James Harris, founder of Men to Heal (Photo by Jay Paul)
The COVID-19 pandemic put a new focus on mental health, as people faced the fear of infection, illness and death of loved ones, job insecurity, closed schools and public places, and isolation. Despite the increased attention, some still avoid treatment, and men — who face cultural pressures to be strong, serve as a provider for their families and not express feelings of sadness — are even less likely to seek help.
According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), only 11% of white males and 7% of Black males in the U.S. used a mental health service from 2008-12. The APA says only 1 in 3 African Americans who need mental health care receive it.
James Harris is working to change that.
Harris is a U.S. Army veteran who served two tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, and he has a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling. After witnessing the impact of poor health and poor mental health on men in his community, he started the organization Men to Heal in 2019. He says his motivation was a lack of outlets for men to express the full spectrum of their emotions.
“Men are dying because they are not speaking out on certain issues,” he says. “They don’t have a space to open up and talk about this stuff unless they are in a barber shop or in a small group of men that they trust.”
Harris provides meetings on- and offline, tools and resources for men to take better care of their health. When he returned from deployment overseas, he sought counseling, recognizing the need to take care of himself for his own benefit and for the benefit of his loved ones. But finding the right provider to address his cultural needs as a Black man was frustrating.
“I went through four therapists until I found what I needed,” he says. “A therapist who was African American, who looked like me, and was culturally competent and understood the need for a cohesive therapeutic process.”
Through Men to Heal, Harris says he is attempting to make access to help easier, and he is working to end the stigma surrounding mental health for men and their families. In August 2019 he opened The HEALing Hub at 916 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd., a space providing outpatient therapy, massage, yoga, mindfulness and financial literacy sessions, as well as free meals every third Sunday.
With virtual programming he has expanded the reach of his community conversations, attracting people from across the United States and abroad in countries including Afghanistan, Netherlands, England, Germany and Spain. Harris also speaks about mental health for colleges and other organizations.
Harris’ self-published book, “Man, Just Express Yourself! An Interactive Planner Guide for Men, Young and Old,” was published in 2020 to answer questions he regularly heard from his audiences. Some of the 60 topics covered in the guide include goals, trauma, affection, coping skills, crying, pride and resilience.
Though his work focuses on men, Harris says he has seen its effect on men’s families as well. “One woman told me that after reading the book, it was the first time she and her husband had talked about a trauma he experienced — in 35 years,” he says.
Harris also sells T-shirts and sweatshirts to promote his “Men to Heal” mantra. Pay a visit to his YouTube channel, and you will find short and long videos on all topics related to mental health, from finding a support system to sex.
“I want to normalize these conversations by giving [my audience] insights,” he says. “I am providing a platform for men to speak up without being demonized or chastised, because men don’t want to be viewed as soft or weak.”
Getting started is often the most difficult step, but Harris says men must ignore the perceptions of others. “This is a journey you must start for yourself, regardless of what other people have to say,” he says. “As you learn and grow, your newfound intellect will help you deal with those people — whether it is reacting to things differently or just having resilience.”
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