Over the course of my career as a psychotherapist, I’ve developed a deep interest in masculinity and the specific challenges of manhood. Mission Manhood is born from my desire to share what I’ve learned with the goal of helping men identify unconscious conditioning, their unique wounds, and the obstacles they face.
In their formative years, some men are neglected or overly dependent on a mother figure. At times they are victims of the “toxic masculinity” for which they are blamed due to the influence of their father or other influential men. Boys aren’t always taught the balance between the masculine and feminine that is required to nurture and care for themselves and to establish healthy relationships with women.
As adolescents, men often lack role models or the mentor needed to encourage their initiation into mature masculinity. This crisis of masculinity is magnified by our current cultural attack on traditional masculinity.
Men tend to seek help when they are ready to work, appreciate having a plan, and don’t always need a lot of time to process feelings. Mission Manhood is designed to focus on three key aspects of the journey toward mature masculinity that men can learn and then use to keep themselves regulated.
The first is recognizing the Foundational Wound. This may be a traumatic experience from childhood or some need that, for whatever reason, parents were unable to fulfill. Recognizing this wound and learning to be a good parent to that wounded part is not just the first step towards mature masculinity, it is a blueprint for being a good parent to children and allowing vulnerability in relationships going forward.
The Divine Dance is a key that emphasizes an embrace of femininity. Men are often taught from a young age to shun any feminine energy they might possess. They are told things like, “toughen up” and “don’t be a sissy.” This can lead to burying feelings and emotions that can result in addiction, fear of commitment, and avoidance of intimacy.
Finally, using the archetypes of the King, Warrior, Magician, and Lover, men can identify the hallmarks of mature masculinity, where their natural talents and tendencies lie, and learn how to recognize and correct course when they become imbalanced.