Dr. Ed Adams: Why you need to let your humanity rip

Today, Dr. Ed Adams joins me to talk about his newest book, Reinventing Masculinity, that he co-authored with Ed Frauenheim (another awesome show!). We also explore what he's learned during his career as a therapist, how he heard his calling and picked up art, why is started Men Mentoring Men, and most importantly, some practical wisdom we can all use today.

Dr. Ed Adams is a psychologist (and artist) specializing in individual and marriage therapy and has a particular expertise working with men impacted by life transitions such as divorce, loss, illness, and career changes. He considers himself as a "thought partner" for men and women pursuing greater self-awarness and emotional growth. Over the past decades, the art of psychotherapy with individual men, Ed's presidency of Division 51 (Men and Masculinities) of the American Psychological Association (APA), and the founding of Men Mentoring Men have focused his creative interests toward assisting other men to build more satisfying and meaningful lives. Ed found a way to do this both by blending psychology with art.

Here are just a few of the topics we'll cover in today's show:

Ed's journey from seminary school to becoming a psychologist
How his father's PTSD influenced him as a kid growing up
How he realized he wanted to pursue art AND psychology
Why he started his first men's group
How the group grew and turned into Men Mentoring Men
What helped Ed make space for both of his careers
How he "listened" for his calling, something most men aren't trained to do
How community and surrounding himself with the right people made a big difference
About Divsion 51 of the American Psychological Association
His work on the guidelines for men and boys
Why it's manly to be compassionate and why we need to see the suffering
The most important rule in Men Mentoring Men
Why men need to create more space for fun and play
What we can learn from going back to ourselves as kids

Reinventing Masculinity: https://www.reinventingmasculinity.com/
Men Mentoring Men: https://www.menmentoringmen.org