Men's Work
The art of a warrior
is to balance
the terror of being a man
with the wonder of being a man.
Carlos Castaneda
Journey to Ixtlan: The Lessons of Don Juan
is to balance
the terror of being a man
with the wonder of being a man.
Carlos Castaneda
Journey to Ixtlan: The Lessons of Don Juan
Men's work has taken many forms through the years - from echoes of Robert Bly, Richard Rohr, and Robert Moore to various indigenous influences. The work and the forms it has taken have been shaped by the cultures in which they were birthed -- some noble and integrated, some persisting in patriarchy, misogyny and old corporate models of what it means to be a man -- while most of us remain suspended in the space between terror and wonder longing for a different vision.
The work that I offer is writing a different narrative of manhood, influenced still by Bly and Rohr and Moore, but also incorporating the soul work of Elders like Bill Plotkin and master mythic storyteller Martin Shaw. Forging a manhood that can incorporate the hard edge of the masculine, while also tending to the feminine energies that have lied dormant for so long, perhaps in fear of being perceived of as "soft."
Men DO need to hear that their souls matter. And what that looks like practically as we move from internal journeying to action in the world.
Practically all cultures practice Rites of Passage for their young men. We in the West have lagged in providing such opportunities for men of all ages to bear the capacity for engaging their own souls, engaging the world, and modeling these encounters for our young men and adolescents. I offer personalized therapy, ceremony, and ritual as a means of walking with men as they grow into their roles as Elders - as grandfathers, fathers, sons, brothers, mentors, lovers, and agents of both personal and cultural transformation.
I work in dialogue with adult men, young adult men, and adolescent men to co-create ceremony and ritual that makes sense while also pushing individual and cultural boundaries. I will also be offering facilitated SoulTender men's group work as interest and availability evolve.
The work that I offer is writing a different narrative of manhood, influenced still by Bly and Rohr and Moore, but also incorporating the soul work of Elders like Bill Plotkin and master mythic storyteller Martin Shaw. Forging a manhood that can incorporate the hard edge of the masculine, while also tending to the feminine energies that have lied dormant for so long, perhaps in fear of being perceived of as "soft."
Men DO need to hear that their souls matter. And what that looks like practically as we move from internal journeying to action in the world.
Practically all cultures practice Rites of Passage for their young men. We in the West have lagged in providing such opportunities for men of all ages to bear the capacity for engaging their own souls, engaging the world, and modeling these encounters for our young men and adolescents. I offer personalized therapy, ceremony, and ritual as a means of walking with men as they grow into their roles as Elders - as grandfathers, fathers, sons, brothers, mentors, lovers, and agents of both personal and cultural transformation.
I work in dialogue with adult men, young adult men, and adolescent men to co-create ceremony and ritual that makes sense while also pushing individual and cultural boundaries. I will also be offering facilitated SoulTender men's group work as interest and availability evolve.