Inner Work With MaryAnn Walker: Life Coach for Empaths, Highly Sensitive People & People Pleasers

157: The Emotionally Healthy Man: How to Feel Without Shame with Chris O'Neil


Listen Later

Send us a text

Teaching men to feel isn’t about making them less masculine—it’s about making them whole.

Sometimes it seems as if anger is the only emotion men are allowed to show—but beneath it lives grief, fear, and unmet needs seeking to be heard.

Chris O’Neil’s mission is simple: help men feel again without shame, fear, or judgment. In this episode, he unpacks the emotional myths that hold men back and gives practical, grounded tools for reclaiming inner balance, strength, and peace.

In this powerful and deeply honest episode, we’re joined by Chris O’Neil, an emotions coach dedicated to helping men and fathers reconnect with their emotional selves. We dive into the cultural myths around masculinity, the emotional isolation many men experience, and how to cultivate emotional strength—not by shutting down, but by tuning in. Chris shares insights, tools, and stories that offer hope and direction for men ready to heal and those who love them.

🧠 Key Topics Covered:

💬 Chris’s Journey:

  • From massage and bodywork to coaching: recognizing men’s disconnect from the body.
  • Realizing men are taught to think through emotions, not feel them.
  • The drive to help men become whole, embodied, and emotionally aware.

🧍‍♂️ The Emotional Experience of Men:

  • Common struggles: avoidance, suppression, and the “I’m not going to let this affect me” mindset.
  • Men and grief: Where do men go to cry, process, and be seen?
  • Why emotions aren’t weakness—they’re wisdom.

🧱 Breaking Down the Stereotypes:

  • “Boys don’t cry” and the myth of the “strong, silent” man.
  • Why anger often masks deeper emotions like sadness or fear.
  • Authentic masculinity includes emotional depth.

🧍 Society’s Role:

  • The damage of binary thinking: strong vs weak, masculine vs feminine.
  • How emotional suppression links to PTSD and disconnection.
  • In relationships: reactive vs responsive behavior—and how it plays out with partners and children.
  • Why misogyny isn't “men being men”—it’s unprocessed pain turned outward.

🛠 Emotional Tools for Men:

  • Community: Create safe spaces to share, like monthly Zoom calls.
  • Emotion Wheel: Go deeper than just "mad, sad or glad"—become more familiar with other emotions to gain insight.
  • I Statements: Own your emotion—“I feel ___ and that’s okay.”
  • Grounding Practices: Breathing, presence, and regulating through the body.
  • Understanding the Nervous System: The vagus nerve, fight-or-flight, and “parenting yourself” through emotional storms.
  • Key lesson: The emotion isn’t the problem—your response is.

💡 Standout Quotes:

  • “Being emotional doesn’t make you less of a man. It makes you more of a human.”
  • "Women can be confident and aggressive. Men can be compassionate and empathetic. They are not mutually exclusive."
  • "Setting boundaries isn't about controlling others. A boundary is for you...it's about you taking reciprocal action to disrespect."
  • “This isn’t about replacing masculinity—it’s about redefining it.”

Follow Chris O’Neil for more grounded and transformative content on emotional healing for men.
📲 TikTok: @Dadding_Daily

Email: [email protected]

Interested in working with MaryAnn?  Book your FREE consultation call today!  https://calendly.com/maryannwalkerlife/freeconsult


...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Inner Work With MaryAnn Walker: Life Coach for Empaths, Highly Sensitive People & People PleasersBy MaryAnn Walker

  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9

4.9

22 ratings


More shows like Inner Work With MaryAnn Walker: Life Coach for Empaths, Highly Sensitive People & People Pleasers

View all
The School of Greatness by Lewis Howes

The School of Greatness

21,305 Listeners

The Life Coach School Podcast by Brooke Castillo

The Life Coach School Podcast

8,797 Listeners

Better Than Happy by Jody Moore

Better Than Happy

5,677 Listeners

The Mindset Mentor by Rob Dial

The Mindset Mentor

13,517 Listeners

The Terri Cole Show by Terri Cole

The Terri Cole Show

1,371 Listeners

The Virtual Couch by Tony Overbay LMFT

The Virtual Couch

650 Listeners

The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett by DOAC

The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett

7,165 Listeners

The Lisa Show by BYUradio

The Lisa Show

388 Listeners

On Purpose with Jay Shetty by iHeartPodcasts

On Purpose with Jay Shetty

27,238 Listeners

Huberman Lab by Scicomm Media

Huberman Lab

28,494 Listeners

The Inner Child Podcast by Gloria Zhang, MA

The Inner Child Podcast

499 Listeners

We Can Do Hard Things by Glennon Doyle and Audacy

We Can Do Hard Things

41,435 Listeners

The Mel Robbins Podcast by Mel Robbins

The Mel Robbins Podcast

20,562 Listeners

Sleep Magic: Sleep Hypnosis & Meditation for Sleep Podcast by Sleepiest: Hypnosis for Sleep Podcast

Sleep Magic: Sleep Hypnosis & Meditation for Sleep Podcast

1,436 Listeners

The David Ghiyam Podcast by David Ghiyam

The David Ghiyam Podcast

596 Listeners