Social Harmony - Time to Talk

A famous song once demanded "Tell Me What Makes a Man" and in a not-too-distant past there would have been a number of replies that listed being strong, being dependable and suchlike, with a heavy emphasis on being the provider. However, in a changing landscape that has seen our economy move from brawn to brain-based, physical strength is no longer a premium requirement and as women have increased presence in high-powered roles it appears that men are no longer as dominant in the job market. Therefore for men whose raison d'etre revolves around winning, this creates more than just an existential crisis.

Today I'm joined by Michelle Bersell, founder of IIEE - the International Institute for Emotional Empowerment to look at what is happening for men nowadays. Michelle has a background in psychology and education as well as a wealth of coaching and public speaking experience which she utilises to support a wide range of clients to make the mindset changes necessary to break old, limiting patterns and understand the drives and emotions that underpin all of these situations.

We look at the changing expectations that society and individuals place on men and boys - namely the unfair paradox that requires males to be equally strong and sensitive at the same time without clear understanding, as well as the drawbacks of emotional suppression, the trap of image vs. armour, the shadow self, why winning stops working and much more.

As the old saying of "you don't know what you don't know" rings true for many men on the subject of emotional literacy, Michelle's work provides a roadmap for individual understanding as well as the ability to pass on such knowledge to boys in our lives in the hope that they can grow to be emotionally-resilient and sensitive while remaining strong - whatever form that strength may take.

Available on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts:

http://www.youtube.com/@SocialHarmonyTimetoTalk

https://open.spotify.com/show/4aAdbPrTjEEnwco5jII65U?si=0471eb3c3ad44987

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/social-harmony-time-to-talk/id1792776061

Check out Michelle and her work on the links below:

IIEE - The International Institute for Emotional Empowerment

FREE Masterclass for Men Who Give Everything and Still Feel Like It's Not Enough

Amazon.com: Michelle Bersell: books, biography, latest update

Some people just exude wisdom. Others acquire knowledge and have the credentials to display it. My guest today has all this and more. Lorna J Hines has spent over 50 years working as a social worker, professor, healer, author and psychotherapist in addition to using her gifts as a medium in order to bring healing and support to those in need.

Throughout her working and personal life, Lorna has witnessed a great deal of social change, worked in widely varying environments and has seen the full spectrum of human experience from great despair to incredible joy in a world that just keeps on surprising us.

2020 was by all accounts something of a difficult year - the impacts of COVID-19 and its' downstream effects are still in evidence today. Then on May 25th, 2020 a man named George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis, MN and the response was felt around the world. In the aftermath of his death, Lorna felt an indescribable rage - not just for Mr. Floyd but also for others. Names like Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and Breonna Taylor among others came flooding back into consciousness - and the urge to do something, anything, welled up. With such an overwhelming flood of emotion, what was there to do? So Lorna picked up her pen and began to write...

Straight Talk from a Wise Woman - Trauma, Tears and a Healing Path was the result and is a book which is both highly personal and evidence-based as a means of processing trauma in the face of powerlessness as well as a guide to unburdening intensely heavy feelings while transforming them into peace and purpose.

Talking with wit, wisdom, pathos and hope, Lorna tells a story of a life spent working with people from across many divides - racial, political, gender, etc. and promotes both individual healing as well as the need for unity against systems stacked against so many of us in order that we can fulfill our human potential for ourselves and our wider communities.

Available on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts:

http://www.youtube.com/@SocialHarmonyTimetoTalk

https://open.spotify.com/show/4aAdbPrTjEEnwco5jII65U?si=9dceefcaae1f46f1

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/social-harmony-time-to-talk/id1792776061

Check out Lorna and her work on the links below:

lornajhines.com
Helping Parents Heal - About Lorna J Hines
Straight Talk From a Wise Woman: Tears, Trauma and a Healing Path : Hines, Lorna J., Reimer, Dr. Jennifer A., Mendez, Diane, Sanders, Dr. Heather R.: Amazon.com.au: Books

In a world of self-help, courses that will improve your life, more books than you could ever hope to read about how you can just 'follow this for the answers' how do you know where to turn? How do you know what fits for you? Well my guest today is proud to state that it might not be her - but if it is, you know you've found the right mentor.

Sabrina D'Amato was on course for fame - massive fame. She put in years of practice, drove herself on, made a name for herself in the world of ballet that few could hope to emulate. And then life made other plans for her...

A back injury, homelessness, becoming a mother, relationships that may not have been ideal - all while figuring out a new path forward after the dream she had held onto was snatched away from her. She fought, she stood up (even through the pain) and she became a newer and stronger version of herself despite the cracks - a living, breathing incarnation of the kintsugi philosophy. It is our scars that identify us, that show our strength, that highlight beauty alongside acknowledging our struggles.

Sabrina helps others rebuild, see the good, carve a path forward - however she leaves those with whom she works in no doubt about the courage required to change and that this is not a quick fix gimmick. Turning pain into purpose and using techniques including hypnotism and breath work, Sabrina helps unearth the inner strength that lies within and shows that while we may have been broken down, getting back up will set you free.

Available on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts:

http://www.youtube.com/@SocialHarmonyTimetoTalk

https://open.spotify.com/show/4aAdbPrTjEEnwco5jII65U?si=632ce8f6cc724e51

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/social-harmony-time-to-talk/id1792776061

Check out Sabrina and her work on the links below:

Sabrina D'Amato | RTT Hypnotherapist · Breathwork & Soul Mentor — Online Worldwide

Sabrina D'Amato &... - YouTube

Instagram

As a child we look to our parents for many things -guidance, help to grow, food and shelter but most of all we look to them to care for us. Sadly, that isn't the case for everyone - but to then double down on childhood abuse was how today's guest experienced his formative years.

Gregorio Lewis was Craig Lewis - a regular boy who went through a highly irregular upbringing. While his parents gave the outward appearance that they were pillars of the community, behind closed doors the abuse they inflicted on their son told a different story - and when young Craig voiced this, their response was to have him purposefully and wrongfully diagnosed with a number of psychological conditions, given drugs that affected both his physical health and his state of mind whilst proclaiming total innocence of any wrongdoing.

Thus began a 15-year battle to regain both his life and his sanity, the right to know what was held on file about him and the opportunity to break free of his old life in order to start anew. While he began to rebuild his life as he saw fit, there were several pitfalls and struggles ahead in what had already been filled with the worst of starts.

Living in Mexico having left his old life and much of his former identity, Gregorio has found a new enthusiasm alongside his new community. In addition to this, he has written several self-help books as both a means of understanding his own trauma as well as helping others who are need of someone to just believe in them.

Available on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts:

http://www.youtube.com/@SocialHarmonyTimetoTalk

https://open.spotify.com/show/4aAdbPrTjEEnwco5jII65U?si=7560cec563a14d08

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/social-harmony-time-to-talk/id1792776061

Check out Gregorio and his work on the links below:

Craig "Gregorio" Lewis | About | Patreon
Amazon.com: Craig Lewis: books, biography, latest update
https://www.instagram.com/sanityisafulltimejob?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&mdxt=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

As a parent, so many things run through your mind when trying to find the sweet spot of raising your child to be strong but gentle, kind but firm, outgoing yet humble and so the list goes on. Added to this as the parent of a boy is "Will my son become a good man?" - but what is expected when speaking of a good man? And how do we meet this ever-changing paradigm?

Joining me today is Kathy Imabayashi - a coach, educator, author and mother, who has over 40 years of experience working with families and their children, learning from each encounter and sharing her knowledge when it comes to understanding how our young men grow, function and find their way in the world.

In an age where equality is seen as the gold standard, nuance and individual needs can be overlooked or misunderstood which can lead to disconnect in either the classroom, society or the family unit. Boys are often misunderstood in this way, their need to be boisterous seen as unruly, their excess energy seen as a cause for misbehaviour and the very things that make boys who they are seen as problems to be solved rather than as qualities to be championed.

Looking from a perspective of treating boys and girls on their own merits, Kathy and I look at society's views on boys in various fields, how to protect them as they grow, how to encourage independence sensibly and much more.

Available on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts:

http://www.youtube.com/@SocialHarmonyTimetoTalk

https://open.spotify.com/show/4aAdbPrTjEEnwco5jII65U?si=444c3079bcf74b9c

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/social-harmony-time-to-talk/id1792776061

Check out Kathy and her work on the links below:

Sonhood Coaching → Guiding intentional parenting of boys
Kathy Imabayashi | Find Podcasters & Guests - MatchMaker.fm
Instagram