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It comes back to parents, the primary protection for growing boys and their closest model for what it means to be authentically connected to others. It lives within schools, where boys learn the script for manhood and navigate their resistance to it. And more than anywhere else, it unfolds in the inner lives of boys: in the unseen depth of their friendships and shared secrets, in the quiet breathing as they fall asleep, in their ability to say the words that are too often left unsaid.
Read MoreSports are never stagnant. There is no ‘natural’ state of the game.
Whether you’re talking about tennis, basketball, football, soccer, or hockey – any GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) debate will inevitably feature hypotheticals about how stars would have fared in different eras. Things can and do change.
What needs to change next is the culture of playing through injury.
Read MoreMany of us struggle with criticizing, belittling, and judging ourselves. We’ll tell ourselves negative stories like “I’m stupid”, “I’m not good enough” or “I don’t deserve them”. But does our negative self-talk truly serve us and our communities in our journey toward equity? Does trashing ourselves lend itself well to belonging, connection, or taking an active role in improving our communities? Probably not — so what’s the alternative?
Read MoreImagine building a deck and all you had was a hammer.
It’d be a pretty wonky-looking thing since you weren’t able to cut the boards, sand them, or all of the other myriad things needed to bring it together.
It sure would be great if you had more tools…
What if that hammer you’re holding represents an emotion? And that one emotion that you’re given to solve the complex situations life throws at you is anger?
When all you’ve got is a hammer, everything starts looking like a nail.
Read MoreWhen I asked my friend Jon whether or not the messages he’d received about how to “be a man” had impacted the amount of happiness and joy he had felt throughout his life, his simple answer was “yes”. Throughout our conversation, two major themes emerged: 1) the feeling of “never being good enough” and 2) struggles in relationships.
And boy, oh boy. We could write a lot about how patriarchal masculinity impacts men’s chances at healthy, loving, close, relationships with their friends, families, and partners.
Let’s get into it.
Read More“Do you think being a man affects the amount of joy you feel in your life?”
I asked my friend this question. I was curious if the messages he’d received about how to “be a man” — things like being tough, self-reliant, dominant, aggressive, status-seeking, etc. — had impacted how happy he had been in his life.
Throughout our conversation, these two themes stuck out most: 1) feelings of “never being good enough” and 2) struggles with relationships.
Read MoreIn our last article, we left off with booking an initial consultation with a therapist – but what should you expect when you actually go to your initial consultation?
What about your first real therapy appointment? What will that be like, and how can you best prepare for it?
Let us walk you through both!
Read MoreHow do I find a therapist? How do I search for one? How will I find a therapist who is right for me? We offer a step-by-step guide to searching, refining your search, and booking your initial consultation!
Read MoreMaybe you’ve been thinking about it for a long time, or perhaps you’ve had others suggest it to you. Perhaps it seems like the natural next step in the journey you’ve been on, or maybe you’ve hit a roadblock in your growth and want to get additional support.
Whatever the reason, if you’re considering whether or not you’re ready to go to therapy, this blog is for you.
Read MoreGoing to therapy is much more common and far less stigmatized than at any other point in history. But how do we know if we need to go to therapy? Is self-care, self-help, or peer support enough?
Read MoreIs masculinity innately spiritual?
If you’ve scrolled on Tik Tok you will find no shortage of very aesthetic-looking videos outlining the ways to ‘tap into your divine masculine and divine feminine’ or what it means to be a ‘high-vale male.’ The idea that fostering your ‘divine gendered energy’ as a way to heal yourself may be going viral now, but it has roots going all the way back to the 80s.
Read MoreWe’re mandated to report any situation in which a child might be in need of protection, come hell or high water. Yet in reality it’s rarely that simple. Young people’s lives are complex, tangled and ever-changing shades of grey—and if our ultimate goal is their wellbeing, then we have to recognize a trusting relationship in which they can confide in and count on as a significant protective factor.
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