SALT LAKE CITY — Talking about mental health can be difficult for many men, but a new weekly discussion group in Salt Lake City is trying to change that by focusing on connection rather than counseling.
“It’s about connection, it’s about support, it’s about building a better understanding of ourselves,” said therapist Nick Steffens, the organizer of the group. “It’s about feeling less alone, and really, it’s about building community.”
Steffens says for many men, this topic can feel a bit taboo.
“To a lot of men, the idea of therapy is quite intimidating,” he said. “The vulnerability it takes to say, ‘Hey, I’d like to get some therapy or some help’ is a non-starter for too many men.”
Instead of formal counseling, Steffens created a weekly men’s mental health discussion group designed to simply get men talking.
“One of the goals of this group is to just have a conversation,” he said.
The group held its debut session last week, using an unexpected entry point: the heavy metal band Metallica.
Steffens pointed to the band’s history following the death of bassist Cliff Burton in the mid-1980s.
“They did the thing that so many men do,” he explained. “They pushed that grief down. They overworked and they over-consumed — substances — and here’s the thing: it works until it doesn’t.”
Fifteen years later, members of Metallica sought professional help and began speaking publicly about their grief and healing process.
WATCH: When the world feels overwhelming, a Salt Lake City group offers space to 'come as you are'
“In doing so,” Steffens said, “given that they’re Metallica and have this massive fan base, they give permission to a lot of men to go and do their own work.”
The discussion group now meets every Wednesday at 6 p.m. at the Marmalade Public Library in Salt Lake City. More information can be found HERE.
Steffens says the goal isn’t to replace therapy, but to make mental health conversations more approachable and open the door to that journey if it’s something someone decides to pursue further.
“For some men, that may be enough,” he said. “For others, it may just be the start of getting more professional help. Maybe we can de-tooth that stigma and have a wider conversation.”
The issue is gaining attention at the state level as well. Just last week, Utah Governor Spencer Cox addressed men’s mental health during a Men and Boys Wellbeing Symposium hosted by the Sutherland Institute. A study authored by the Utah Office of Families found that 36 percent of men struggle to know their place in society. The governor spoke to those who attended by saying at the start of the discussion, “I’m so excited we’re having this conversation.”
And Steffens says it touches us all.
“I imagine every person seeing this has some man in their life who has struggled with their mental health,” Steffens said. “Whether that’s suicide, addiction, loneliness — this challenge touches us in one way or another.”
