Men’s Counseling
in Colorado Springs
For men who are functioning on the outside—but know something underneath needs to change.
As a man who has been deeply affected and healed by counseling, I understand how difficult it can be to admit that something is not working—and how vulnerable it can feel to ask for help.
I work with all kinds of men who are carrying anxiety and depression from conflict and questions about identity or purpose. Sometimes these struggles relate to old wounds that may have gone unnamed for years, or maybe they are everyday struggles that are keeping you stuck in ways you can’t seem to shake.
My goal is to offer a compassionate, steady place where you can speak honestly, take a breath, and begin moving toward durable hope and lasting change.
Men’s Counseling: Understand what’s underneath
I’m Austin Hendrickson, a Licensed Professional Counselor in Colorado Springs. A significant part of my work is helping men understand how their history has shaped the way they experience themselves, their relationships, and the world around them.
I particularly enjoy working with men dealing with:
- Childhood trauma
- Sexual abuse or unwanted sexual experiences
- PTSD and complex trauma
- Shame
- Anger and emotional shutdown
- Relationship difficulties
- Pornography and problematic sexual behavior
- Grief and loss
- Military experiences and transitions
- Questions involving faith, identity, and purpose
Sometimes the connection between the past and the present is obvious. Sometimes it isn’t.
A man may come to counseling because his marriage is falling apart, because he can’t control his anger, because sex or pornography has become a problem, or simply because he realizes he isn’t the husband, father, or man he wants to be. Part of our work is figuring out why.
Trauma doesn’t always look like trauma
Many men have a picture of trauma that involves being completely incapacitated by something terrible that happened. That isn’t always what it looks like.
You can have a successful career, raise a family, serve in the military, lead other people, and function at a high level while still carrying the effects of experiences that happened years ago.
For some men, that includes childhood sexual abuse. For others, it was violence, neglect, an unpredictable home, military experiences, loss, or relationships in which they learned that vulnerability wasn’t safe.
Those experiences can show up years later as anger, anxiety, shame, emotional numbness, hypervigilance, difficulty trusting people, sexual problems, relationship conflict, or a constant need to stay in control.
Counseling gives us somewhere to understand those patterns rather than simply trying harder to suppress them.
Why Men’s Counseling?
Most of us have places in our lives where we have been stuck for a long time.
We know something needs to change. We may have tried harder, made promises to ourselves, prayed about it, read books, or simply decided that this time will be different. And yet, sooner or later, we find ourselves back in the same place.
Sometimes that’s because of damage that was done to us. Sometimes it’s because of the ways we’ve learned to survive in a broken world. Over time, our brains become wired around those experiences. Ways of thinking, responding, protecting ourselves, and finding relief become deeply ingrained—even when they are no longer helping us.
That’s why I believe therapy is ultimately about freedom.
Maybe you’re stuck in a job you hate but can’t seem to change. Maybe you keep repeating the same patterns in relationships. Maybe pornography, alcohol, sex, work, or some other addiction has far more control over your life than you want to admit. Or maybe it’s harder to name: staying up too late, endlessly scrolling, chasing accomplishments, distracting yourself, or filling your life with things that don’t really matter. We can spend years living this way.
Therapy gives us an opportunity to understand what keeps us stuck and begin changing the patterns that hold us there. That means understanding your story and the things that have shaped you, but it doesn’t mean remaining trapped in your story.
The goal is to help your brain learn something different—to develop new ways of thinking, relating, responding, and living. Because ultimately, I don’t want therapy simply to help you manage your symptoms.
I want it to help you become more free.
Free to be present in your relationships. Free from patterns that are slowly destroying things you care about. Free to pursue things that actually matter. And free to become more fully the man you were created to be.
Military experience without having to explain the culture
Before becoming a counselor, I served as an Air Force pilot.
That background gives me a particular appreciation for military culture, including the strengths it develops and the ways those same strengths can sometimes make asking for help difficult.
You won’t need to spend the first several sessions explaining military life to me.
Whether you are active duty, a veteran, or simply carrying experiences from your time in service, we can talk about them in a context that understands the culture they came from.
Frequently Asked Questions
A: You do not have to wait until everything feels unmanageable. Counseling can give you a private place to understand what is happening, name what you have been carrying, and begin practicing new patterns.
A: Yes. You do not have to arrive with the right words or a complete plan. We can start with your questions and explore whether I may be a good fit during the free consultation.
A: Yes. Christian counseling and spiritual questions are among the areas I address. During the consultation, you can tell me how you would—or would not—like faith to be part of our work.
A: Yes. I provide telehealth counseling for clients located anywhere in Colorado and in Virginia, where I am licensed.
A: Individual sessions are $135 for 50 minutes. I accept Tricare and Aetna and also offer self-pay or out-of-network options. Please confirm your individual benefits directly with your insurer.
A: Schedule a free 15-minute consultation. We can talk through your questions, what you are hoping will change, and what counseling with me could look like.
Getting Started
I provide men’s counseling from my office in Colorado Springs and by telehealth throughout Colorado and Virginia. Individual counseling sessions are $135 for 50 minutes.
|I accept TRICARE and Aetna and also offer self-pay and out-of-network options.
You don’t need to know exactly what is wrong before contacting me.
If you recognize yourself somewhere on this page, we can start there.
Schedule a free 15-minute consultation
We’ll talk briefly about what is happening, what you would like to change, and whether I might be a good fit to help.