CCT 28-1_LR

from the heart

« TIM CLINTON, ED.D., LPC, LMFT, BCPCC

The Things He Can’t Talk About: Understanding the Hidden Struggles of the Masculine Soul

T here’s been a relentless seeks to redefine manhood as toxic and diminish anything distinctly mas culine. As a result, men have been left to silently question their identity and purpose. Chances are, you have seen this impact on someone you know and love. Maybe you have known him for years. Perhaps you live with him, sleep in the same bed, and may have even raised children together. He is a good man, a caring father, a support er, and a protector—when things get rough, he is there to take the brunt. Perhaps he is even a compassion ate and attentive husband who rarely misses an opportunity to show his love through word or action. Maybe you have found something mysterious attack on masculinity… on what it means to be a man from a radical agenda that

behind the steely demeanor and those eyes of strength or brokenness. A man thing: I have learned that men strug gle to talk about several issues. As a son, brother, husband, dad, and counselor for many years, I have seen firsthand the silent battles men face daily. Dreams lost, relationships strained, fears hidden, and grief bot tled up. These unspoken struggles define much of a man’s journey. How ever, what is it about men that lock us up? Why do we feel the need to pull away and go silent? Why do we some times struggle with saying how we actually feel, what we think, or shar ing our dreams, especially with the ones we love? Fish, yes. Hunt, yes. Work on cars, yes. Talk about what’s inside? No… or not often . But do we communicate? Yes, we do. Every day of a man’s life, he screams, in some way, messages of

As a son, brother, husband, dad, and counselor for many years, I have seen firsthand the silent battles men face daily. Dreams lost, relationships strained, fears hidden, and grief bottled up.

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christian counseling today VOL. 28 NO. 1