The Emotional Men Podcast

Okay, I know I said I was going to take a break last time, and that's still true, but this one was recorded, so I think it needs to be shared. Enjoy!

Just a quick little update on the state of the podcast.

Feel free to send thoughts, opinions, and hate-mail to [email protected]

What does it mean to create something before it’s perfect?

In this episode, Taylor talks with artist, designer, creative director, and longtime friend Jeff Barlow about creativity, imperfection, attention, and the strange beauty of making something in the moment. Jeff is known for his project Draw the Band in One Song, where he sketches live musicians during a single song.

Jeff shares how urban sketching changed the way he pays attention to the world, why a quick drawing can hold more memory than hundreds of photos, and how his work has been everywhere from small local venues all the way to the International Space Station. But the conversation goes deeper than art. Taylor and Jeff explore why imperfection often carries the most humanity, how creative constraints can unlock better work, and why putting something unfinished into the world can be an act of vulnerability.

Along the way, they talk about typography, music, sketchbooks, meaningful work, emotional expression, and the way creativity can help us become more present to our own lives.

This is a conversation about making things, paying attention, and learning to celebrate the imperfect lines that make us human.

• Creativity as a way of paying attention
• Why imperfect art often feels more human
• Drawing, memory, and visual journaling
• The emotional risk of making something before it is perfect
• Creative constraints and why limits can help
• The difference between technical skill and creative expression
• Art as witness to meaningful moments
• Music, typography, and the emotional power of design
• Why creativity is not limited to traditional “artists”
• Finding your voice through practice, repetition, and imperfection

#Creativity
#CreativeProcess
#Imperfection
#ArtAndCreativity
#MentalHealthPodcast
#TherapyPodcast
#EmotionalMenPodcast
#ArtPodcast
#CreativeLife
#Vulnerability
#MakingArt
#LiveMusic
#Sketching
#UrbanSketching
#DrawTheBandInOneSong
#MeaningfulWork
#PersonalGrowth
#Humanity
#PodcastEpisode
#PodcastClips

In this episode of The Emotional Men Podcast, Taylor talks with longtime friend and filmmaker/journalist Eli Katzoff about fear, trauma, storytelling, and what it means to bear witness in a war zone.

Eli has spent years in Israel and the surrounding region documenting major historical events, including the aftermath of October 7th, missile attacks, bomb shelters, military zones, protests, and the human cost of ongoing conflict. But this conversation is less about politics and more about what fear actually feels like when danger is real, immediate, and unavoidable.

Taylor and Eli talk about the difference between courage and recklessness, how fear shows up in the body, what it means to keep functioning during crisis, and the strange rituals people develop to ground themselves after traumatic experiences. Eli shares how ice cream, tactile grounding, Tetris, boring phone calls, and community have helped him come back to the present after witnessing violence and devastation.

They also discuss the emotional residue of trauma: the sounds, smells, objects, and sensations that stay with a person long after the danger has passed. Through stories from bomb shelters, Gaza, Israel, and the aftermath of attacks, this episode explores how fear can protect us, change us, and remind us that we are still human.

This is a serious, personal, and deeply human conversation about fear, survival, journalism, friendship, and the cost of witnessing suffering up close.

• What fear feels like in a real crisis
• The difference between courage and recklessness
• Bearing witness as a journalist and filmmaker
• Trauma, survival mode, and emotional residue
• Grounding after traumatic experiences
• Why fear is not always logical
• How the body responds to danger
• The psychological cost of documenting violence
• Bomb shelters, missile sirens, and life in a war zone
• Why storytelling matters during conflict
• The complexity of Israel, Gaza, and human suffering
• How sensory memories can become trauma triggers
• Why numbness can be more frightening than fear
• Friendship, concern, and mental health support after trauma

#EmotionalMenPodcast #FacingFear #Fear #Trauma #MentalHealth #Psychology #Therapy #WarZone #Journalism #WarReporting #DocumentaryFilmmaking #BearingWitness #Storytelling #SurvivalMode #Courage #Recklessness #TraumaRecovery #Grounding #Anxiety #PTSD #HumanExperience #EmotionalHealth #ConflictReporting #Israel #Gaza #MiddleEast #MissileAttack #BombShelter #TherapistPodcast #MentalHealthPodcast #PsychologyPodcast #MensMentalHealth #EmotionalMen #FearResponse #FightFlightFreeze #SomaticAwareness #CopingSkills #TetrisAndTrauma #Friendship #HardConversations

What happens when a therapist with a large social media presence sits down for a real conversation about therapy, authenticity, and being human?

In this episode, Taylor is joined by Dr. Justin Puder, PhD, psychologist and creator, to explore the intersection of social media and mental health. They talk about what it gets right, what it gets wrong, and how it shapes the way people understand themselves.

They dig into the reality behind the “online therapist,” the tension between authenticity and professionalism, and why the therapeutic relationship matters more than any technique or platform.

The conversation moves beyond surface-level takes and into something deeper: what therapy actually is, how meaning is created, and why, despite everything, working with people can increase your faith in humanity.

• The reality of being a therapist on social media
• Authenticity vs. professionalism in mental health spaces
• Parasocial relationships and client expectations
• Short-form content vs. real therapeutic work
• The limits of “mental health content” online
• Therapy as an art vs. a science
• Meaning-making and what actually helps people change
• The dangers of social media echo chambers
• Why therapists still believe in people

Dr. Justin Puder, PhD — Licensed psychologist, content creator, and mental health educator.

Instagram: @amoderntherapist
TikTok: @amoderntherapist

The Emotional Men Podcast — Real conversations about psychology, therapy, and the messy business of being human.

email: [email protected]

#MentalHealth
#Therapy
#Psychology
#MentalHealthMatters
#TherapistLife
#SocialMedia
#SocialMediaAndMentalHealth
#SelfAwareness
#EmotionalHealth
#HumanBehavior
#Authenticity
#PersonalGrowth
#Mindset
#Anxiety
#Depression
#MeaningMaking
#TherapyTalk
#Podcast
#PodcastClips
#MentalHealthPodcast
#TherapistTok
#PsychologyPodcast
#MensMentalHealth
#RealConversations
#EmotionalMenPodcast

What exactly do sports teach us emotionally?

In this episode, Taylor and Jihad explore sports as more than competition or entertainment. From team culture and coaching to vulnerability, resilience, identity, and emotional expression, they unpack why sports can become one of the few socially accepted places where people fully experience the highs and lows of being human.

They discuss:

• Why sports create space for emotional expression
• The psychological differences between team sports and individual sports
• Healthy team culture vs toxic “bro culture”
• Vulnerability, public failure, and performance
• Coaching, accountability, and emotional development
• Why shared struggle creates connection
• Fanaticism, fandom, and identity
• The emotional lessons hidden inside competition
• The psychology behind “pulling the goalie”
• What sports can teach people about resilience, belonging, and growth

Along the way, they also tell stories about Boy Scouts, basketball, cycling, coaching young athletes, traveling to Lakers games, and the strange ways humans bond through hardship and absurdity.

The Emotional Men Podcast is real conversations about psychology, therapy, relationships, identity, and the messy business of being human.

#EmotionalMen #EmotionalMenPodcast #SportsPsychology #MentalHealth #Psychology #MensMentalHealth #Vulnerability #TeamCulture #Resilience #EmotionalIntelligence #Coaching #TeamSports #PersonalGrowth #PerformancePsychology #Podcast

What happens when facts and feelings don’t line up?

In this episode, Taylor is joined by organizational psychology professional Jihad Sakhnini for a wide-ranging conversation about how people actually make decisions. Not just logically, and not just emotionally, but somewhere in between.

They explore the difference between what’s true and what’s real, why feelings can feel like facts, and how curiosity becomes the key tool for navigating both without getting stuck. Along the way, they dig into self-awareness, relationships, internal dialogue, and why most people skip the step that actually leads to better decisions.

This isn’t about choosing facts or feelings. It’s about learning how to work with both.

• The difference between facts, feelings, and lived experience
• Why feelings feel true (even when they’re not)
• The role of curiosity in decision-making
• How people jump from sensation to certainty
• Why noticing your body matters more than you think
• The gap between what’s true and what’s real
• How internal dialogue shapes perception
• Why most people struggle with “yes,” “no,” and everything in between
• The concept of “scared yes” vs. “sad no”
• How relationships improve when you stop assuming and start exploring

• You don’t have to choose between facts and feelings. You just need curiosity to navigate both
• Feelings aren’t facts, but they are real data about your experience
• Most people skip curiosity and go straight to interpretation, and that’s where problems start
• Learning to notice before you assign meaning gives options for action
• Clear decisions often come from understanding your internal signals, not ignoring them

• The difference between truth and personal reality
• Why high performers focus on what they feel, not what they assume it means
• How curiosity creates space for better conversations and decisions

#CuriosityOverCertainty #FactsVsFeelings #EmotionalIntelligence #SelfAwareness #MentalHealthPodcast #Psychology #TherapyTalk #HumanBehavior #DecisionMaking #Mindset #PersonalGrowth #Relationships #Communication #Emotions #CriticalThinking #SelfDevelopment #InnerWork #EmotionalMenPodcast

What does it actually mean to be successful, and what happens once you get there?

In this episode, Taylor and Pete break down the idea of managing success, moving past surface-level definitions like money and status to explore something more complicated: choice, effort, timing, and the role of luck.

They dig into why most people struggle to define what they want, how success often shows up as a process rather than a moment, and why opportunity alone doesn’t guarantee anything. From career pivots to missed chances to the uncomfortable reality of privilege, this conversation challenges the idea that success is purely earned or purely accidental.

The episode also explores a key tension: is success defined by outcomes, or by the effort and intention behind them? And what happens when the thing you thought you wanted turns out not to fit once you get there?

This is a grounded, honest look at success without the usual “grind mindset” nonsense. Just two therapists trying to make sense of how people actually build lives that work.

• Why most people can’t clearly define success
• The difference between being lucky and being successful
• How opportunity becomes something meaningful (or gets wasted)
• Success as a process vs. a single moment
• The role of effort, intention, and outcome
• Why rigid goals can block growth
• When to stay the course vs. when to pivot
• The connection between success and choice
• Personal vs. professional success, and when they conflict
• How relationships and lived experience shape what success actually feels like

• Success isn’t something you stumble into. You build it over time
• Luck creates opportunity, but action determines what happens next
• If you don’t define success for yourself, you’ll chase someone else’s version
• Effort matters, even when outcomes don’t match expectations
• Pivoting isn’t failure. It’s often necessary
• The ability to choose how you spend your time is a major form of success
• What you gain along the way may matter more than the original goal

• Pete shares a major career decision that shaped his path
• Taylor reflects on how a chance encounter led him into therapy
• A discussion on why lottery winners often lose everything
• The idea that success can come from what you gain, not just what you achieve
• A real-time debate: is success outcome-based or effort-based?

The Emotional Men Podcast is two therapists talking about mental health, human behavior, and what it actually looks like to live a meaningful life.

Taylor McCarrey and Pete Kingsley bring a mix of professional experience, personal stories, and straight-up honesty to conversations about growth, relationships, and the messiness of being human.

Email: [email protected]

#EmotionalMen #Podcast #Success #PersonalGrowth #MentalHealth #Psychology #SelfReflection #LifeChoices #GrowthMindset #Therapy #Resilience #Purpose #Meaning #EmotionalHealth #MensMentalHealth

What does power actually do for us, and how much control does it really give us?

In this episode, Taylor and Pete dig into the pursuit of power from several angles: social power, financial power, professional power, physical power, and the power that comes from knowledge and skill. They talk about how people relate to power, why so many of us chase it, and why having more influence does not necessarily mean having more control.

Along the way, they unpack the difference between power and control, the illusion that power can protect us from uncertainty, and the ways people use their power well or badly. They also explore how power affects relationships, perception, humility, confidence, and identity.

This is a conversation about status, influence, vulnerability, self-awareness, and what it means to live honestly in a world where very little is ever fully under our control.

We talk about

* Why people pursue power in the first place

* Different forms of power: money, knowledge, relationships, and physical ability

* The difference between influence and control

* How power changes the way we see ourselves and others

* Why visibility is not the same thing as expertise

* Whether humility and power can coexist

* How accomplishments build confidence and self-trust

* Why trying to eliminate uncertainty usually backfires

A lot of people talk about power like it is automatically corrupting, or automatically necessary. This conversation sits in the tension between those ideas. Power is real, useful, and unavoidable. But control is far less solid than most of us want to believe.

#EmotionalMenPodcast #MentalHealthPodcast #TherapyPodcast #PowerAndControl #Psychology #SelfAwareness #PersonalGrowth #EmotionalHealth #Relationships #Masculinity #MentalHealth #TherapistPodcast #HumanBehavior #Confidence #Control

Confidence gets talked about like it’s always a good thing, and that's generally true. But there's a line where confidence turns into overconfidence, and eventually into something closer to delusion. The problem is, that line isn’t always obvious.

In this episode, Taylor and Pete break down what confidence actually is, where it comes from, and how it’s different from arrogance, insecurity, and blind belief in yourself. They explore how confidence shows up in real life, from therapy rooms to music, from fighter pilots to brain surgeons, and why the same trait can either build trust or destroy it.

They also dig into the uncomfortable part: what happens when you’re confident and still fail. Does that mean you were wrong about yourself? Or does it mean something else entirely?

The conversation lands on how to build a more grounded version of confidence. One that’s built through experience, tested by reality, and strengthened by stepping just outside your comfort zone instead of pretending you’re already great.

• What confidence actually is (and what it isn’t)
• The difference between confidence, overconfidence, and delusion
• Why confidence without reality checks becomes dangerous
• How humility and confidence are more connected than people think
• The role of experience in building real confidence
• Why some people avoid confidence while others lean too far into it
• How context changes what confidence looks like
• The difference between self-confidence and self-esteem
• Why failure doesn’t automatically mean you were wrong about your abilities
• How to grow confidence in a way that actually holds up in the real world

Confidence isn’t pretending you’re great.
It’s knowing what you can do, testing the edges of that honestly, and letting reality sharpen you instead of breaking you.

#Confidence #SelfConfidence #MentalHealth #Therapy #Psychology #PersonalGrowth #Mindset #SelfAwareness #EmotionalIntelligence #Overconfidence #Delusion #GrowthMindset #LifeSkills #Podcast #MentalHealthPodcast #TherapistTalk #EmotionalMenPodcast