THE FLYING THERAPIST
Exploring the Mind, New Horizons and Better Men.
About Me
The Flight Plan
Hi, I’m Matt.
I’m an international airline pilot and a therapist in training. I've been flying since I left school and it's a career that's taken me all over the world. From midnight landings at major airports to long layovers in faraway places; I've had the freedom and adventures that many people dream of. Success on the outside, but lost on the inside.
Behind the uniform was someone struggling with identity, meaning, and emotional wellbeing. Like many men, I was good at compartmentalising. I focused on the next destination, the next distraction, the next fix. I read self-help books obsessively, trying to outrun discomfort rather than sit with it. I ticked all the boxes of a “good life,” but none of it brought the peace I was searching for.
Eventually life caught up with me. Rock bottom destroyed a relationship, left me questioning my career, and my mental health was a mess. That was a turning point in my life.
From that place of pain came something I didn't expect: self awareness and growth. I started therapy. I slowed down. I stopped numbing myself. But there were more questions than answers: Who am I, really? What do I want from life? What does being emotionally sober look like for a man like me?
That journey led me to a Masters in Psychology and Counselling. I never thought I'd become a therapist but looking back, it all makes sense. I'm deeply curious about human nature. About pain. About healing. About why we do what we do. I'm especially passionate about men's mental health and the seemingly slow death of healthy masculinity.
To me, being a man should mean being strong and stoic. A protector. A provider. A role model. But somewhere along the way, we confused that with emotional illiteracy and invulnerability. We started believing that asking for help, or even admitting to pain, was weakness. I don’t buy that. A real man is someone who’s curious about himself. Who’s willing to grow, to question, to get it wrong and still show up the next day with humility. Strength isn’t pretending you’re fine. It’s owning your shit and working on it.
That's why I created The Flying Therapist.
To me, being a man should mean being strong and stoic. A protector. A provider. A role model. But somewhere along the way, we confused that with emotional illiteracy and invulnerability. We started believing that asking for help, or even admitting to pain, was weakness. I don’t buy that. A real man is someone who’s curious about himself. Who’s willing to grow, to question, to get it wrong and still show up the next day with humility. Strength isn’t pretending you’re fine. It’s owning your shit and working on it.
That's why I created The Flying Therapist.
This blog is part reflection, part exploration, and part call to arms. It’s where I share what I’m learning from psychology lectures and long-haul flights. Expect thoughts on masculinity, vulnerability, practical tools from the world of counselling, reflections from 35,000 feet, and probably the occasional unpopular opinion. It’s honest. Often messy. Hopefully useful.
This is my flight plan. A rough outline that's constantly updated along the way. There’ll be turbulence, holding patterns, as well as clear skies. But I’m learning to navigate all of it with more awareness, less ego, and a lot more intention.
If you’re a man who’s tired of pretending everything’s fine, or you’ve ticked all the boxes and still feel hollow, or you just want to be better for your partner, your kids, or yourself, I hope this helps.
If you’re curious about what’s next in your own journey, if you’re open to rethinking old ideas of success, or if you just want to feel less alone in the chaos of being a being a man, welcome aboard!
I don’t have it all figured out. But if something here helps you feel seen, heard, or a little more grounded, well, that makes me happy.
Matt
This is my flight plan. A rough outline that's constantly updated along the way. There’ll be turbulence, holding patterns, as well as clear skies. But I’m learning to navigate all of it with more awareness, less ego, and a lot more intention.
If you’re a man who’s tired of pretending everything’s fine, or you’ve ticked all the boxes and still feel hollow, or you just want to be better for your partner, your kids, or yourself, I hope this helps.
If you’re curious about what’s next in your own journey, if you’re open to rethinking old ideas of success, or if you just want to feel less alone in the chaos of being a being a man, welcome aboard!
I don’t have it all figured out. But if something here helps you feel seen, heard, or a little more grounded, well, that makes me happy.
Matt
“A person is a fluid process, not a fixed and static entity; a flowing river of change, not a block of solid material; a continually changing constellation of potentialities, not a fixed quantity of traits.” – Carl R. Rogers, On Becoming A Person
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