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  • Episode 9: Beyond the Patriarchy

    Episode 9: Beyond the Patriarchy
    2026/08/16

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    Episode Summary

    What if men's healing isn't really about men at all?

    In the Season One finale of the Men's Healing Network Podcast, host Vincent Perez welcomes Fernell Miller and Dr. Jen Self for a profound conversation about what lies Beyond the Patriarchy. Together, they explore how systems of domination shape every aspect of our lives—and why genuine healing requires more than changing individual behaviors. It requires reclaiming our shared humanity.

    Drawing from decades of experience in racial justice, education, leadership development, and community healing, Fernell and Jen challenge us to move beyond rigid ideas of masculinity and embrace a more courageous, compassionate way of being. They discuss identity, belonging, accountability, truth-telling, and the transformative power of community, reminding us that healing is not a destination but a lifelong practice.

    As the Men's Healing Network wraps up its first season, this conversation serves as both a culmination of the themes explored throughout the series and an invitation to continue the work together.


    Show Notes

    Throughout Season One, we've explored friendship, grief, fatherhood, vulnerability, accountability, and the communities that help us heal. In this season finale, we zoom out to examine the larger systems that shape our lives—and how moving beyond them opens the door to deeper freedom.

    In this episode, Vincent is joined by Fernell Miller, founder and CEO of The Root of Us, and Dr. Jen Self, principal strategist at Brick 13. Together they discuss:

    • Why patriarchy harms people of every gender—not just men
    • The relationship between personal healing and collective liberation
    • How racial justice, gender justice, and men's healing intersect
    • The importance of belonging, identity, and telling the truth about ourselves
    • Why love is an intentional practice rather than simply an emotion
    • Building communities rooted in accountability instead of domination
    • How curiosity, compassion, and courageous conversations create lasting change
    • What it means to become more fully human

    Whether you're a man seeking your own path toward healing, someone who loves a man on that journey, or simply interested in creating healthier relationships and communities, this conversation offers wisdom, challenge, and hope.


    About Our Guests

    Fernell Miller is the founder and CEO of The Root of Us, where she works with educators, policymakers, and community leaders to advance racial justice through facilitation, coaching, healing circles, and transformative leadership. With more than 40 years of experience in public education, her work centers belonging, identity, and community healing.

    Dr. Jen Self is the principal strategist at Brick 13, a coach, educator, consultant, and licensed clinical social worker whose work focuses on intersectional racial and gender justice. They help leaders and organizations build cultures grounded in courage, authenticity, and collective liberation.


    Resources
    Learn more about Fernell Miller and The Root of Us:
    https://therootofus.com

    Learn more about Dr. Jen Self and Brick 13:
    https://brick13.com

    Connect with the Men's Healing Network:
    [Insert website]


    Credits
    Host: Vincent Perez

    Producer: Tom Keppeler

    Marketing Support: Dee Enriquez

    Made possible through the generous support of the Choice Regional Health Network.
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    50 分
  • Episode 8: Don't Do This Alone

    Episode 8: Don't Do This Alone
    2026/08/09

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    Episode Summary
    What does it mean for one man to truly be there for another—not to fix him or tell him to get back up, but to meet him where he is and stay beside him?

    In this episode of the Men’s Healing Network Podcast, Michael “Roddy” McDowell invites his friend Dan Dantzic into a deeply personal conversation about brotherhood, vulnerability, and the healing power of being known.

    Roddy and Dan reflect on the experiences that challenged their identities and changed their understanding of what it means to be a man. They discuss learning to treat emotions as information, recognizing sensations in the body, creating relationships grounded in trust, and asking another person whether he wants to be helped, heard, or held.

    Throughout the conversation, they return to a simple but powerful truth: men do not have to carry life’s hardships alone. Sometimes support means offering advice or a practical next step. Other times, it means sitting on the ground beside a brother until he is ready to rise.


    About the Guests
    Michael “Roddy” McDowell is a commercial airline pilot and former Navy pilot whose experiences serving on a military honor guard and accompanying veterans through VA hospital visits led him toward a deeper calling.

    Roddy earned a master’s degree in social work from New York University and trained in trauma, cognitive behavioral therapy, somatic work, and EVRYMAN facilitation. Today, he coaches and facilitates groups for men shaped by the mission-focused, go-it-alone cultures he knows firsthand—cultures that can teach men to mistake performance for worth and providing for love.

    Now based in the Bay Area, Roddy also enjoys road cycling, hiking, traveling, writing, improv, and exploring the Meisner acting technique.

    www.copiloting.net

    www.roddypilot.com

    Dan Dantzic is a father, brother, and friend who divides his time between New York City and the Hudson Valley. He is happiest cooking something new, traveling somewhere unfamiliar, or sharing an honest conversation about what truly matters.

    After 30 years in technology, Dan stepped away from his career following his youngest child’s college graduation. Having encouraged his children to pursue their passions, he realized it was time to follow his own advice. He is now exploring opportunities to spend significant time abroad doing work that makes a meaningful difference in the lives of others.


    In This Episode
    Roddy, Dan, and Vincent explore:

    • How cultural expectations shape men’s understanding of masculinity
    • The difference between being a man and performing a role
    • What happens when fatherhood, marriage, career, and other identities change
    • Why intimacy between men is not inherently sexual
    • How the body can provide an entry point into emotional awareness
    • The importance of self-regulation when supporting someone else
    • How emotions such as envy can offer useful information
    • The difference between fixing someone and being present with him
    • Why asking for help can evoke shame
    • How men can practice receiving love, affirmation, and support
    • What it means to be a thought partner, feeling partner, and spiritual partner
    • Why healing is a continuing process rather than a final destination


    A Reflection From the Conversation
    You are already whole. You are not broken. And when life knocks you down, you do not have to find your way back to your feet by yourself.

    Credits
    Host:     Vincent Perez

    Producer: Tom Keppeler

    Marketing Support: Dee Enriquez

    Made possible through the generous support of the Choice Regional Health Network.
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    38 分
  • Episode 7: The Way Back to Ourselves

    Episode 7: The Way Back to Ourselves
    2026/08/02
    Send us Fan MailThe Way Back to Ourselves With Joshua Zamrin and Nate Berner-TobinWhat happens when men begin questioning the ideas they inherited about who they are supposed to be?In this episode of the Men’s Healing Network Podcast, host Vincent Perez sits down with Nate Berner-Tobin and Joshua Zamrin for a conversation about sensitivity, suffering, embodiment, community, nature, and the long journey of coming home to ourselves.Both Joshua and Nate describe growing up as sensitive young men in cultures that offered narrow definitions of masculinity. Joshua reflects on the “man program” — the conditioning that teaches boys which emotions, behaviors, and ways of being are acceptable — and his journey toward discovering who he is beneath those expectations. Nate shares how depression, shame, and making himself smaller gradually gave way to greater freedom, authenticity, and self-acceptance.Their paths took different forms. For Joshua, a period of profound suffering eventually forced a choice: continue living as he had been, or begin trying something different. That first step opened a path through physical wellness, emotional healing, somatic work, spirituality, and ultimately a deeper understanding of his purpose.For Nate, the natural world provided an early glimpse of another way to live. Wilderness experiences gave him opportunities to rediscover play, leadership, confidence, community, and belonging. Nature became both a teacher and an anchor — a place where he could reconnect with himself and experience what it meant to be fully part of something.Together, Vincent, Joshua, and Nate explore what modern life has separated many men from: their bodies, their emotions, the natural world, meaningful community, and their own inner knowing. They consider how those connections might be restored — not by replacing one rigid definition of masculinity with another, but by creating spaces where men can discover for themselves who they are.The conversation also turns toward fatherhood, purpose, rites of passage, supporting the next generation, and the importance of learning to remain present with discomfort rather than immediately reacting to it.Joshua offers a simple practice at the heart of that work: feel first before acting.Nate offers another: be gentle with yourself.Together, they point toward a vision of men’s healing rooted not in becoming harder or stronger, but in developing the capacity to feel more deeply, live more authentically, and meet ourselves and others with greater compassion.About Joshua ZamrinJoshua is a soul initiator and somatic guide whose medicine lies in supporting people to descend into their bodies, meet their shadows, embrace the gifts of their sensitivity, and emerge resourced and ready to meet the full spectrum of life with greater capacity, courage, and compassion.His work helps people reconnect with their ability to feel, reclaim lost parts of themselves, and step more fully into their power and self-leadership. Joshua weaves shamanic wisdom and mysticism with evidence-based modalities, drawing on more than a decade of initiation, training, certifications, and experience across wellness, healing arts, somatics, and soul-guided wholeness.Website: https://www.soulbodywholeness.life/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soulbodywholeness/YouTube: https://youtube.com/@soulbodywholeness?si=8vO5qgY8NJmQyR1SSpotify Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5JGUdaeUHypJxVBgOZ8PfW?si=9e1c3bee624e4396About Nate Berner-TobinFor more than 15 years, Nate Berner-Tobin has created spaces where people can reconnect with themselves, one another, and the world around them.His work has included wilderness education, youth development, family coaching, rites of passage, community building, and embodied personal growth. After spending thousands of hours guiding young people through wilderness experiences, Nate came to understand the transformative power of creating the right conditions for growth: relationship, challenge, reflection, and belonging.Today, through Deeply Connected, Nate supports individuals, families, and schools in cultivating deeper connection, purpose, and belonging. His approach weaves developmental wisdom, relational practices, nature-based learning, and embodied self-discovery.Nate is also certified in Genius Frequency through Elemental Embodiment, a framework that helps people better understand their unique gifts, patterns, and authentic ways of moving through the world.His past work includes collaborations with Seek Healing, Wild Grief, Journeymen, and Outward Bound.Connect with the Men's Healing Networkwww.MHN.lifeIf this conversation resonated with you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who could benefit from it.Hosted by: Vincent PerezProduced by: Tom KeppelerMarketing: Dee EnriquezFunding Support: Choice Regional Health Network
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    40 分
  • Episode 6: The Freedom to Be Fully Human

    Episode 6: The Freedom to Be Fully Human
    2026/07/26
    Send us Fan MailEpisode 6: The Freedom to Be Fully HumanWhat if men's healing isn't about becoming a better kind of man—but becoming more fully yourself?In this episode of the Men's Healing Network Podcast, Vincent Perez sits down with Gregory Flynn, founder of Men Connecting, and Efraín Gutiérrez, artist, facilitator, strategist, and founder of Divine Fluidity, for a wide-ranging conversation about masculinity, queerness, connection, and the freedom to move beyond the roles we've been taught to perform.Efraín reflects on their own journey of returning to the brave, expressive child they were before the world began telling them who they were supposed to be. Gregory explores the difference between healing and becoming whole—and what it means to reclaim the parts of ourselves that were cut off by messages like "man up," "don't cry," and "don't be gay." Drawing inspiration from ALOK, they consider what queer experience can teach all of us about questioning the boxes we've inherited and finding greater freedom within ourselves. The conversation also explores men's need for connection and platonic touch, the grief that can accompany recognizing what we've lost, and why replacing "toxic masculinity" with another rigid model of "healthy masculinity" may simply be, as Gregory puts it, "redecorating the prison."The conversation ultimately turns toward relationship, systems, race, identity, and the danger of using our shared humanity to bypass the very real effects of patriarchy and oppression. Drawing on bell hooks, Gregory and Efraín ask what becomes possible when we confront those systems while refusing to reduce ourselves—or one another—to a single identity or binary.This is a conversation about becoming more human—not alone, but together.Show NotesIn this episode, Vincent welcomes Gregory Flynn, men's circle facilitator and founder of Men Connecting, alongside Efraín Gutiérrez, artist, facilitator, strategist, and founder of Divine Fluidity.Together they challenge one of the central assumptions of contemporary men's work: that the answer to harmful models of masculinity is simply to replace them with a healthier model.Instead, Gregory and Efraín explore what happens when men begin questioning the rules themselves. They discuss returning to the parts of ourselves we learned to hide, the gifts queer experience can offer conversations about masculinity, the importance—and complexity—of touch between men, and the grief that comes with recognizing what cultural expectations may have taken from us.The conversation expands beyond individual healing into connection, patriarchy, race, class, identity, and systems of domination. Rather than using our common humanity to erase those differences, Gregory argues that we have to move through them to understand how they shape and wound us. As Efraín reminds us near the end of the conversation, bell hooks' The Will to Change may contain the invitation in its title: we have to be willing to change.In this episode, you'll learn about:Why men's healing may be less about finding a new model of masculinity and more about becoming fully humanHow boys learn to mask, suppress, or abandon parts of themselves in order to belongThe difference between "healing" and becoming wholeWhat queer experience can teach us about freedom, ambiguity, and returning to ourselvesWhy ALOK's work has influenced Gregory, Efraín, and Vincent's thinking about gender and masculinityHow masculinity is often defined by what men are told not to beWhy platonic touch and physical connection between men can be powerful—and why it isn't right for everyoneHow grief can become a pathway toward reclaiming parts of ourselves we thought we'd lostWhy replacing toxic masculinity with a rigid definition of "healthy masculinity" risks creating another kind of prisonWhy connection, not individual self-improvement alone, is essential to healingHow patriarchy harms men while also creating systems that oppress othersWhy race, class, sexuality, and identity require nuance rather than another set of binariesWhat bell hooks' The Will to Change can teach us about the willingness required for transformationGuestsGregory Flynn joined his first men's circle in 2008 and has been facilitating them in various capacities since 2012. In 2020, at the onset of the pandemic, he founded Men Connecting, a men's circle that continues to meet weekly. In 2022 and 2023, he hosted The Bind, a podcast for men and their loved ones. He currently runs monthly drop-in men's circles as well as a six-week program for men in North Seattle.Gregory facilitates retreats and workshops for men and mixed-gender groups. He also supports organizations and leaders through culture change, executive and team coaching, leadership development, and other services.Learn more: circ.alEfraín Gutiérrez (they/he) is an artist, facilitator, and strategist working in service of liberation for all. Rooted in queerness and connection, their creative...
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    48 分
  • Episode 5: The Wisdom of the Wild

    Episode 5: The Wisdom of the Wild
    2026/07/19

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    Episode 5: The Wisdom of the Wild

    What if healing isn't something we achieve—but something we remember?

    In this episode of the Men's Healing Network Podcast, Vincent Perez sits down with Elias Serras, co-founder of Grieving Man, and Darren Silver, founder of Great Earth School, for a conversation about men's work that reaches beyond self-improvement and into our relationship with nature, ritual, community, and belonging.

    Building on our previous conversations with Grieving Man co-founders Brian Dwyer and Jordan Lyon, Elias and Darren explore why so many men feel disconnected from themselves and how ancient practices—from tending sacred fires to vision quests and rites of passage—can help us rediscover what it means to live with purpose.

    Together, they discuss the role of ceremony in modern life, why initiation still matters, how relationships with the natural world shape our inner lives, and what it takes to build communities where men can truly belong.

    Whether you've spent years immersed in men's work or are simply curious about why so many men are searching for something more, this conversation offers a thoughtful invitation to reconnect with the ancient conversation between our hearts, our souls, and the living world.

    Show Notes

    In this episode, Vincent welcomes Elias Serras, facilitator, guide, and co-founder of Grieving Man, alongside Darren Silver, rite-of-passage guide and founder of Great Earth School.

    Together they explore what happens when healing is rooted not only in conversation, but also in ritual, wilderness, community, and relationship. Drawing from decades of experience facilitating men's gatherings, vision quests, and ceremonial spaces, Elias and Darren challenge modern assumptions about masculinity and offer a compelling vision for what healthy initiation and belonging can look like today.

    In this episode, you'll learn about:

    • Why nature creates conditions where healing can emerge naturally
    • The "ancient conversation" between our hearts, souls, and the wild
    • How ritual differs from self-help—and why it has endured across cultures
    • The importance of sacred spaces free from distraction and performance
    • Why initiation and rites of passage still matter for boys and men
    • The role of elders, mentorship, and community in healthy masculine development
    • What vision quests, sweat lodges, and ceremonial practices can teach us about purpose
    • How meaningful ritual helps us carry transformation into everyday life
    • Why belonging may be one of the deepest forms of healing

    Guests

    Elias Serras is a facilitator and guide dedicated to empowering embodied belonging through truth, healing, and wholeness. He is a co-founder of Grieving Man, core facilitator for Manifest Gathering, and is working alongside Vincent Perez to found the Cascadia Men's Alliance.

    Learn more: https://www.ecosomabe.com/

    Darren Silver, M.A. is a rite-of-passage guide, nature-connected coach, ceremonialist, and founder of Great Earth School. For more than twenty years, he has guided transformational experiences rooted in wilderness living skills, mythology, ritual, and regenerative culture.

    Learn more: https://www.darrensilver.earth/

    Mentioned in this episode

    • Grieving Man
    • Great Earth School
    • Manifest Gathering
    • Cascadia Men's Alliance
    • Vision Quests
    • Sweat Lodge traditions
    • Robert Bly
    • Men, Masculinities, and Earth: Contending with the (m)Anthropocene, edited by Mark Pulé and Martin Hultman

    Connect with the Men's Healing Network

    www.MHN.life

    If this conversation resonated with you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who could benefit from it.

    Hosted by: Vincent Perez
    Produced by: Tom Keppeler
    Marketing & Audience Development: Dee Enriquez
    Funding Support: Choice Regional Health Network
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    42 分
  • Episode 4: Practice Makes Human

    Episode 4: Practice Makes Human
    2026/07/12

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    Practice Makes Human

    We often talk about healing as if it's a destination—something we'll finally arrive at once we've read enough books, attended enough workshops, or figured ourselves out.

    But what if healing isn't something we achieve?

    What if it's something we practice?

    In this episode of the Men's Healing Network Podcast, host Vincent Perez sits down with Jason Hill and Mason Aviles, the team behind Beyond The Man Box, to explore what it actually takes to build emotional intelligence, strengthen relationships, and become more fully human.

    Together, they unpack why self-love isn't self-indulgence, why empathy is a skill—not a personality trait—and why practicing difficult conversations may be just as important as having them. Through deeply personal stories about friendship, heartbreak, marriage, failure, suicide recovery, and personal growth, Jason and Mason challenge the idea that men need to be perfect. Instead, they offer something far more practical: the opportunity to practice.

    Whether you're navigating conflict with a partner, struggling through loss, leading a team, or simply trying to become a more grounded man, this conversation is a reminder that growth doesn't happen overnight. It happens one conversation, one relationship, and one intentional choice at a time.

    In this episode, we discuss:

    • Why healing is a practice—not a destination
    • The difference between knowing and applying emotional intelligence
    • How self-love changes the way we receive feedback
    • Learning to separate self-worth from achievement and productivity
    • Why empathy is a skill that can be developed
    • The importance of practicing difficult conversations
    • Navigating conflict without defensiveness
    • Healthy masculinity, emotional regulation, and relationship repair
    • Why community matters in personal growth
    • How curiosity can transform relationships

    About Our Guests

    Jason Hill is the CEO and Lead Facilitator at Beyond The Man Box. For more than a decade, he has guided men through the high-stakes work of emotional regulation, relationship repair, and difficult conversations. Through transformational retreats and mentorship, Jason helps men become stronger partners, fathers, leaders, and human beings.

    Mason Aviles leads technology, operations, and product at Beyond The Man Box, building the digital systems that make the organization's curriculum accessible beyond the retreat room. With more than 12 years of software engineering experience, he helps transform emotional growth into practical tools that men can use every day.

    Connect with Beyond The Man Box

    Website: https://beyondthemanbox.com/

    Jason Hill on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonthomashill/

    Beyond The Man Box on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beyondthemanbox/

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61588583007749

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beyondthemanbox/

    Host: Vincent Perez

    Producer: Tom Keppeler

    Marketing and Logistics: Dee Enriquez

    Special thanks to Choice Regional Health Network for supporting the Men's Healing Network Podcast and helping make these conversations about men's mental health, healing, and connection possible.

    If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who could use the reminder that healing isn't about perfection—it's about practice.
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    51 分
  • Episode 3: The Courage to Feel

    Episode 3: The Courage to Feel
    2026/07/05

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    In a culture that teaches men to push through pain, what happens when they choose instead to slow down and feel?

    In this deeply moving conversation, Vincent Perez sits down with grief tenders and ritualists Jordan Lyon and Brian "Yam" Dwyer, co-creators of Grieving Man, to explore the transformative power of grief, community, music, and ritual.

    Together, they challenge the myth that healing is a solitary pursuit, revealing how grief can become a pathway back to belonging, connection, and love. Jordan reflects on caregiving, loss, accountability, and the importance of creating spaces where men can tell the truth about their lives. Brian shares the story of his son's childhood cancer diagnosis, the lessons fatherhood has taught him, and why music has become a bridge between sorrow and hope.

    Along the way, the conversation explores:

    • Why grief is about far more than death
    • The difference between suppressing pain and transforming it
    • How ritual and community help us heal what we cannot heal alone
    • Fatherhood, friendship, and becoming the men we wish had guided us
    • The courage to ask for help—and the courage to receive it

    Woven throughout the episode are Brian's original songs, offering moments of reflection and invitation that culminate in a moving reminder:

    "Healing is happening."

    Whether you're carrying the loss of a loved one, grieving a version of yourself, or simply longing for deeper connection, this conversation offers a powerful invitation: slow down, tell the truth, and remember that you do not have to walk this path alone.

    The Men's Healing Network podcast is made possible in part through the generous support of Choice Regional Health Network, whose commitment to community well-being helps bring these conversations to life.

    Hosted by: Vincent Perez
    Produced by: Tom Keppeler
    Marketing & Logistics: Dee Enriquez
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    54 分
  • Episode 2: The Medicine of Friendship

    Episode 2: The Medicine of Friendship
    2026/06/28

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    What if one of the greatest medicines available to men is friendship?

    In this episode of the Men's Healing Network Podcast, host Vincent Perez is joined by Leo Lopez of the National Compadres Network and his lifelong friend Miguel Chuca. Together, they explore how decades of friendship, cultural traditions, fatherhood, and community have shaped their understanding of what it means to heal as men.

    The conversation reflects on the fathers and elders who modeled both strength and imperfection, the transformative power of men's circles, and the importance of creating spaces where men can be vulnerable, emotionally honest, and fully seen. Leo and Miguel also discuss raising children in a changing world, balancing work and family, and why healing isn't something we do alone—it happens in relationship.

    At its heart, this episode is a reminder that authentic friendship isn't just companionship. It's medicine.

    In this episode, you'll hear about:

    • The role of lifelong friendship in men's healing
    • Lessons inherited from fathers, grandfathers, and elders
    • Why culturally rooted men's circles create powerful opportunities for transformation
    • Emotional vulnerability and becoming a "safe man" for family and friends
    • The importance of intergenerational relationships
    • Balancing work, partnership, and fatherhood
    • Passing wisdom and healing to the next generation

    About the Host
    Vincent Perez is a cultural strategist, facilitator, and founder of the Men's Healing Network. His work helps individuals and organizations cultivate healing-centered leadership, authentic relationships, and communities rooted in dignity, belonging, and connection.

    Produced by
    Tom Keppeler

    Marketing & Audience Development
    Dee Enriquez

    The Men's Healing Network Podcast is made possible in part through the support of Choice Regional Health Network.

    To learn more about the Men's Healing Network, upcoming circles, and events, visit MHN.life.
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    44 分