Before Braver Man — I Was Searching, Too.
I’m Pierre Azzam — physician, psychiatrist, ICF-certified professional coach. But long before any of that, I was a man quietly burning out behind a polished life.
I was chasing purpose, but trapped in performance — outward success, inward emptiness. I didn’t need a self-help book. I needed a place to get real.
Braver Man was born from that reckoning.
I Saw Too Many Men Pretending They Were Fine.
In 2018, something cracked open. I was working with new fathers, dying patients, and men in high-stakes roles — and everywhere I looked, I saw the same thing:
Men carrying too much. Saying too little. Holding it together in public. Unraveling in private. That’s when I realized that success was crushing men, not fulfilling them.
Not because men are weak — but because we’ve had no place to ask, “What the hell am I doing this all for?”
I Bring Experience That Backs The Work.
For more than two decades, I’ve worked at the intersection of medicine, mental health, and high performance — supporting men through some of life’s most defining moments. I bring to Braver Man over 25,000 clinical hours and 4,000 hours of professional coaching with high-performing men ready to break through.
Since stepping away from academic medicine in 2020, I’ve dedicated my life to helping men move with purpose — through professional coaching built on strategy, trust, and real transformation.
When you’re ready for guidance rooted in real experience and heart, let’s talk.
Education, Training, and Credentials
- BA, Rice University
- MD, Baylor College of Medicine
- Residency in Psychiatry, UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital / University of Pittsburgh
- Fellowship in Psychosomatic Medicine, Mass General Hospital / Harvard Medical School
- PCC (Professional Certified Coach), International Coaching Federation (ICF)
- MBA, Quantic School of Business & Technology
- Advanced Trainings in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Team Coaching, Internal Family Systems (IFS)
- Speaker at international mental health, medical, and professional coaching conferences.
- Author of 40+ peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and Handbook on the Psychology of Fatherhood.
Leadership and Teaching Experiences
- Program Director, UPMC Fellowship in Psychosomatic Medicine (2014-2020)
- Associate Program Director, UPMC Residency in Psychiatry (2017-2020)
- Medical Director, Palliative Care Psychiatry (2015-2020)
- Psychiatry Faculty, Positions held at Harvard Medical School, Boston University School of Medicine, and University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine (2008-2020)
- Multiple Awards for Educational Innovation, Mentorship, and Teaching
- Board Member, Practitioner of the Year 2022, American Psychological Association (APA) Division 51 on Men and Masculinities (2020-2023)
- Recognized for leadership in men’s mental health and medical education.