Mentoring Men has recently released its Men Do Talk 2025 report, which reveals that men are not hesitant to seek support. They’re willing, open, and underserved. The primary barriers to men’s mentoring are reach, awareness, and access, rather than reluctance.
What the data shows
Across men aged 35–50:
- 66.1% would access a mentor if it were available nearby and explained clearly.
- When mentoring is described as free, one-to-one, lived-experience support, willingness jumps from 17% → 66%.
- Openness is highest among Aboriginal men (93%) and LGBTQIA+ men (73%).
- Regional men show demand levels equal to or higher than those of urban men.
Men aren’t resistant to men’s mentoring. It is more than that, they don’t know it exists:
- 42% had never heard of mentoring services.
- 42% didn’t know where to find one.
- 32% didn’t know if mentoring was offered locally.
- 37% of open men said time constraints were the main barrier.
This is not reluctance — it is a lack of visibility.
Men’s Mentoring – What men want in a mentor
Men prioritise:
- Down-to-earth, relatable support
- A good listener
- Someone with a similar lived experience
- Genuine empathy and grounded presence
Men are seeking mentoring help with:
- stress
- career pressure
- confidence
- personal direction
- resilience
- emotional steadiness
and they prefer low-pressure meeting formats, such as cafés, walks, or online flexibility.
Where Mentoring Through the Maze fits
Mentoring Through The Maze is a Perth-based mentoring service for men that provides:
- 1:1 mentoring for real-life pressure points
- Mentoring through Walk & Talk, cafés, or online sessions
- Lived-experience guidance through grief, identity loss, and rebuilding
- A steady, practical first step before or alongside counselling
- Clear direction without clinical intensity
Men aren’t closed off to receiving support. They often just aren’t aware of where to access it.
If you would like to read more:
- The Buried Life of Men – Why we often bury ourselves and how to reclaim our lives.
- Navigating Male Loneliness – for many men, loneliness is the quietest loss of all.
- Navigating Male Grief – A Map for Men on Silence, Strength and Healing