Are you communicating in the best possible ways in your romantic relationship? Relationships have the potential to make us happy, but they also have the power to bring out the worst in us. One reason is that we might still be trying to heal our childhood wounds through our relationship, but it might also be because we simply don’t know how to communicate. In this episode we explore how to assess for communication pitfalls in our romantic relationships, as well as how to heal those divides in order to get back to our most loving essence. Our interview with Dr. Sarah Schewitz teaches us: 1) How to recognize if we are participating in any of the Gottmans’ Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, 2) How to take action on any of those Horsemen so that we can be communicating from a more loving place, and 3) Daily practices that can get us back into our loving with our partners.

Dr. Sarah Schewitz is a licensed psychologist specializing in love & relationships and founder of the online psychology practice, Couples Learn. She has been working with couples and individuals to improve their love lives for over 10 years now and has completed advance trainings in both Imago Couples Therapy and Gottman Method Couples Therapy. Dr. Sarah’s private practice is relatively unique in that she is one of the only doctoral level couples therapists who’s practice is 100% online. Sarah is regularly featured in articles for outlets such as Readers Digest, CareerBuilder, Playboy, Refinery29, Bustle, ConnectWithLife, AskMen, Self, and more.

Do you or someone you know experience erectile dysfunction? Erectile dysfunction is a problem that many men experience, but very few people talk about. Because of the feelings of embarrassment and shame, this topic remains hidden underground which ends up exacerbating the problem since the person can't find out how to improve his situation! We're changing that on today's episode. In this episode we explore erectile dysfunction and all of the myths and misunderstandings that go with it. Our interview with Natalie Finegood Goldberg teaches us: 1) How to define erectile dysfunction, 2) All of the ways that we misunderstand the problem, 3) How common it actually is, and 4) How to get help in treating it. 

Natalie Finegood Goldberg is an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist specializing in sex therapy for men and women. In her Beverly Hills private practice, she works with individuals and couples, with a focus on erectile concerns, pelvic pain, and couples with mismatched desire and other sexual problems. In addition to providing sex therapy, Natalie regularly offers sex therapy trainings to assist other therapists in learning how to work with sexual concerns.

Do you know what it feels like to live life as a gay man? Whether or not you identify as gay, straight, or anywhere in between, you will learn a lot from this interview about the many aspects of how it is for gay men in today’s world. In this episode we explore the many ways that gay men learn to feel a specific type of shame through their experiences as both boys and adults. Our interview with Dan Lacovara introduces us to his Gay Shame Paradigm which teaches us: 1) The 4 pillars of the paradigm in which gay men learn to feel ashamed of being gay, 2) How it feels to go through life as a gay man, and 3) Ways that gay men can support themselves in healing from this learned shame.

Dan Lacovara is a licensed marriage and family therapist, and has worked extensively with clients struggling with sex and love addiction issues. He is particularly interested in how gay clients navigate and develop a healthy relationship to sex. He has lectured both locally and nationally on the topic.

Are you “armoring up” your emotions in business in order to survive, or are you using your emotional intelligence to help you lead from the strongest parts of who you are? In this episode we discuss the emotional methods that people have used to survive the demanding corporate world (as well as the costs of those methods), especially when gender was an obvious factor. Our interview with Heathere Evans teaches us: 1) How it felt to be one of the only women in a male-dominated corporate environment, 2) The effects of shutting off our emotions in order to survive in that environment, and 3) How to begin leading from our authentic, artistic, and inclusive selves.

Heathere Evans is a speaker, a mentor to young professionals, and an author on success, leadership, workplace well-being and personal growth topics. She is also an accredited public relations professional, ICF-certified executive coach and award-winning communications consultant. Her work in emotional intelligence and leadership helps individuals and teams create workplace cultures grounded in trust and clear, powerful communications practices.

How can we be more openhearted and empathetic when people say that they have been wronged in some way? With the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements, more people are coming forward and experiencing backlash for sharing their stories with the world. We find ourselves more polarized than ever before as people separate into camps of "believers" and "non-believers."

In this episode we discuss how it's possible to empathize with people whether or not we want what they are saying to be true. Our interview with Shereen Hariri teaches us: 1) How it felt to be supported as someone who came forward with a story during the #MeToo movement, 2) How it felt to be attacked, and 3) How we can have empathy for all people. 

Shereen Hariri is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist as well as a Certified Sex Therapist in Los Angeles, CA

PART 2… What does it mean to be a good man? How can we be good at BEING men? In Part 2 of our interview with Stefanos Sifandos we discuss taking personal responsibility, as well as several practical steps that everyone can take to bring out the natural fire, compassion, and integrity inside of them. Daily reflections such as “Who have I been today?” and “Am I happy with that person?” are discussed, as well as what to do with the answers to those questions.

Stefanos Sifandos is a relational alchemist, international speaker, and author who facilitates transformational growth through neuro-empowerment practices, an integration of spiritual praxis and western psychology to improve and enhance the quality of your relationships. Stefanos believes that intimate relationships and sacredness in union is a direct path to enlightenment and freedom.

What does it mean to be a good man? How can we be good at BEING men? In this episode we discuss the term “masculine” and what it takes to be a good, forward thinking, inclusive, curious, courageous man. Part 1 of our interview with Stefanos Sifandos takes men and women on a global journey as we define the many different ways that men show up in the world and how we can harness the power of the masculine to bring healing to the world.

Stefanos Sifandos is a relational alchemist, international speaker, and author who facilitates transformational growth through neuro-empowerment practices, an integration of spiritual praxis and western psychology to improve and enhance the quality of your relationships. Stefanos believes that intimate relationships and sacredness in union is a direct path to enlightenment and freedom.

How do we know if we are expressing our anger in ways so covert that we don't even know we're doing it? In this episode we discuss how anger can be sexualized in ways that hide the root of the anger, which leaves people helpless to understand it or heal it. Our interview with Dr. Kate Balestrieri teaches us: 1) What eroticized rage is, 2) How to identify it in ourselves and others, and 3) How to find more helpful ways to express and heal our anger. 

Dr. Kate Balestrieri, Psy.D., CSAT-S, is a Licensed (Clinical and Forensic) Psychologist in CA and IL, and Certified Sex Addiction Therapist - Supervisor. In over 12 years of clinical experience, she has conducted clinical and forensic evaluations, served as an expert witness, and provided treatment in clinical, forensic, and correctional settings. Dr. Balestrieri maintains her role as the Executive Director and Co-founder of Triune Therapy Group in Brentwood, CA. She also teaches a course dedicated to the treatment of Sexual Abuse and Human Trafficking at Antioch University in the Trauma Specialization Program, and is the Co-host of Behind Closed Doors with Dr. Kate & Lauren, a weekly podcast. 

What does it mean to be masculine or feminine? In this episode we discuss how the masculine and feminine polarities exist in all of us, and how we can celebrate those differences in all of our relationships. Our interview with Christine Hassler guides us through how to best relate to our partners in the ways that THEY need us to relate to them, and how to truly know each other through intimate conversations.

Christine Hassler is the best-selling author of three books, most recently Expectation Hangover. For over a decade, as a keynote speaker, retreat facilitator, spiritual psychologist and life coach, and host of the top-rated podcast “Over it and On With It”, she has been teaching and inspiring people around the world. Christine believes once we get out of our own way, we can show up to make the meaningful impact we are here to make. Visit her online at www.christinehassler.com

Welcome to A Brave New Man Podcast where we talk about masculinity, connection, empathy, and how to have better relationships with each other. In this inaugural episode we discuss some of the positive things being expressed in masculinity today, as well as some of the challenges men are facing. We define and explain in depth the four pillars of the new masculinity: 1) Being Strong, 2) Being Vulnerable, 3) Being Empathetic and Loving, and 4) Being Assertive.