299: Creating Safe Spaces for Men with Jamie Robins
Coaching Voices: The Association for Coaching PodcastShow Notes
In episode 3 of our Coaching Men podcast series, host Rob Lawrence speaks with Jamie Robins, a coach specialising in supporting men through some of life's most challenging transitions. Jamie shares his personal journey into men's coaching and how the COVID-19 pandemic inspired him to create Safe Harbour - an online sharing space designed to give men a place to open up without fear of judgment. He unpacks why so many men struggle to ask for help in the first place, exploring the deep-rooted social conditioning that teaches men to suppress emotion and "just get on with it."
Jamie dives into the specific fears men face around vulnerability: from the fear of appearing weak, feeling unsafe to open up, lacking permission, to anxiety that decades of bottled-up emotion might come flooding out all at once. He explains how structured men's sharing circles, like Safe Harbour and Andy's Man Club, work to dismantle these fears through simple but powerful ground rules: no advice-giving, strict confidentiality, and ensuring every man gets a chance to speak. Jamie also teaches men to listen on all three levels: head, heart and presence – a way of holding space for others that is transformative.
Jamie shares how he is reaching men through social media and from requests there, he started his Thrive nature walks, monthly group experiences where men gather outdoors, with periods of talking, walking in silence, and answering reflective questions. His description of the effects of these walks is moving and hopeful. Throughout, Jamie makes clear that the men he works with typically in their 30s to 60s aren't lacking strength; they're lacking safe spaces to be and discover who they are beyond their roles. His work is a timely reminder that community, connection, and permission to be human are just as vital for men as for anyone. ou will learn: · Men are far more willing to open up when they feel safe and know there's no risk of being judged, advised, or 'fixed.' · Many men have inherited generational patterns of emotional suppression, and unlearning them requires community, permission and modelled behaviour from other men. · Nature and ritual have a role to play. Structured outdoor experiences, like Jamie's Thrive walks, offer men a non-threatening entry point into emotional reflection and genuine connection with others.
"On the outside, everything looks fantastic. On the inside, totally lonely and alone, isolating themselves emotionally"'
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For the episode resources and guest bio, please visit: https://www.associationforcoaching.com/page/dl-hub_podcast-channel-coaching-men-midlife-community-groups
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