New Man Talk program encourages men to open up
It’s a gender stereotype that men don’t like talking, opening up, sharing their inner thoughts.
But Melbourne psychotherapist Howard Todd-Collins knows differently. He was once inclined towards silence and self-imposed isolation, even as a health practitioner.
“I was a great listener and a great fixer and to escape through my work, through drinking and through my man cave,” he says.
So he started a new coaching program for men called Man Talk, “inspired by the blokes who I know, including myself, who became silent, hidden and kind of lost for too long but who found the right tools, the right space to take action and make lifelong changes.”
And he found that men did want to talk, engage with each other, share their experiences.
“It’s simple, fun, honest and illuminating in terms of looking at the experience of men’s lives,” he says.
“When men get together and engage with each other something pretty magical happens. They share the wisdom of their life stories to support each other and they challenge each other to become better versions of themselves. “
Man Talk runs for 90 minutes every second Thursday in Hampton, a bayside suburb in south-east Melbourne, and includes a brief coaching session followed by lively discussion and individual reflections.
The first session starts on Thursday 28 February and explores masculinity and the “qualities of a good man.”
In two weeks’ time, Man Talk focuses on balancing toughness with vulnerability and looks at the impact being strong, stoic and silent has on a man’s mental health and relationships.
Thursday 28 March describes four simple steps to build intimacy with a partner and 11 April session examines conflict in couples and strategies to manage disagreements and difficult dynamics.
For more information or to register for Man Talk, email [email protected] or call 1300 884 522
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