Hosted by Kevin Young. Produced by J'aime Rothbard.

Three men walk into a podcast. One tells a knock knock joke, then, somehow, all three end up delving into the disappearance of male genetic diversity, what it feels like to carry traumatized masculinity in the body, and whether compassion—rather than condemnation—might be the only thing that actually changes anything.

In this first episode of the new Men in the World series, Kevin sits down with two grounded, conscious, refreshingly honest men; CI practitioners who are doing the work, asking the questions, and refusing to look away.

Together they explore: - What it feels like to be a man in the world today - Evolving the "toxic masculinity" concept to "traumatized masculinity" - The Neolithic Y chromosome bottleneck - Why the distinction of responsibility without blame matters

This is not another conversation about toxic masculinity. It's a conversation about what it's masking: The loneliness, the confusion and the fear held by boys who weren't allowed to be themselves. Warm, honest, funny and at times quietly devastating, this conversation models exactly what it's inviting men to do: show up, stay open, and delve deeper into what's uncomfortable.

About Bret Hunt, MD, Physician

A board-certified emergency medicine physician trained in Compassionate Inquiry (CI), he occupies a unique niche in the healing arts, bridging the gap between acute medical intervention and deep psychological inquiry.

Bret integrates the CI approach across three distinct spheres: the fast-paced environment of the emergency department, his private CI practice, and his facilitation work with "For The Men," an online, CI-informed group experience he co-founded that is dedicated to healing the wounds of masculinity.

When not caring for patients or working with clients, he enjoys getting out and being in Nature whenever possible.

He resides in the Upper Midwest of the US with his wife and three daughters.

Joe Baldock, Compassionate Inquiry Practitioner & Circle Leader

A Compassionate Inquiry (CI) Practitioner, coach, facilitator and self-proclaimed 'caveman,' Joe works with individuals using CI, and facilitates compassion-informed workshops for teams in the homelessness sector. His work centres around slowing things down, nurturing emotional health, learning how to relate to Self & others and ultimately learning to trust our own unique process. Currently training in Relational Life Therapy with Terry Real (a specialist in male depression, grandiosity and shame), Joe will soon be offering couples therapy.

Since Feb., 2024, he has hosted the CI & Men Focus Group on the first Friday of each month at 1pm ET. He also runs "For The Men," a men's project alongside his CI buddy, Bret Hunt.

Joe's two favourite current mantras are; "The most important thing is presence," and, "Choose relational." His one-to-one work with Sat Dharam keeps him in good spiritual and emotional shape, and he is a big fan of the Beyond Addiction program, the spiritual predecessor to CI.

In his spare time, you'll find Joe being a coffee geek, playing Chopin on the piano, enjoying crazy heavy metal drumming, practising yoga, studying Japanese, and walking his dog in the hills of Granada, Spain where he lives.

Promotional Messages

Compassionate Inquiry Professional Training: If you've been listening to our podcast and are curious about the Compassionate Inquiry approach developed by Doctor Gabor Maté and Sat Dharam Kaur, consider joining the Professional Training Program. It's open to all healing professionals, including naturopaths, physicians, body workers, coaches, and therapists. In addition to learning how to use compassion to support your clients in their most vulnerable moments with greater empathy and authenticity, you'll also deepen your own internal process. If you're interested, follow this link to learn more.

Spotlight Episodes & Sponsorship Opportunities: Many of you are certified Compassionate Inquiry (CI) practitioners and CI trained community members, bringing this work into the world in beautiful, unique ways. If you're interested in expanding your practice, the Gifts of Trauma Podcast is now offering Spotlight episodes and Sponsor opportunities exclusively to members of the CI community. Spotlight episodes are full length interviews. Sponsors receive a custom scripted promotional message that airs across multiple episodes. Plus host mentions and placements in the show notes, with links to your website and special offers. Both gain exposure to our internal audience of 55,000 people across all CI platforms. This is CI promoting its own. These opportunities are limited to 10 per year, and production realities require a financial contribution. Follow these links to access details and express your interest. Spotlight Episodes | Sponsorships

Resources:

Websites:

Joe's Compassionate Inquiry Profile

Joe's Professional Site

Bret's Professional Site