June is a month full of celebrations with graduations, Father’s Day and Juneteenth. It’s also Men’s Health Awareness Month, which means it’s time to encourage the men in our lives to heighten their awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of diseases including cancer, heart disease and depression.
James Harris, a licensed therapist and entrepreneur, is shifting how we focus on men’s overall wellness, and mental and physical health with the MEN to HEAL movement. Launched in 2018, it stems from a project Harris completed while he attended grad school. MEN to HEAL has sparked a global impact supported by celebrities, civil rights leaders, and NBA and NFL players.
24% of therapists in America are male, while only 4% of therapists are Black, making Harris — a Black male therapist— an anomaly. African-Americans usually seek clinicians who understand our shared experiences, and most men are reluctant to seek treatment for health, especially for their mental health.
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After emancipating himself at the age of 16, the 36-year-old Richmond, VA native has firsthand insight into the effects of trauma and the lack of support and resources for populations with specialized needs.
“When mental health is discussed, the men tend to be overlooked due to lack of male providers and personal male issues like ego and embarrassment. I’m bridging the gap with MEN to HEAL During my time in foster care therapy was mandatory, but it wasn’t a pleasant experience. I felt rushed and judged because I was a Black kid from the projects, and the therapists were older white people.”
He continues, recalling the early stages of his journey.
“Fast forward, years later, I joined the Army and I tried therapy again, and this time, it was the same thing. It wasn’t a pleasant experience, because most of those therapists didn’t have combat experience.”
“While I was in grad school, I was assigned a project that asked:
If there was any organization or any group that you could work with, who would it be?
“Men are often left out, especially Black men, so I took that on as a project and I wound up enjoying it because I connected with so many different men who were reluctant to seek medical services, not just mental health services.”
After a few years as a practitioner, Harris began hosting quarterly workshops for men at the art gallery he owns. As awareness and demand grew, he created t-shirts promoting Men to Heal, that were requested locally and as far away as Afghanistan, the U.K., Germany and Spain. Along with his apparel, he has built an influential presence on Instagram and YouTube with engaging and informative content that addresses all aspects of men’s health.
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In addition to his videos, Harris is the author of “Man Just Express Yourself,” an interactive journal for boys and men. It also helps women gain insight into what their, husbands, fathers, sons, brothers and others are feeling when they are unable to find the words to explain their experiences.
“Oftentimes, men don’t know how to say or articulate what they’re feeling or what they’re going through, based on so many different things. Whether they’re societal, whether it’s generational, how they were raised, or just not knowing the verbiage to articulate it, so the book was a great tool for that,” he explains.
In 2019, Harris opened The HEALing Hub, a 2200 sq. ft venue where Richmond residents can receive outpatient therapy, massages, yoga, mindfulness, business and financial literacy classes. It’s also an event space and a comprehensive investment his the community.
“Access and availability are important, so sessions include LGBTQ seminars, voter registration, restoration of rights from people who were convicted, and first-time homebuyer seminars. Certain demographics, here in Richmond, are often overlooked, so I made sure that it was on the bus line for those who have to take public transportation.”
“I made sure that it’s a collaborative effort and response; I’m doing my part because I know what it’s like to have or not have. I want to continue to elevate my community as opposed to waiting on somebody else to do it.”
True to his style of educating while engaging, Harris created a board game called Cheesy Dates that will be featured on a series set to air on HBO Max sometime in the near future.
“Whether you’re in an intimate relationship or platonic relationship, this board game is for you,” he insists. “You can do it at any group activity. One card deck is comprised of different date night ideas. The second deck of cards is comprised of different questions that you should ask throughout your relationship, whether you’re getting to know someone, or if you’ve been in a relationship for a long time, and the questions range from financial to sexual, to just knowing who this person is that you’re partnering with, or getting a different perspective from the group that you’re having this game night with.”
A chance meeting at a Tesla charging station connected Harris with his lovely wife, Brandi. Besides their vehicle of choice, they bonded over their love for art as well as both having daughters to create their blended family.
The new husband proudly shared a special moment from his wedding day, this past March, showing how healing happens when vulnerability and masculinity co-exist.
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While his role as a therapist has benefited the couple’s communication, he is intentional about not blurring boundaries.
“Because the communication is there, I try to put myself in that position of as if I was conducting a session for another couple; there’s a lot of introspection. I don’t enter my relationship as if it’s a therapeutic role, I’m human and we have human life situations. We respect each other and we have a bond to where we can discuss certain things without emotions flying. I don’t think it’s a therapeutic thing, I just think it’s more of a, hey, we’re adults, let’s figure this thing out.”
Men to Heal has impacted almost 9K men and over 1.5K veterans since its inception.
Sought after as an international speaker, Harris’ recently released TED Talk addressed why it is important for men to embrace emotional connectedness. His profound message urges everyone to prioritize mental health in a way that enables MEN to HEAL for their communities, their families and themselves.
Join the MEN to HEAL movement at mentaltoheal.com, and on Instagram @men_to_heal and YouTube.
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