Brotectors: Breaking the Silence on Men’s Mental Health
To mark Men’s Mental Health Week, we sat down with Aaron Corria, Founder of Brotectors for a conversation about the importance of speaking up and breaking the silence around men’s mental health.
Aaron Corria, Founder Of Brotectors
Aaron’s journey began much like many men’s: As a “bit of a worrier” with anxieties he bottled up rather than addressed. In high school, exams left him “sick with nerves” but mental health simply wasn’t talked about two decades ago. He threw himself into the gym, a string of doorman jobs in Cardiff’s nightlife, and sport, anything to prove he was “man enough” not to need help.
“I was always around very masculine guys. You didn’t talk about emotions or what you were going through,” Aaron recalls. “If someone had mental health issues, people used to say they’d be in Whitchurch Hospital.”
By his mid-twenties, Aaron was on a dangerous spiral, weekends numbing his pain with cocaine and alcohol, weekdays a crushing comparison against friends buying houses and settling down. A GP prescribed medication but no therapy resonated. With the online resources he found were “black and white” and generic. In his darkest moment, on Boxing Day, Aaron planned to drive his car into a tree.
“I’d turn my phone off at night. I was totally disengaged. Living in the weekends, numbing the pain… I planned my own suicide.”
At his grandfather’s graveside, where he had gone to bid a final farewell. Aaron’s father turned up unexpectedly. And in that moment, Aaron let go of his usual tough exterior and bared his true pain.
“I thought he’d be ashamed of me…but he really understood. I felt a huge weight lifted off of my shoulders.”
After moving back home to recover, Aaron connected with a life coach, despite his fears of “fluffy” motivational talk, and found a mentor who had faced his own battles with alcohol and gambling. It was this coach who challenged him to share his story, starting small:
“Help one person. If you only help one person, it’s enough.”
In 2017, sitting in Cardiff Bay Starbucks, Aaron launched a simple blog under the name Brotectors, and within 24 hours, messages flooded in, not just from men, but from their partners and families.
National press, radio and TV opportunities followed, but Aaron knew awareness alone wouldn’t change lives.
With National Lottery Community Fund grants, Brotectors delivered boxing classes, yoga sessions, well-being walks and coffee evenings. Which lead Aaron to witness first-hand the power of community:
“It wasn’t about the activity itself, but the conversations we had over a free coffee afterwards.”
Aaron sharing his story at a workshop
He’s worked in prisons, schools, construction sites and call centres, tailoring workshops that cut through the typical corporate fluff. A typical Brotectors session involves a mix of Aaron’s storytelling with interactive exercises, giving participants the tools to navigate stress, challenge toxic masculinity and build resilience.
“I’m not a psychologist, I’m just real. I’ve 15 years’ experience working with hard-to-reach communities. I like to ask the questions that prompt change.”
Aaron is passionate about making mental health support accessible to all, not just those who can afford private therapy. He observes a widening divide between “haves” and “have-nots”, with long NHS waiting times leaving so many men to suffer in silence alone.
“Mental health should be a human right. Good support must be for everyone, regardless of income.”
Brotectors partners with forward-thinking employers across South Wales (and beyond) to embed proactive well-being in the workplace. Through workshops, coaching and mentorship programmes, Aaron aims to shift corporate culture from token gestures, shared LinkedIn posts or once-a-year “well-being days” to ongoing dialogue and real action.
Leaving a secure role at an Advertising agency three months ago to return full-time to Brotectors was daunting, especially with a young son and mortgage. But Aaron measures success not in salary or status, but in waking up happy, living his purpose and helping others:
“If things go wrong, it’ll still make a good story. Life is short, I don’t want regrets.”
Aaron urges men, young and old, to “cut through the b******t” of what society tells us matters, and define success by well-being and giving back.
When asked what advice he’d give his younger self, Aaron said:
“Cut through the nonsense of what you think is important. Success is waking up happy, spending time with loved ones, and following your purpose. Freedom is the best success.”
If you’re an individual seeking support or an employer ready to move from awareness to action, Brotectors offers workshops, one-to-one mentoring and community events.
