Men’s Therapy Podcast

Joe Hehn is living through a story that many men fear, and few ever speak about. Joe not only shared a personal narrative; he also revealed a blueprint for reclaiming purpose after unimaginable loss. He is a mentor, corporate speaker, and mindset coach. Joe is guiding men toward self-awareness and emotional resilience. He does so by openly describing how his own world collapsed and rebuilt itself. Before his wife’s cancer diagnosis, Joe explains that “everything on paper looked perfect”. Yet, internally, he was constantly stressed, anxious, and disconnected. His life changed dramatically one afternoon in Chicago. It was when a routine meditation on a park bench became his first spiritual awakening. “Everything is alive,” he recalls. “It’s like I’m stepping into a painting.” But that brief moment of illumination was only the beginning. After losing his wife to cancer, Joe plunged into an emotional wilderness. “I didn’t want to die,” he admitted, “but I didn’t want to live either.” This became the lowest point of his life and also the turning point. He began the long process of grief recovery and rebuilding his identity. He did so when he was travelling through South America. He volunteered and reconnected with spirituality. What makes Joe’s journey distinct is not only the scale of his grief, but his relentless pursuit of meaning. “Is this the life I want for myself?” he asked in Bolivia, bedridden and empty. That question became the foundation of his life’s new mission. Helping men cultivate purpose through mindset coaching, emotional healing, and self-awareness. For more podcasts, blogs, and to get involved in the Men's Therapy Online Community, visit www.menstherapy.online. Follow us on social media: https://mtr.bio/mens-therapy-online.

In this episode of The Men’s Therapy Podcast, host Marc Azoulay is sitting down with two deeply respected clinicians. Jack Lambert, LMHC, and Ben White, LPC. They explore the emotional landscape men confront during divorce. Their conversation is opening a window into an experience many men are living silently: the grief, confusion, and emotional shutdown that divorce often sparks. Jack is working extensively with gay and queer men navigating major life transitions, including separation, identity loss, and the struggle to rebuild after relationship trauma. He notes that “divorce is often felt as a rock bottom, not because it always is one, but because culturally men are not taught how to handle emotional rupture.” Ben mainly works with straight men across multiple states. He shares a parallel observation: “It’s interesting how often divorce is the event that finally pushes men into therapy. Something really life-shattering happens, and suddenly the wheels that were in motion for years become undeniable.” Together, they shed light on why divorce isn’t just a legal separation. It’s an emotional reckoning. Their clinical insights reveal how men often reach this stage feeling isolated, ashamed, or stuck in anger, and how the process of emotional healing must begin with confronting the grief they have long avoided. This episode isn’t simply about divorce. It’s about reclaiming emotional intelligence, rebuilding identity, and learning what healthier masculinity looks like on the other side of heartbreak. For more podcasts, blogs, and to get involved in the Men's Therapy Online Community, visit www.menstherapy.online. Follow us on social media: https://mtr.bio/mens-therapy-online.

In this powerful episode of the Men’s Therapy Podcast, Marc Azoulay sits down to explain the “fixer mentality”. It is a pattern many men fall into when they compulsively help others, avoid emotional intimacy, and ultimately burn out. He explains, “When you’re always fixing, you’re not asking for help. That’s how the cycle begins.” Marc is guiding people to see how these patterns, rooted in dopamine addiction, stress response, and codependency, silently shape one’s identity and your relationships. As the discussion unfolds, he highlights how men can become trapped in what feels like a heroic role. However, it’s actually a mask covering deeper emotional wounds. He says, “The fixer is addicted not just to helping, but to being seen as valuable.” Over the course of the episode, he explores emotional avoidance, the martyr complex, and why many men struggle to form genuine emotional intimacy. With clear, professional, yet compassionate insight, Marc is helping his audience understand these dynamics. He is offering practical steps to break free. Whether you suspect you’re stuck in the fixer loop or you’re feeling chronically stressed and burnt out, this conversation offers clarity, validation, and a roadmap toward healing. For more podcasts, blogs, and to get involved in the Men's Therapy Online Community, visit www.menstherapy.online. Follow us on social media: https://mtr.bio/mens-therapy-online.

For over five decades, Dr. Ronald Johnson has dedicated his career to understanding the emotional lives of men. What began as curiosity quickly turned into a lifelong commitment to men’s psychological development. “I come from a good family,” he recalls, “but you know, typical dysfunctional family as well. And so I have for a long time been interested in just, how do I feel, how do I think, what do I do?”    Interestingly, his focus on men doesn’t start with men at all. In the 1960s and ’70s, therapy was mostly a female space. And it was through working with women that he became captivated by what wasn’t being said. “I saw these women, and what do they talk about? The men in their lives… I thought, I need to meet these guys.” When he eventually did, the revelation surprised him: “What do you know? They weren’t awful. I liked them.”    From there, a practice was born. He famously placed a Yellow Pages ad that read, “Practice limited to men,” unintentionally pioneering one of the earliest male-specific therapy practices. Over the years, he has seen patterns repeat: anxiety, addiction, avoidance, grief, emotional shutdown, the father wound, and the profound hunger for emotional intimacy and male connection. His decades of work culminate in his book Balls: Men Finding Courage. In this episode, he is sharing raw, timely insights for men navigating emotional intelligence, healing, and growth today. For more podcasts, blogs, and to get involved in the Men's Therapy Online Community, visit www.menstherapy.online. Follow us on social media: https://mtr.bio/mens-therapy-online.

Many men describe themselves as “chill,” unbothered, or simply “fine.” But as Marc Azoulay explains in this episode, fine is not always peace. It is often an emotional shutdown. Marc reflects on the quiet epidemic of emotional numbness shaping men’s lives today. “What if your fine is not peace? It’s shut down. What if it’s an emotional shutdown? It’s not strength, it’s numbness. And the cost is everything.” Marc is guiding listeners through one of the most misunderstood emotional states men experience: numbness. Through relatable examples from his clinical experience, he tells the story of men who lose touch with their emotional worlds without even realizing it. One client, for example, comes in reporting low intimacy in his marriage only to realize that the issue is not desire. But a complete emotional flatline “across the board, not just in his relationship, but in workouts, hobbies, friendships and everything.” This episode tells the story of how numbness develops, how it disguises itself as composure, and why so many men mistake shutdown for resilience. Marc shares how cultural conditioning trains boys to “man up”. It sheds light on how men often push emotions away, allowing the nervous system to slip into detachment and dissociation. He also describes the moment many men can pinpoint as the beginning of their emotional shutdown. Such as the client who realized he “stopped feeling” the day his father was diagnosed with cancer. In this unfolding narrative, Marc is guiding men back to themselves. He is helping them understand numbness not as a flaw, but as a protective strategy that has simply worn out its usefulness. And more importantly, he is showing listeners how to feel again. For more podcasts, blogs, and to get involved in the Men's Therapy Online Community, visit www.menstherapy.online. Follow us on social media: https://mtr.bio/mens-therapy-online.

In today’s fast-paced world, burnout is becoming the silent epidemic among men. Whether it’s the pressure to excel at work, maintain relationships, or keep up with physical fitness, the weight of “doing it all” often leaves men emotionally drained and disconnected. Today’s Men’s Therapy Podcast roundtable hosts a variety of competent guests. Marc welcomes Desmond Cohen. He is a psychotherapist and coach. Aidan Lee and Silvan Erb-Summers also join. Aidan Lee is the founder of FitRoots and Silvan is a somatic therapist. They unpack what work-life balance truly means for modern men. “Most of the men I see are looking for relief from fear,” says Desmond Cohen. “And that fear isn’t about dying physically. It’s about social death. It’s the fear of losing connection, status, or belonging.” This profound insight captures the essence of how deeply emotional wellness is tied to identity and social perception for men today. For Aidan Lee, balance begins with the body. “The first thing men let go of is their health,” he explains. “It’s not about becoming an athlete. It’s about having the energy to go from AM to PM without crashing.” Meanwhile, Silvan Silvan emphasizes the mind-body connection: “We can’t think our way out of imbalance. We have to feel it, in the body, to release it.” Together, they present a holistic framework that blends psychology, fitness, and community to help men rebuild resilience and redefine strength in an age of relentless productivity. For more podcasts, blogs, and to get involved in the Men's Therapy Online Community, visit www.menstherapy.online. Follow us on social media: https://mtr.bio/mens-therapy-online.

In this episode of The Men’s Therapy Podcast, host Marc Azoulay sits down with Jayson Gaddis. He is the founder of The Relationship School and a pioneer in men’s emotional health and relationship education. Gaddis opens up about his own journey, one marked by pain, disconnection, and a hard-earned path toward self-awareness. “Pain got me into finally getting my own shit together,” Gaddis admits. At 29, after another breakup in a Whole Foods parking lot, he experiences a profound moment of clarity: “Maybe I’m the problem.” That realization sparks a turning point that led him to graduate school in psychology, a move that changed the trajectory of his life and career. Gaddies suggests that most men interpret success as money, status, or control. It is often masked by deep-seated insecurity. “I was chasing validation on social media, chasing money, chasing approval,” he says. “And that outside-in approach was killing me.” His reflections form the foundation for an honest conversation about modern masculinity. It sheds light on the urgent need for men to confront their inner worlds. For more podcasts, blogs, and to get involved in the Men's Therapy Online Community, visit www.menstherapy.online. Follow us on social media: https://mtr.bio/mens-therapy-online.  

Patrick Sperry is bringing a new depth to conversations about modern masculinity and personal growth. He is the founder of Flourish. It is a wellness retreat company focused on transformational experiences for men and women. He is guiding men toward emotional healing and spiritual growth through the power of community, yoga, and mindful living. In his conversation with host Marc Azoulay, Patrick reflects on his own evolution. From a competitive athlete to a teacher of spiritual practice. “I was a national-level soccer player,” he shares. “But when I found yoga, it was like I had finally found that part of myself I had been looking for all along.” That awakening led Patrick to a lifelong exploration of mindfulness, self-awareness, and what it means to be truly alive. He brings this passion into Flourish Retreats. They blend self-work with adventure, connection, and reflection. His philosophy is simple yet profound: “Men need to be challenged. But they also need to feel safe enough to be vulnerable.” For more podcasts, blogs, and to get involved in the Men's Therapy Online Community, visit www.menstherapy.online. Follow us on social media: https://mtr.bio/mens-therapy-online.

In today’s fast-paced, hyperconnected world, more men are quietly struggling with a deep sense of emptiness. They wake up, go to work, scroll through their phones, and repeat the cycle, day after day, without any real sense of purpose or meaning. “A lot of men say that they’re stressed out or overworked,” says Marc. “But when I really listen to their stories, I see that they’re bored, existentially bored. They’re not just tired; they’re starved for meaning.” Marc describes this as a boredom epidemic as a silent crisis that’s eroding men’s motivation, relationships, and sense of self. Beneath the surface of this modern masculinity dilemma lies something more profound: a hunger for depth and direction. In his words, “We’re talking about chronic existential boredom, cold boredom. It’s a lack of feeling, a lack of meaning, a sense that nothing matters.” Through this conversation, Marc unpacks the root causes of this masculinity crisis and provides practical steps for men to reclaim their energy, rediscover purpose and meaning, and build more real connections in their lives. For more podcasts, blogs, and to get involved in the Men's Therapy Online Community, visit www.menstherapy.online. Follow us on social media: https://mtr.bio/mens-therapy-online.

Sam Peterson’s story begins in the heart of conflict zones. Serving as a bomb technician in the U.S. Army, Sam disarmed explosives in Afghanistan. “I was the guy in the big green suit cutting wires on IEDs,” he recalls. But when the combat ended, another war began. This time, within his own mind. Returning home, Sam faces relentless panic attacks, emotional numbness, and a darkness that nearly costs him his life. Traditional methods fail him. “I’d been on SSRIs, beta-blockers, and tried talk therapy. Nothing worked,” Sam shares. One night, at his lowest point, a phone call from a friend interrupts his suicide attempt. That call becomes a turning point. What follows is a journey of self-discovery and scientific exploration. It transforms not only his life but the lives of countless veterans battling PTSD. Now, as co-founder of Mind Spa Denver, Sam is pioneering a multidimensional approach to trauma recovery. He is combining different therapies to treat PTSD, anxiety, and depression. These include psychedelic therapy, ketamine infusions, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and transcranial magnetic stimulation. His mission is clear: to bring these life-saving tools to veterans and first responders who have run out of options. For more podcasts, blogs, and to get involved in the Men's Therapy Online Community, visit www.menstherapy.online. Follow us on social media: https://mtr.bio/mens-therapy-online.

In this episode of Men’s Therapy Podcast, Marc highlights the importance of shadow work for men. “You think you’re the nice guy. You never raise your voice, you always say yes, you avoid conflict. But behind that politeness is often a man full of anger, resentment, and even self-hatred,” says Marc Azoulay. Drawing from his clinical work with men, Marc reveals how many men wear a mask of agreeableness. They do this to survive chaotic or emotionally unstable childhood environments. “If you grew up in a home with an abusive or narcissistic parent, you learned early that fighting back only made things worse. So you became compliant, you became the nice guy.” This compliance often leads to deep emotional repression. Anger doesn’t disappear but instead festers beneath the surface. “The longer you keep that anger buried,” he warns, “the more it leaks out as resentment, passive aggression, and even self-destruction.” Marc’s insights lay bare a universal truth for men navigating toxic masculinity and a desperate desire to be seen as “good.” The path to healing, he insists, lies not in perfection but in integration, an honest reckoning with the self through shadow work. For more podcasts, blogs, and to get involved in the Men's Therapy Online Community, visit www.menstherapy.online. Follow us on social media: https://mtr.bio/mens-therapy-online.

In this compelling conversation, The Men’s Therapy Podcast host Marc Azoulay welcomes Carlos Davidovich. He is a neuroscientist and executive coach known for bridging neuroscience and personal growth. Carlos has decades of experience coaching leaders across Europe and the Americas. He brings a fresh perspective to modern masculinity. One rooted in understanding the brain, balancing energies, and embracing emotional regulation. “When we talk about masculinity today,” Carlos explains, “we need to understand that every human brain has both a masculine and a feminine side. The key is to balance the two.” His approach is grounded not in cultural stereotypes, but in biology and emotional intelligence. Carlos discusses how both men and women possess a spectrum of emotional and cognitive strengths. And that integration, rather than opposition, is the pathway to authentic manhood. Drawing on his expertise in neuroscience and behaviour change, he emphasizes that true growth begins with self-awareness. “We can’t deny that we have both sides. It’s not about which one is better. It’s about understanding that both are needed.” For men seeking to grow emotionally, Carlos’s insights offer a scientific yet soulful roadmap to becoming more adaptable, mindful, and grounded. For more podcasts, blogs, and to get involved in the Men's Therapy Online Community, visit www.menstherapy.online. Follow us on social media: https://mtr.bio/mens-therapy-online.

On this episode of the Men’s Therapy Podcast, host Marc Azoulay sits down with Geoff Laughton and Mark Johnson. They are the co-founders of The Undaunted Man. It is an organization devoted to helping men reclaim purpose, authenticity, and strength. Their journey into men’s work is deeply personal. For Geoff, it begins as a father seeking connection. “When my son turned fourteen, a friend offered to lead him through a manhood initiation based on King, Warrior, Magician, Lover,” he shares. “It was such an amazing day. His grandfather was there, as were older men, and I realised I had never experienced anything like that. I wanted that too.” That experience propels Geoff into men’s work and eventually to co-founding The Undaunted Man. Mark Johnson’s story unfolds through pain and surrender. “Losing my job was the straw that broke the camel’s back,” he recalls. “I curled up on the floor and said, ‘I give up. I’ve done everything I know how to do.’ That moment of surrender opened the door to real spiritual growth.” Mark’s crisis becomes a catalyst for profound transformation, leading him to teach men to find their inner compass —a theme central to his work today. Together, Geoff and Mark are redefining what it means to be a modern man. It is one rooted in healthy masculinity, spiritual balance, and emotional strength. For more podcasts, blogs, and to get involved in the Men's Therapy Online Community, visit www.menstherapy.online. Follow us on social media: https://mtr.bio/mens-therapy-online.

In this episode of The Men’s Therapy Podcast, Marc Azoulay sits down with Anthony Astbury. He is the founder of The Whole Man Academy and author of Ignite. He unpacks what it really takes for men to thrive in a world that rewards productivity but neglects purpose. Astbury’s journey begins in the fast-paced world of finance, where he spends nearly two decades as a trader and broker in London. “I got to my mid-thirties and thought, is this it?” he recalls. “I was successful on paper. A good job, good salary, but I felt empty.” This realization becomes a turning point that drives him toward personal development. After attending Tony Robbins’ Unleash the Power Within and other self-improvement events, Astbury finds himself surrounded by men who “were living life on their terms.” These experiences led him to create The Whole Man Academy. It is a movement designed to help successful men rediscover purpose, confidence, and connection through male mentorship and community. For more podcasts, blogs, and to get involved in the Men's Therapy Online Community, visit www.menstherapy.online. Follow us on social media: https://mtr.bio/mens-therapy-online.

In this episode of The Men’s Therapy Podcast, host Marc Azoulay sits down with Dan Ariely. He is a renowned behavioural economist and the founder of the Centre for Advanced Hindsight. He is known for his pioneering research into human decision-making. Ariely brings a deeply personal and scientific perspective to understanding how we think, feel, and grow through adversity. The conversation begins with a striking visual, a reminder of Ariely's life-changing experience as a burn survivor, as evidenced by his half-beard. “Most of my body is covered with scars,” he shares. “For years, I shaved to look less strange. But when I stopped hiding, I began to heal.” That choice becomes a powerful metaphor for overcoming shame and embracing self-acceptance. These are the themes that echo throughout the episode. Ariely explains how revealing his scars helped others find courage in their own healing. “People thanked me for being open. Stopping the act of hiding was incredibly helpful. It made me feel whole again.” This simple act of authenticity becomes the foundation for a broader discussion on neurodiversity, emotional resilience, and the unseen biases that govern how we perceive ourselves and others. For more podcasts, blogs, and to get involved in the Men's Therapy Online Community, visit www.menstherapy.online. Follow us on social media: https://mtr.bio/mens-therapy-online.

When Jeremy Davis was taking an online autism test while researching for a screenplay, he was not expecting his own life to unfold before his eyes. “I thought I was writing a character,” Davis recalls, “but what I was really doing was writing myself.” That moment marks the beginning of his journey into self-discovery and self-advocacy. He was misdiagnosed for years, overlooked by the medical system, and dismissed in the workplace. Davis is now transforming his lived experience into a powerful platform for education and change. A filmmaker turned disability advocate, Davis is navigating both autism and ADHD after a late autism diagnosis at 40. “Autism is a spectrum,” he explains. “My presentation is green, red, and blue. Someone else’s could be yellow, orange, and purple. They’re not more or less autistic than I am.” His story is not just one of struggle, but of reclaiming identity and dignity in the face of misunderstanding and ableism. Through his disability representation consulting and advocacy efforts online, Davis is helping to break the stigma. He is helping others recognize their own experiences and call for systemic change. His voice is reaching thousands across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. He combines storytelling with science to reshape how autism and ADHD are understood. For more podcasts, blogs, and to get involved in the Men's Therapy Online Community, visit www.menstherapy.online. Follow us on social media: https://mtr.bio/mens-therapy-online.

In a recent episode of the Men’s Therapy Podcast, host Marc Azoulay welcomes Dr. Robert Lufkin. He is a physician, researcher, and author of “The Lies I Taught in Medical School”. He has decades of experience teaching at UCLA and USC. Dr. Lufkin shares a transformative message about how lifestyle changes are reversing chronic diseases. Dr. Lufkin describes how his journey begins not as a medical crusader, but as a patient. “I was minding my own business as a professor when I came down with four chronic diseases,” he recalls. When conventional doctors prescribed pills with no real solutions, he begins asking deeper questions: “What about lifestyle? What about nutrition, exercise, sleep, and stress?” His quest for answers leads him to reverse all four conditions through lifestyle medicine. This inspires his mission to share these insights with others. For more podcasts, blogs, and to get involved in the Men's Therapy Online Community, visit www.menstherapy.online. Follow us on social media: https://mtr.bio/mens-therapy-online.  

Most men believe they are finally finding peace when, in reality, they are only going numb. As Marc Azoulay explains on the Men’s Therapy Podcast, “You’re not angry, you’re not excited, you’re just flat. Your girlfriend or wife asks how you feel, and your answer is always the same: I don’t know, I’m fine. That’s not peace. That’s emotional shutdown.” This episode is unfolding as a deep exploration of why emotional numbness takes root. It sheds light on how it threatens relationships, careers, and a man’s sense of aliveness. Azoulay points out that behind the quiet surface often lies unprocessed grief. It masks unhealed trauma and the damaging effects of toxic masculinity. “If a guy doesn’t acknowledge his grief, if he doesn’t really process it, he could start to really disconnect from everything; joy, accomplishment, meaning, even peace.” The conversation follows one of Azoulay’s clients, a man who loses his father at a young age and grows up in the shadow of unresolved pain. In trying to please his grieving mother, he disconnects from his own emotions and slips into a pattern of people-pleasing and numbness. Over time, therapy, inner child work, and connection with nature help. They guide him towards emotional healing and the rediscovery of purpose. For more podcasts, blogs, and to get involved in the Men's Therapy Online Community, visit www.menstherapy.online. Follow us on social media: https://mtr.bio/mens-therapy-online.

On today’s episode of Men’s Therapy Podcast, Marc Azoulay brings together three experienced therapists. Dr. John A. King, Jack Lambert, and Ben. They have a candid discussion on grief therapy. Recorded on September 11th, a day already heavy with national mourning and following a tragic school shooting in Evergreen, Colorado, the conversation is deeply timely. Each guest approaches grief from a unique perspective. Jack Lambert, a New York-based therapist, explains that clients often seek him out because they cannot find professionals specializing in grief. “People want more than someone telling them it’s just sadness,” he shares. “They want something specific to talk about, a drive to put it somewhere.” For Dr. John A. King, who works in trauma recovery and anti-human trafficking in Texas, grief is rarely simple. “Grieving is often associated with the loss of a person, but it can also be the loss of a movement, a marriage, or an opportunity,” he says. Ben, a Colorado-based therapist, brings his experience of working with clients who have lost loved ones in outdoor accidents. He leads long-standing grief support groups funded through the American Alpine Club, where climbers and skiers process losses tied to high-risk pursuits. “It’s become an unfortunately central part of my practice,” he reflects. This roundtable is not just about naming grief. It is about exploring how men, often discouraged from emotional expression, can find healing through therapy, rituals, and connection. For more podcasts, blogs, and to get involved in the Men's Therapy Online Community, visit www.menstherapy.online. Follow us on social media: https://mtr.bio/mens-therapy-online.

“Have you ever noticed that when life finally gets calm, you find a way to stir up drama?” asks Marc Azoulay, psychotherapist and host of the Men’s Therapy Podcast. In this episode, Azoulay unpacks a deeply rooted issue many men face: self-sabotage. From quitting stable jobs to picking fights in good relationships, men often create chaos just when things appear to be steady. According to Azoulay, this behaviour is not about seeking peace but about being hooked on stress: “You’re not addicted to winning. You’re addicted to the struggle.” Azoulay reveals how cortisol addiction and the constant pursuit of conflict are shaping the lives of men. Especially those who equate success with endless battles. This pattern is leaving many men restless, unfulfilled, and disconnected from true meaning. For more podcasts, blogs, and to get involved in the Men's Therapy Online Community, visit www.menstherapy.online. Follow us on social media: https://mtr.bio/mens-therapy-online.