Male Survivors of
Sexual Abuse
& Assault.
Free, confidential support for men healing from sexual abuse and trauma.
Our Peer Support team offers a warm, welcoming space where men can connect, heal, and grow — supported by peers who have lived experience of recovery themselves.
We’re here to walk beside you, wherever you are on your journey.
As many as 1 in 6 men are thought to have been sexually abused or assaulted before the age of 18. Many male survivors have struggled to find a safe place or a safe person to talk about the abuse they endured - many have waited decades before telling anyone what happened. Survivors have often faced multiple barriers, stigma, rejection, a lack of meaningful support, and even blame for the abuse they endured.
Tāne Whai Ora: Canterbury Men's Centre was founded by male survivors who experienced the negative impacts men endure when society struggles to understand that men can also be victims of sexual, physical or psychological violence and abuse. To this day, the Canterbury Men's Centre continues to have survivors leading at every level of our service, in governance, management, and frontline staff.
Today our peer support service exists so that male survivors have a safe place they can belong. Where they will be heard, will be believed, and will receive support that is meaningful to them. The Canterbury Men’s Centre is a warm, welcoming place grounded in manaakitanga for all survivors. Men - and those wanting to support men - can find support, resources, groups and activities where they can connect and share time with others.
Zeb Blake, Peer Support Lead
Lived Experience. Professional Training. Genuine Peer Support.
Our peer support team are survivors who combine lived experience with professional training to provide a peer support service grounded in empathy, empowerment, and hope. We honour the intrinsic value, mana, and tapu of every man, wherever he is on his healing journey.
Culturally Diverse & Inclusive
We draw upon a wide range of wellbeing models, including:
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Trauma-informed practice
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Te Whare Tapa Whā
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Person-Centred and Solution-Focused approaches
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Strength-based
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Tāne and Whānau Ora
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Intentional Peer Support
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Lived experience and cultural leadership
Importantly, every man who engages with our peer support service brings their own lived experience and knowledge which is woven into our service continually shaping it through survivor experiences, insights, and strengths.
What is
Peer Support?
“Peer support is person-centred and underpinned by strength-based philosophies. The life experience of the worker creates common ground from which the trust relationship with the person is formed. Empowerment, empathy, hope and choice along with mutuality are the main drivers in purposeful peer support work. There is a great deal of strength gained from knowing someone who has walked where you are walking and now has a life of their choosing. In this way it is different from support work, it comes from a profoundly different philosophical base.”
What We Provide.
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Peer Support Services
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Short and long-term one-to-one support
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Peer Support groups specifically for male survivors
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Daily social activities and wellbeing programmes
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Information and guidance about ACC Sensitive Claims
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General counselling
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Advocacy and support to reduce harm and increase access to safe services
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Support for whānau and friends seeking to help a survivor
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Community education and presentations to raise awareness about sexual abuse
Peer Support weekly group and activities schedule
Monday
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1:30pm-4pm – Survivors Bowling League
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4pm-5pm Trauma-informed Yoga
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5pm-7pm – Survivor Peer Support group (check-in, topic of the day)
Wednesday
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9am-1pm - Peer Support at Christchurch Men's & Rolleston Prisons
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11am - 1pm - Tauhena Bonsai therapy classes – Mirimiri, Romiromi, Rongoā
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5:30pm-7:30pm - Tu Manawa Men’s Group
Thursday
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3pm-5:30pm - Hobby Model Group
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5:30pm-7pm - Peer Support Group
Friday
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10am-12pm - City Fitness Survivors Gym
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10am-2pm - Tāne Tū Program – navigating personal challenges
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3pm-5pm - Peer Support Group for state care and faith-based survivors
Referrals
Anyone can make a referral. You can refer yourself or someone else (with their knowledge and consent) in the way that is easiest for you.
Contact Us
You can make a referral, ask questions, or request a callback in any of the following ways:
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Our online contact form (below)
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Calling us on 03 3659000
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Send us a text on 022 302 4966 (texts only)
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Email us at enquiries@canmen.org.nz
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Visit us in person.
If you are making a referral for someone else please make sure they are aware of the referral and have given their consent.
All messages are checked and replied to during week days'. With our apologies, our service is not resourced to act as a crisis response service. If you are in need of immediate help please call 111. Alternatively you can contact one of the following numbers...
If you need urgent support please contact one of the following services. Links below.
CMC is great for male survivors.
Improved my mental health
Gives me something to look forward to.
It has changed my entire outlook on my events
Gets me outside regularly
Learning healthier ways to deal with my abuse
Guys that have walked the same roads as me
This has positively impacted my life in many ways