As Mental Health Awareness Month continues, a Tucson mentorship organization has been convening weekly gatherings designed to give boys and teenage males a place to speak openly about feelings, loss and the pressures they face. The meetings, held by Boys to Men Tucson near North Main Avenue and Speedway Boulevard, bring young people together in a circle while volunteer mentors facilitate conversations meant to be judgment-free and restorative.
Teen participants sit in a mentorship support circle in Tucson, holding discussion materials as they talk about mental health and emotions.
At a recent session, a ring of teens shared personal experiences and responded to prompts from mentors trained to model vulnerability and emotional communication. The gatherings are structured around what mentors call "restorative talking circles," a format intended to normalize expressing a range of emotions and to teach participants how to listen and respond sensitively to one another.
Fourteen-year-old Mason Custis described the group as “more than just a place to talk.” Mason said he first attended after learning about the program through school, and that he has been coming to the sessions for roughly five years. After the death of his father when he was 9 years old, Mason said the meetings became a setting where he felt able to share the grief and other emotions that surfaced in his life.
"I gave it a try, I liked the first meeting we had," Mason said. "They gave me a paper, I signed up for it and I just never left." He recalled moments at home when his grief would surface unexpectedly — "There would be times I would be sitting with my mom, and I just started busting out in tears, I guess from the pain I was going through" — and said the mentorship circle offered a different kind of space where he could speak about what he was feeling.
Paul Braden, a mentor with Boys to Men Tucson, said many young males grow up without tools or examples for naming and communicating their emotions. "One of the biggest struggles, especially masculine youth have, you know, our boys and guys, is they're not really familiar with their emotions, they know they're told they can be happy and angry and that’s it," Braden said. He explained that the program intentionally models vulnerability and practices communication skills to help participants develop emotional intelligence.
"The goal of this space is more so kind of like an emotional support group," Braden said. "We model vulnerability, we model communication skills, as well as emotional intelligence." Mentors contend that when boys are given the language to describe their feelings and the encouragement to do so in a safe setting, they become less isolated and more capable of seeking help when they need it.
The mentors pointed to broader concerns about adolescent mental health as context for their work. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for 2023 show that 40% of teens reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, and one in five said they had seriously considered suicide. Organizers at the Tucson group said spaces focused on connection and conversation can be a preventive resource in communities where young people are struggling.
"One of our taglines is, connection is prevention," Braden said. He said the circles are meant to create authentic bonds among participants so they have reliable outlets for sharing what is happening in their lives. For participants like Mason, the steady presence of mentors and peers at weekly sessions translates into practical support: "You always have someone you can go to even though you may not feel that way," he said. "There’s always someone out there that’s willing to hear you out and give you advice on what you’re going through. You don’t have to be scared and you don’t have to deal with it on your own."
Those interested in learning more about weekly support groups or about Boys to Men Tucson can search for the organization online to find current meeting times and contact information.