How Cultural Wisdom Can Heal Men and a Therapist's Guide to Mental Health for Men of Colour

Written by Param Singh Sahni, Humanistic Therapist & Coach

Param Singh Sahni is a BACP-registered Humanistic Therapist, Trustee at the Metanoia Institute, and founder of The Work. He works privately supporting people with their mental health needs and specializes in emotional resilience, grief, identity, and trauma-informed care rooted in compassion and social justice.

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What happens when you grow up with inherited resilience but no language for pain? For many men of colour, therapy feels foreign, not because it’s unnecessary, but because it hasn’t been built for us. This article explores how cultural insight, emotional truth, and holistic practice are reshaping what healing can look like for Black and Brown men. It’s a guide, a reflection, and an invitation.

What makes mental health support feel culturally safe?

In many communities, especially those shaped by migration and survival, mental health conversations are still taboo. In my Punjabi upbringing, strength was often defined by silence. Vulnerability felt like a luxury few could afford.

For many men I work with, therapy feels unfamiliar, not because they don’t need it, but because it was never built with them in mind. When mental health support ignores culture, it often reinforces disconnection. Culturally attuned therapy must go beyond language; it must mirror lived experience. From collective identity to intergenerational trauma, these nuances shape not just how we suffer, but how we begin to heal.

The humanistic approach: Why it matters

I’m a Humanistic Member of the BACP, trained at the Metanoia Institute. Humanistic therapy is rooted in the belief that people thrive when they are seen with empathy and respect. But it also requires us to hold space for the cultural and systemic forces that shape their emotional well-being.

That’s the ethos behind The Work UK, a community initiative I co-founded. Through retreats, workshops, and group spaces, we support men of colour using talk therapy, movement, storytelling, and breathwork. Our goal is to help men reclaim vulnerability without shame.

How cultural conflicts complicate emotional regulation

Many of the men I work with straddle two worlds. At home, they’re bound to collective responsibilities and family expectations. Outside, they’re navigating Western values of independence and individualism. These conflicting demands create a chronic emotional tension, where expressing vulnerability risks dishonour, and suppressing it leads to implosion.

At a recent retreat, a participant shared, "This is the first time I’ve cried in front of another man." Another said, "I didn’t know healing could look like this." These aren’t just breakthroughs; they are reminders that culturally responsible spaces can change the trajectory of a life in a single moment.

Lessons from the margins: Who inspires this work

This work doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It stands on the shoulders of visionaries like:

• Denise Lyttle, Equine Specialist (EGALA), therapist, trainer, mentor, and inspiration.

• Iisha McKenzie Mavinga, author and racial awareness pioneer.

• Foluke Taylor, Black Feminist, author, and creator of liberation psychotherapy.

• Eugene Ellis, founder of BAATN, and author who reminds me that presence is political.

• Sahaj Kohli, author and creator of Brown Girl Therapy, opening dialogue across diasporas.

• Dyann Heward-Mills, founder of Protect Black Women, and entrepreneur, offering free therapy to Black women.

These leaders prove healing doesn’t have to follow traditional paths. Sometimes it’s about building new tables. While spaces for Black and Brown men, women, and white allies are vital, the ripple effects extend beyond identity. When men do the work, families heal; daughters, sisters, mothers, and partners benefit. As Bob Marley said, “No man is an island.”

Why inclusion isn’t enough – We need transformation

Even in top psychotherapy institutions, I’ve been the only man of colour in the room. Our training materials rarely reflect our lives. Inclusion in a system built for others isn’t liberation, it’s assimilation.

As a student trustee at Metanoia Institute, I advocate for structural change. But I’m also committed to creating spaces where people don’t have to explain themselves, spaces where they already belong.

Call to action: What healing looks like now

Healing doesn’t have to be clinical. It can be collective. It can look like breathwork in a circle of men. It can sound like a story told for the first time. It can feel like being seen.

If you’re a man of colour, your pain is valid, and your healing is possible. If you’re a practitioner, what tables are you inviting people to? Who gets to set the agenda?

To go deeper, read: The Gentle Man – Rethinking Strength, Softness and Masculinity

Find out more or get in touch: @thesikhtherapist | theworkuk.com

Visit my website for more info!

Read more from Param Singh Sahni

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Param Singh Sahni, Humanistic Therapist & Coach

Param Singh Sahni is a BACP-registered Humanistic Therapist and Trustee at the Metanoia Institute. He is the founder of The Work, a platform dedicated to supporting the mental health of men of colour through vulnerability, connection, and culturally sensitive care. With nearly a decade of experience, he has supported people through life’s challenges related to addiction, behavioural patterns, and relational difficulties. He also works privately with individuals navigating grief, identity, emotional regulation, and life transitions. His approach is rooted in compassion, justice, and creating spaces where people feel seen, heard, and supported.