Key Points of the Episode:

• His great early family years....
• But then the bullying at school.
• Changes in the way we respond to dyslexia and coming out today.
• Stories of leaving religion out of love for a gay child (Not Christian)
• The sense of something "wrong" with himself.
• The imposter syndrome he had.
• How they handle issues on the retreats.
• What happens on the retreats
• His helpful philosophy.

Christian is a Counsellor and Facilitator of men’s spaces.

He is also the Founder of Men’s Retreats UK. A company that creates spaces for men to explore who and where they are in life right now, and where they want to be moving forward.

The team at Men’s Retreats UK is comprises of Counsellors, Executive Coaches and Therapists, all with a lived experience of mental health and personal growth. They welcome men from all walks of life to engage in weekends of brotherhood, community and mature masculinity- hosting and leading the retreats from a place of shared vulnerability. The company’s core values are safety, confidentiality and respect for all. The all-male team understand what it’s like to experience struggle, trauma, isolation and uncertainty. Their retreats are a combination of coaching workshops and somatic practices (breathwork & cold-water therapy)- introducing men to their nervous systems, instead of always living in their heads! With his years of experience both as a counsellor and retreat founder/facilitator, Christian brings his rich insights of modern masculinity to the show.

You can contact Christian here: https://www.mensretreatsuk.co.uk

If you enjoyed listening, please leave a review and recommend us to your communities. To find out more about Andrew's work, check out...

www.andrewpain.co.uk

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Robin is from Old Trafford, Manchester (UK). He comes from a large working-class family and left school with few qualifications. His careers include research consultant, counsellor, deputy technical manager, scientific photographer and kitchen assistant. Robin’s training as a counsellor and his own experience of desperately wanting to be a dad led him to research the desire for fatherhood in childless men as part of his MA in Counselling (The University of Manchester). He then self-funded MSc in Research Methods (UoMr) exploring the levels of desire for parenthood (‘broodiness’) in females and males, parents and non-parents.

Robin then successfully completed his PhD at Keele University where he examined the impact of involuntary childlessness on the lives of older men. His research has been widely published in international and national media. He supports several infertility and involuntary childless support groups and is a founder member of the campaign group Ageing Without Children.

He is a leading expert on the impact of male childlessness across the life course. Robin is from Old Trafford, Manchester (UK). He comes from a large working-class family and left school with few qualifications. His previous careers include counsellor, deputy technical manager, scientific photographer, and kitchen assistant. In his 40s Robin switched careers and trained as a counsellor. His counsellor training and his own experience of desperately wanting to be a dad, led him to research the desire for fatherhood for his self-funded MA (2008) and MSc (2009) and involuntarily childless older men for his PhD (2015). Robin’s work has been widely published in international and national media and his book ‘How is a man supposed to be a man? Male childlessness a Life Course Disrupted’ has received critical acclaimed. You can find more about his work at his website:

https://www.robinhadley.co.uk

Key points of the episode:

• As always, who inspired him growing up.
• The atmosphere in the house while growing up.
• The job he did for years, then retrained.
• Statistics (and the lack of for men) on childless people.
• A possible link to male health and well being.
• Future implications for men.
• Stats for IVF.
• How these issues are not recognised in the workplace.

If you enjoyed listening, please leave a review and recommend us to your communities. To find out more about Andrew's work, check out...

www.andrewpain.co.uk

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpain
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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andrewpain1974

Stevie is a former professional rugby player, and part of the golden
generation at the Leeds Rhinos, one of the most successful teams in super
league history. Stevie became the youngest grand final winner ever, winning
3 Grand Finals, 2 Challenge Cups and was named captain at just 26.
Amongst the highs, Stevie endured 10 operations, several mental health
struggles, and had to retire from a brain injury at the age of 27.

Stevie launched Mantality in 2016, inspiring conversation around mental
health for men. Mantality now offers counselling and life-coaching services,
and engages people through a stigma-breaking podcast.
Throughout all of the winning and losing in life, Stevie believes that the truest
form of resilience is to realise the potential of our true selves. Stevie put this
to the test by leading culture meetings as a captain of the Rhinos team in
rugby league; one of the toughest sports there is. Promoting authenticity
formed championship winning teams and formidable relationships.
Stevie believes that authenticity is the only thing that aligns success with
fulfilment, and we all crave it...

Key points from this episode:

• What stood out for Stevie as a kid on the pitch.
• That there was no rugby "in the genes"
• How emotional and mental well being was not a "thing" in the early days
• How wearing your heart on your sleeve was acceptable on the pitch, but less so off.
• How he realised it was no longer possible to stuff feelings down anymore....
• .....and what he did about it.
• His long term post concussion symptoms.
• What he feels is his new purpose
• His message for men and boys today.

Reach out on Insta: www.instagram.com/ste_ward/
http://www.stevieward.co.uk
Or on Linked In Stevie Ward
Linktree: linktr.ee/stevierayward

If you enjoyed listening, please leave a review and recommend us to your communities. To find out more about Andrew's work, check out...

www.andrewpain.co.uk

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpain
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