Feature
Making a difference for men’s mental health Kelly Southworth Editor
The first time Andrew Braddy reached out for help with his mental health, he gave up. He knew he needed to talk to someone about his mental state, but no one had ever encouraged him to or showed him how. As a teenager, he didn’t have anyone to open up to, and he was surrounded by expectations that boys and men should downplay their emotions. But when his partner finally talked him into it, everything changed. ‘After making that leap, the next step was finally opening up to my parents and my mates about how I was going,’ Andrew says. ‘The first time I told my best mate, I was really nervous. I told him I’d been feeling like this for a long time, and he said, “Oh yeah, me too.” And then another friend said it happens to him as well. I couldn’t believe it.’ All of this happened when Andrew was a science and maths teacher at Carey and it coincided with the introduction of Positive Psychology to the Carey curriculum. Andrew attended a conference to learn about the importance of understanding student wellbeing. Combined with finally opening up to his family and friends about his depression, this was a major breakthrough for Andrew.
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ndrew now lives in Torquay with his wife and newborn son. He is the founder of Men’s Health Matters, which focusses on relieving the stigma around men seeking support for their mental health. They offer counselling to men and teenage boys, programs to help new dads and support groups for men. 16 | Torch
Andrew Braddy (right) with one of the new dads groups he facilitates. Many events led Andrew to found Men’s Health Matters, but one major influence was teaching at Brighton Grammar, where he was involved in the father-son program. A key part of this program is encouraging fathers and sons to understand each other, communicate better and develop stronger relationships, in turn, developing more well-rounded and mentally healthy young men. Now, one of Andrew’s favourite parts of his job is witnessing a shift in the relationship between a father and son. ‘You can always tell the ones that are not in a good space, where often the dad’s trying really hard and the son just isn’t letting him in,’ Andrew says. ‘But by the end of these [father-son] programs, they’re hugging and talking and spending time together.’
While working at Brighton Grammar, Andrew met family wellbeing and childhood development expert Dr Arne Rubinstein. Andrew trained with Arne, who continues to be a great influence on his work. Another game-changing moment for Andrew was reading the book Manhood by psychologist Steve Biddulph. That was when Andrew decided to fully focus on wellbeing. He completed a Master of Counselling and founded Men’s Health Matters in 2020.
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ack in 2017, Andrew found a men’s group near his home. ‘It was very daunting to go to, but when it shut down, I realised I needed to keep it going,’ Andrew says. ‘I started up my own, and I’ve kept them going everywhere I’ve moved. It’s been amazing.’
