I first heard about “Man Therapy” when I read an article in 2019 and contacted Dr. Mahogany. It took me a while to get to know Joe Conrad, the man behind it ManTherapy.org, and learned about the team that developed their successful program. Joe is a creative entrepreneur and digital health pioneer who believes in the power of innovation, creativity and technology to solve any problem. I recently interviewed Joe for his work supporting men’s mental health, how the Man Therapy program was developed and his new book, Man Therapy: Therapy The Man’s Way.
I was interested in the “origin story” of this unique and innovative approach to helping men and their families. Here’s what Joe shared with me:
“At some point in my life, I went from acting like a boy to acting like a man. For me, it happened at Colorado State University sometime during my senior year. I had a job writing for the Rocky Mountain Collegian, which is where I found my voice. I wrote a series of stories about US military veterans returning from Vietnam and their difficult transition into civilian life. I covered issues surrounding the growing environmental movement. I was creating something, putting it out into the world, and it felt great.
In 1990 I started Cactus, a purpose-driven advertising agency focused on working with nonprofits, foundations and brands to help bring a powerful voice to their work. One day while leading a workshop for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, I was approached by the director of the Office of Suicide Prevention. He said, “Joe, do you know there’s an epidemic out there that working-age men are killing themselves at an alarming rate?”
I had no idea that five out of seven suicides were men from all walks of life, demographics and socioeconomic backgrounds. Against all the weird and low-budget footwear odds, my team at Cactus created our company’s best and most eye-catching campaign. We approached this challenge as we do every project and gave the campaign the same love and attention to creativity, production art and a meaningful digital experience where the healing happens.
We explored a number of creative approaches, but one idea stood out and was the obvious choice –– Man Therapy, which launched on July 9, 2012. The centerpiece of the campaign is a website, ManTherapy.org, hosted by a fantastic therapist named Dr. Rich Mahogany. However, Dr. Rich is not your typical therapist. He tells it like it is and uses humor to convince men that taking care of their mental health is the most manly thing a man can do.
Man Therapy was created by a team of suicides, mental health experts, marketing strategists, creatives, and technologists to destigmatize mental health through humor, directness, and practical tools. And we know it works because the results of a 4-year, $1.2 million CDC-funded study show that Man Therapy not only reduces depression, suicide risk, and bad mental health days but also improves help-seeking behavior in working-age men.
While we’re proud of the impact we’ve made to date, we believe we’re just getting started. Today, Man Therapy is the leading men’s mental health brand in the world, and we believe it can be a powerful force for good in the world. Much more than helping to reduce suicide, we hope to help men flourish.”
Androtherapy is relevant to my personal and professional life
When I was five years old my father overdosed on sleeping pills. He had become increasingly depressed because he could not support his family doing the work he loved. Fortunately, he didn’t die, but our lives were never the same again. I grew up wondering what happened to my father, when it would happen to me, and what I could do to help other men and their families avoid the suffering our family suffered.
For over fifty years I have been a leader in the emerging field of gender medicine and men’s mental, emotional and relational health. When I met Man Therapy and Joe Conrad, I knew right away that this was a program that could help men like my father and millions of other men and their families live fully healthy lives, love deeply and well, and make a personal difference in the world.
The publication of their new book Man Therapy: Therapy The Man’s Way is the next step in this important men’s health movement. Androtherapy gives men simple tools to deal with real-life challenges, without lecture, jargon or awkward therapy. You can see the book trailer here.
The book is supported by the exciting and popular Man Therapy® brand and features contributions from today’s leading men’s mental health experts. This guide provides specific strategies for managing stress, depression, anger, and the daily stresses that men face.
Think of it as a mental health tune-up for your brain: part therapist, part drill sergeant, and part wise uncle who tells it like it is.
In this book, you’ll find powerful strategies for:
- Manage stress, anxiety and exhaustion before they take over.
- I deal with depression, low motivation and feeling stuck.
- Control anger and emotional reactions without blowing up relationships.
- Ply loneliness, friendships and romantic relationships.
- Build mental toughness when life knocks you down.
Based on evidence-based psychology, this guide includes the essentials of mental health, simple exercises, prompts for reflection, and practical skills you can start using right away. Whether you’re dealing with work pressure, family stress, relationship issues, or just trying to get over your head, these tools help actnot just think about it.
You don’t have to pretend that everything is fine. And you don’t have to figure it out on your own. This first-of-its-kind guide helps men take charge of their mental health with courage, clarity, and maybe even a few laughs along the way.
This is the book I wish my father had available when he was struggling with these issues. It is the book I am excited to give to my clients, family and friends.
To learn more about Joe Conrad, the book and the Man Therapy movement, you can visit him at
If you want to read more articles about men’s mental, emotional and relational health, visit me at https://menalive.com/.
