Hosted by Matthew Green. Produced by J'aime Rothbard.

What are the barriers standing between men and collective healing? And how can we establish more of the kind of spaces where men can move from confusion, suffering, pain and competition into deeper levels of presence, relatedness, reverence, and grace?

In this episode, we welcome Kevin Young, a life coach and meditation teacher based in County Down in Northern Ireland. A facilitator of the Compassionate Inquiry® approach developed by Dr Gabor Maté, Kevin is also a co-host of the Gifts of Trauma podcast, which grew out of the Compassionate Inquiry community, and has just published a four-part series on masculinity.

In just the past few months, the revelations in the Epstein Files, the misogynistic male influencers portrayed in the Inside the Manosphere documentary, and a CNN exposé of the Motherless online platform where men swapped tips on how to sedate and assault their wives, have made made male abuses of power seemingly more visible than ever.

Against this disturbing backdrop, Kevin and Matthew explore the nature of the suffering experienced by many men struggling to navigate changing cultural expectations, increasingly difficult economic conditions, and a sense of confusion over what it means to be a man in society today.

Fresh from a two-week silent retreat in Arizona, Kevin speaks about the journey that led him to forms of spirituality starkly at odds with his upbringing in Northern Ireland – and how that journey has allowed him to bring the balm of lightness and humour to even the deepest wounds.

Kevin and Matthew go on to address what it might look like to support young men to navigate the transition into healthy forms of manhood by providing both the role models and rites of passage that are so often lacking.

"How might we work with fear? How might we work with shame? How might we work with how you've been conditioned to believe that you should be?" Kevin asks.

"I think of compassion, and I think of love, and I think of forgiveness, and I think of reverence and grace — and collective healing can be in there too. For me, these are the fruits or the flowers on the tree of healing. And we can't force these fruits and flowers to bloom or to grow, but what we can do is tend to the tree."

This conversation will inspire anyone interested in the question of what collective healing can mean for men, and how to cultivate new models of masculinity oriented towards protecting all that is sacred.

Register for the July 1 Global Social Witnessing Call on Tending to Fractured Gender Relations, hosted by the Pocket Project.

Further Resources:

Kevin Young

Kevin Young (LinkedIn)

In-Mynd (Kevin's company)

Gifts of Trauma

The Hakomi Way: Consciousness & Healing, the legacy of Ron Kurtz

Compassionate Inquiry®, Dr Gabor Maté

Pocket Project Resilience Program

The Resonant Man (Matthew Green)

About Kevin Young:

Kevin is a truth seeker from Co. Down in Ireland. A Compassionate inquiry® facilitator, educator, steward, life coach, meditation teacher and sound bathing experience facilitator. He works privately with individuals and organizations around the globe, is passionate about people, healing, happiness and encouraging compassionate connection. A lover of music, poetry, conscious conversation and spiritual growth, Kevin's favorite word is 'awe'.