing you have to talk about, and there is nothing you cannot talk about.
For many men, even considering therapy can bring some discomfort. You may have grown up hearing that you should handle things yourself, that talking about your feelings is a sign of weakness, or that asking for help means you are not strong enough. And when you have spent much of your life being the person others depend on, admitting that you are struggling can feel especially difficult.
Men are often given a narrow definition of strength: be tough, stay in control, provide, protect, succeed, be dependable, and figure it out. Over time, these messages can become so familiar that they begin to sound like your own voice. You may find yourself minimizing what you are going through, telling yourself you should be able to handle it, or waiting for the feeling to pass. Sometimes what you are feeling does not look like sadness at all. It can look like anger, irritability, withdrawal, overworking, drinking, shutting down, or feeling distant from the people and things that once mattered to you.
Sometimes this way of living works… until it doesn't.
Therapy offers a place to slow down. To listen to what is happening beneath the noise. To understand yourself more honestly. And, when you're ready, to make meaningful changes.
Therapy for men is…
Therapy can offer a different way forward. A place to loosen your grip for a while, to put down the role you have been carrying, and to simply be a person.
Therapy for men is not about making you softer or turning you into someone you are not. It is about giving you the space to understand yourself with a little more honesty and a little less judgment.
What are you carrying?
What are you avoiding?
What has been draining you?
What are you angry about?
What are you afraid of?
What do you need but have never learned how to ask for?
These questions are not a sign that something is wrong with you. They are a way of getting closer to yourself, beneath the expectations you have spent years trying to meet.
Let go of the pressure to keep it all together.
You don't need to know the answers. We work WITH YOU, at a pace that feels RIGHT FOR YOU.
✔ There is strength in recognizing when something is no longer working.
✔ Strength in having a difficult conversation instead of shutting down.
✔ Strength in understanding your anger rather than allowing it to speak for you.
None of this takes away from your masculinity. If anything, it can bring you closer to yourself, and to a quieter, more honest understanding of what it means to live well.
Areas of Expertise
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Making space for what you're feeling, even when you've gotten used to pushing it down.
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Judgment-free zone to understand the function of addiction and impact in your life, and finding coping strategies to reduce harm or move towards sobriety.
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To help you recognize early signs of frustration and anger, understand the root causes, and learn healthier ways to express and manage anger.
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Working through career pressure, performance demands, exhaustion, and the feeling that you always need to keep going.
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To support you in the difficult and complex journey of caring for aging parents and navigating Ottawa’s healthcare system.
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Understanding anger, stress, and emotional overwhelm while reconnecting with your body and learning what it may be trying to tell you.
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Understanding sensitivity as part of who you are, rather than something you need to overcome.
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Exploring the pressure to be strong, the loneliness that can come with carrying things alone, and the expectations you've learned about what it means to be a man.
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Learning to communicate what you need, set healthy boundaries, and move through patterns of withdrawal, conflict, or disconnection.
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Making space for the part of you that feels you always need to do more, be better, or prove yourself.
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To support you in all things relationships, whether that is communication, intimacy, how to find and create a meaningful relationship, or to help you navigate relationships with your friends, your colleagues, your family, your parents, or your kids.
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To support you in the big life transitions. To help you redefine a sense of normalcy and find a sense of purpose in retirement.
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Exploring your virtual habits, the function in your life, and practical ways to change your online behaviours.
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Finding your footing through fatherhood, career changes, divorce, loss, or those moments when you are no longer sure what comes next.
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Creating space to process PTSD, c-PTSD, and the impact of past relational or physical trauma.
Our Approach
We are client-centered therapists, which means we begin with you, with what you want to bring into the room, what feels important right now, and what you are ready to explore. There is no expectation that you arrive with everything figured out. Just arrive as you are.
Our approach is holistic, integrative, and trauma-informed. We draw from different evidence-based therapeutic modalities depending on what you need.
Therapy should fit YOU.
We respect your pace and recognize that healing is rarely linear. There may be moments of clarity, moments of uncertainty, and everything in between. We understand that there is no single approach that works for everyone, and our work together is shaped around what feels grounded, practical, and effective for YOU.
We also make space for culture and spirituality/religion when these are meaningful parts of your life and something you want to talk about.
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To help you understand the patterns behind your thoughts, work through negative thought loops, and develop practical tools for managing difficult emotions.
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To help you get clear on what matters to you, build resilience through difficult moments, and make choices that feel more aligned with the life you want.
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To better understand the different parts of yourself, work with self-criticism, and begin to meet yourself with more understanding rather than constantly asking yourself to do better.
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Practical ways to slow things down when stress, anger, or anxiety takes over. To notice what is happening in your body, settle your nervous system, and feel more grounded in yourself.
We help men feel more confident in health, decisions, and relationships.
Strong body. strong mind. strong purpose.
Are you ready to leave bad habits behind and finally live your healthiest life with amazing relationships?
Therapy for Men by Men
why work with a male therapist?
✔ Shared understanding: Men often grow up with strict rules of not showing weakness. A male therapist truly understand this.
✔ No judgment: They’ve been there, too. They get it and they won’t judge.
✔ Positive male role model: To help you handle life in a calm and healthy way.
✔ Easier connection: You’ll feel better understood, and strategies to improve will work better.
We help you Know what to do when life gets hard
✔ Understand what’s not working
✔ Learn to talk about emotions
✔ Better coping skills
✔ Better communication
✔ Better lifestyle habits
FEEL MORE CONFIDENT
✔ In your body
✔ In your decisions
✔ In your relationships
... Feel proud of your life!
Therapy for Men by Men
Meet our Cup of Tea Psychotherapy team
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Dylan Franklin
M.A., Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)
Works with adults (18+) & older adults (60+)
In-person & virtual
Anxiety ○ Depression ○ ADHD ○ Burnout ○ Grief ○ Relationships ○ Trauma ○ Men’s issues ○ and more!
English
Virtual or In-Person?
Your therapy sessions can happen in person or virtually, from the comfort of your home or office.
At Cup of Tea Psychotherapy, we love this flexibility. Therapy should have a place in your life without becoming another thing you have to work around.
Our office is centrally located in the Glebe neighbourhood of Ottawa, Ontario. And if getting to the office isn't what you need right now, virtual therapy gives you the freedom to meet from home, from your office, or even while you're travelling.
Wherever you are in Ontario, you can access secure, confidential therapy with our team.
Sometimes the most supportive thing is simply having a little more room to make therapy work for you.
Services are available in both English & Français.
Frequently asked questions
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You may benefit from specialized therapy if some of what you're carrying is connected to the expectations you've experienced as a man.
Maybe you've learned to be strong. To handle things on your own. To keep moving, even when you're tired. Maybe talking about what you're feeling has never come easily, or you've become so used to carrying the weight that you don't always notice how heavy it has become.
You may be navigating pressure at work, difficulty communicating in your relationships, anger, burnout, or a growing sense that you've become disconnected from yourself or the people around you.
You don't have to figure it all out alone.
Specialized therapy offers a space with someone who understands these pressures and can help you make sense of what you're experiencing—with a practical, grounded approach that meets you where you are.
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It really is up to your personal preference.
Therapy for Men by Men can often help men feel more easily understood as they share common experiences, upbringing, and cultural expectations of what it means to “be a man”. It can also feel easier to easier to talk about things that you may hold back from sharing when speaking to a woman. Having a male therapist also means you can experience a positive male role model to handle life in a calm, strong, and healthy way.
Some men feel more comfortable speaking to a female therapist, and many of our clients do! There can be a sense of comfort, nurturing, and natural ease when speaking with a female therapist. It can help bring a sense of softness and gentleness to your struggles.
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Yes. While our physical office is located in the Glebe in Ottawa, you don't have to live nearby to have a place to talk.
Our Registered Psychotherapists provide secure, confidential virtual therapy to men anywhere across Ontario. You can access support from wherever you are, in a way that feels comfortable and works for your life.
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Psychotherapy is not currently covered through the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP). We know that figuring out how therapy fits into your life also means figuring out how it fits into your budget.
Many employer-provided and private health insurance plans offer partial or full coverage for Registered Psychotherapists (RP). Direct billing is also available for Medavie Blue Cross.
We recommend checking with your insurance provider to understand what your plan includes. After each session, you'll receive a receipt that you can submit to your insurance provider for reimbursement.
Taking care of your mental health is an investment in yourself. We want the practical side of accessing that support to feel as straightforward as possible.
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The consultation is simply a chance to talk. You can share a little about what has been bringing you to therapy, ask questions, and get a sense of what working together might feel like. We'll also talk through the practical details and whether we might be a good fit for what you're looking for.
There is no pressure to commit. No expectation that you have to know exactly what you need.
Just a little space to take that first step, see how it feels, and decide whether we're the right fit for you.