Authentic Masculinity: Rediscovering Who You Were Meant to Be, with Rick Belden

Mid-life Men: the mental health podcast

What happens when a man spends decades surviving, but never truly living? In this powerful and deeply personal episode, poet, coach, and men's trauma specialist Rick Belden joins us to explore how childhood wounds - especially those inflicted by emotionally absent or unsafe parents - can shape and limit a man's entire adult life. Rick shares his journey from high-achieving student to sawmill worker, reluctant software engineer, and ultimately, to a man who rediscovered his true self through art, writing, and inner work.

This is a raw and resonant conversation about masculinity, trauma, and healing. Rick speaks candidly about the "father wound" and "mother wound," the toll of survival strategies adopted in childhood, and the long path toward reconnecting with a lost inner voice. He discusses the role of creativity, dreamwork, and journaling in recovering authenticity, and offers wise, grounded advice for men who feel stuck, shut down, or disconnected from who they really are.

For anyone navigating the emotional fallout of midlife or searching for meaning after years of suppressing their truth, this episode offers rare insight, compassion, and hope.

If you want to find out more about Rick, his art and writing, visit his website https://www.rickbelden.com/, or for information on his coaching, visit https://www.rickbeldencoaching.com/.