How We Can Help Men Open Up
6/4/202655 min
Many men grow up receiving the same messages: be strong, stay tough, don’t show too much emotion. But what actually happens when vulnerability, creativity, or sensitivity start to feel like things that need to be hidden?
In this episode, host and therapist Sreela Roy-Greene sits down with author and podcast host Cory Allen, as well as writer and poet James McCrae for a deeply personal conversation about masculinity, emotional suppression, and learning how to reconnect with themselves. As a child, James felt he had to hide his love of poetry, while Cory was raised by a father he calls a “Texas Tony Soprano.” Together with Sreela, they each explore how vulnerability ultimately became a path toward deeper connection and understanding their childhood traumas.
Later in the episode, BetterHelp therapist David Yadush joins Sreela to unpack the psychology behind emotional literacy, affect labeling, and why so many men struggle to express what they’re feeling.
00:00 The Challenge of Emotional Expression for Men
01:42 Cory Allen on Childhood, Safety, and Emotional Development
05:35 Why Vulnerability Feels Risky
10:16 Masculinity, Trauma, and Cultural Expectations
12:34 A Practical Framework for Understanding Emotions
16:51 Emotional Armor and Its Impact on Relationships
20:00 Rethinking Strength and Healthy Masculinity
24:42 How Vulnerability Creates Connection
30:57 What Cory and James Wish You Knew About Emotional Expression
32:45 Why Many Men Struggle to Express Their Feelings
33:31 Expert Perspective: Shame, Self-Protection, and Emotional Openness
40:53 Movement, Mental Health, and Emotional Processing
44:54 Recognizing Emotional Safety in Relationships
54:07 Closing Reflections and Key Takeaways
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Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsCorey Allen· Guest0:00
My father was kind of like a Texas Tony Soprano vibe character. Yeah, I mean, the time that I spent with him was, it was all about being tough and aggressive and taking people down. From that early stage, it made me realize that the messaging around masculinity that I was not even being taught, but just that were available for me to observe, weren't necessarily accurate. I just wanted to do the opposite of it.
Speaker 2· Soundbite0:29
[phone vibrating] Hey, can I talk to you about something? I wish you knew...
Sreela Roy-Greene· Host0:38
I wish you knew how lonely menopause felt.
James McCrae· Guest0:41
I wish you knew why it's so hard for men to share their feelings.
Speaker 2· Soundbite0:46
I wish you knew what it was like growing up in a low-income family. I wish you knew how hard it was not having a college degree. I wish you knew what it's like to be me.
Sreela Roy-Greene· Host0:56
"Don't cry. Man up. Don't be so sensitive." These are messages that many men absorb from an early age, and on today's show, we're joined by two guests who reflect on the impact of being taught to suppress their emotions, plus how they each eventually learn to become, as one of them puts, full-spectrum humans. First, there's Corey Allen, an author, musician, and podcast host whose work explores mindfulness, self-awareness, and human connection. And we're also joined by James McRae, a writer and poet whose work blends philosophy, humor, and emotional honesty