Modern Masculinity: A Compassionate Guidebook to Men's Mental Health

by Stephan B. Poulter Ph.D

Overview

A looming health crisis faces men who find themselves stuck in today’s changing world. Slowly, more and more men are learning the positives that come from talking openly about their struggles with mental and physical health. In this incisive and insightful guide to male mental health, popular clinical psychologist Stephan B. Poulter, Ph.D., unpacks the various issues that stem from male shame, including those surrounding anger, sexual orientation, wealth, physical performance and appearance, relationships, and much more.

Modern Masculinity is a practical guide for men of all ages to embrace their on-going process of developing a balanced, compassionate, and positive masculinity. Through case studies of real-life men from all walks of life alongside helpful analysis and practical, reader-focused exercises, this book provides:

• Practical applications to decode emotions
• Action steps to address and release unresolved shame and anger
• Ways to recalibrate your personal relationship to money
• Methods to set boundaries effectively and respectfully
• Strategies to overcome fears of intimacy, rejection, and confrontation
• Keys to maintaining a loving long-term relationship
• The importance of male relationships and their value in helping other men heal and change

Above all, Modern Masculinity shows that embracing who and what you are is a pivotal part of your masculinity journey. By uncovering the interconnections of physical health, mental health, and personal motivation, this comprehensive guide will give you the tools to become your best self.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781633889422
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	03/19/2024
Pages:	294
Product dimensions:	8.90(w) x 6.00(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Stephan B. Poulter, Ph.D., is a renowned Los Angeles based clinical psychologist in private practice with over thirty years of experience. Dr. Poulter brings a fresh and original perspective as a former law-enforcement officer, seminary graduate, psychologist, father, and author to some of the timeless questions of families, parents, fathers, mothers, marriage/divorce, and emotional shame. He is the author of The Shame Factor, The Art of Successful Failure, Your Ex-Factor,The Mother Factor, The Father Factor, and Father Your Son. Dr. Poulter is married, a father of four children and father to four dogs. He resides in Los Angeles, California.

Editorial Reviews

01/22/2024

In this amiable guide, psychologist Poulter (Your Ex-Factor) implores men to cast aside “old-school ‘dude’ thinking and ‘jerk’ behavior” and take seriously their “physical health, relationships, emotions, and self-doubts.” Highlighting “silent, rugged cowboy” stereotypes and a focus on money and social status, Poulter explores how a male culture that sidelines emotional needs is perpetuated and offers in its place a “masculinity of compassion and kindness” that “empowers boys, young men, and adult men to change their world... from the inside out.” Steps toward change include identifying one’s emotional “blind spots” (viewing humility as a personal weakness, for example) and fostering close male friendships instead of leaning on romantic partners to meet all of one’s emotional needs. Interweaving his guidance with brief quizzes, question prompts, and step-by-step breakdowns of key concepts, Poulter provides a usefully interactive survey of a more balanced and evolved masculinity, though off-kilter tangents sometimes distract, as when he cites “the horrific saga of Jeffrey Epstein” as a “cautionary tale” that “no man is beyond the hand of justice, regardless of his immense wealth social power.” Still, this is a fresh and thoughtful take on what it means to be a man today. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly