Torque

Dom Fiore
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A podcast about men, life, connection and the things we don’t always say out loud  Have you ever felt like there's too much pressure, and nowhere to turn? Well you’re not alone and this podcast is for you. This podcast exists because host Dom Fiore suffered a life changing injury that sent him on a journey of discovery. Dom believes that proper connection is what is missing for most men and he wants to understand how we can make that change together. With a focus on lived experience Dom is on a journey to discover real life stories with real life men and experts on a range of subjects to understand how we can connect, deal with and share the changes and experiences that life brings. We talk about life, health, fitness, career, family, relationships, stress and how we connect as men. The show will feature in depth interviews, personal reflections and how we keep going when the pressure is on. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 1d ago

    Joshua Rodriguez — Hope: A Men’s Group Facilitator on the One-Word Answer That Changes Everything for Isolated Men

    Episode 25 Hope A Men’s Group Facilitator on the One-Word Answer That Changes Everything for Isolated Men Guest: Joshua Rodriguez — men’s group facilitator, educator and advocate, co-founder of the Kink Collective Trigger Warning This episode covers difficult territory, including thoughts of suicide, serious allegations that were made against the guest, infidelity, and sex work. It also contains strong language throughout. Please take care while listening. Episode Description Joshua Rodriguez is a former U.S. Marine and U.S. Marshal, now a facilitator, educator and advocate based in Harlem. He guides people, especially men, through modern masculinity, sexuality and personal growth. When Dom asks what he sees in the men who turn up to his groups, he answers in one word: hope. Because they all thought they were alone at one point. For almost 30 years, Joshua softened himself in his closest relationships to avoid being rejected, judged or left alone. He couldn’t say he had needs, because having needs felt like it cancelled out everything he provided. What he couldn’t say came out sideways, as anger, lying and cheating. Timestamps 00:00 Hope, Because They All Thought They Were Alone 01:22 Content Note — Suicidal Thoughts and Serious Allegations 01:56 Why Men’s Groups Matter — and What Took Him There 02:47 Needing to Hear He Wasn’t the Only One Who Was Afraid 03:03 How Long the Wounds From Past Relationships Have Lasted 03:35 Softening Himself to Avoid Rejection — Almost 30 Years 04:21 Calling Men In — Curiosity Without Judgement 05:37 What It Means to Soften Yourself — Not Saying What You Need 05:57 The Provider Conundrum — If I Have Needs, It Cancels Out Everything I’ve Provided 06:53 What Goes Unsaid Comes Out Sideways — Anger, Lying and Cheating 07:52 Family Court at 19 — Fighting to Be a Father 08:48 Suicidal Thoughts, Anger and Nobody to Turn To 11:40 What He Needed — A Mentor to Help Him Process What He Was Feeling 13:00 Anger Is a Tool, Not a Feeling 13:52 Forgiveness and Apology — Where the Responsibility Sits 15:00 Understanding Humiliation — What His Actions Did to Past Partners 16:11 The Allegations — What He Says Was Untrue, and What He Takes Responsibility For 17:24 Why He Did It — Fear of Saying What He Needed 18:23 Compassion, Forgiveness and Responsibility — You Can Turn the Key 20:00 The Turning Point 20:45 Five Years of Asking Who Am I and Why Am I Afraid 22:01 Alternative Lifestyles — Sex Work, Professional Domination and Reframing Sexuality 24:21 The Five-Year Gap — Practising What He Had Learned 25:20 The Mentor Who Arrived 27:26 Self-Forgiveness — and Being Willing Not to Be Forgiven by Others 28:07 Society Isn’t Your Best Friend — Leaning on Other Men 29:05 What Masculine Validation From Another Man Really Means 30:43 What It Means to Be a Man — Consistency and a Belief System 32:01 What to Say to Someone Who Doesn’t Know What They Believe 33:19 Questions to Find Your Principles 34:23 What Does He See in the Men Who Turn Up? One Word — Hope 35:21 Boys Told to Be Strong — Boys Don’t Cry 36:03 Conditioning Men to Move Without Emotion — Survival Instincts 37:33 Nature and Nurture 39:03 Good Things Bring Memories, the Rest Bring Lessons — If You Reframe the Pain 40:16 Toxic Masculinity and Toxic Femininity — Energies, Not Identities 41:26 Strength That Isn’t Only Physical — Emotional, Psychological and Spiritual 41:43 Society Needs Men More Than It Will Admit Right Now Find Joshua Rodriguez at www.Kinkcollective.net Resources If this episode has raised issues for you: Samaritans — free, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: 116 123 CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) — for men in crisis: 0800 58 58 58 All previous Torque episodes available at Torque - Hosted by Dom Fiore Some Episodes to try From Patrol To Podium - Torque | Acast Debunking Sleep Myths - Torque | Acast Lessons From A Father's Influence - Torque | Acast Diving Into Olympic Pressure - Torque | Acast What Makes A Man? Part 1 - From Anger to Understanding, A Journey of Growth - Torque | Acast We want to hear from you Get in touch through Email - connect@mantorquexy.com Instagram / Facebook / TikTok - @mantorquexy Subscribe and leave a review Original music composed and used with permission from Alex Tilley Video Editing for Socials assistance provided by Lily O'Connor Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Joshua Rodriguez — Hope: A Men’s Group Facilitator on the One-Word Answer That Changes Everything for Isolated Men

  2. Oct 25

    Bottled Up — From Hopeless to Honours: A Recovering Alcoholic and Academic on Why Families Need Help Too

    Episode 24 Bottled Up From Hopeless to Honours: A Recovering Alcoholic and Academic on Why Families Need Help Too Guest: Dr John McMahon — psychologist, author and co-founder of Bottled Up Trigger Warning This episode covers addiction, rock bottom and darker thoughts. Please take care when listening. Episode Description John McMahon left school with practically nothing. He’d spent his teens training for the priesthood — Hogwarts with hymns, as he puts it — until puberty arrived and the idea of lifelong celibacy lost its appeal. He came back, became Holy John, went out of his way to prove he wasn’t, and ended up on the hippie trail and eventually a psychiatric hospital in 1984 where a doctor told him he had brain damage, liver damage, and six months to live if he continued. What followed was a return to education — a degree, then a doctorate in psychology — writing and teaching the largest master’s course in the UK on addiction, and eventually, with his wife Lou, building Bottled Up: a free website and resource for the families of alcoholics that is built on a simple but overlooked truth. One drink affects three to five people minimum. And almost every recovery programme is aimed at the drinker alone. In this conversation, John traces the full arc of his life and talks about what addiction actually is, why willpower alone never works, what the families of alcoholics live through that nobody talks about, and why his nursing manager’s six words became one of the most important sentences of his life. Timestamps 00:00 I’m a Hopeless Case. You May Well Be. But You’re Not a Lost Cause. 01:18 Trigger Warning 01:26 Talk Ten — Quickfire Questions with John 02:51 The Priesthood — Hogwarts With Hymns 04:20 Why He Left — Puberty & Celibacy 05:35 Holy John 06:11 The Hippie Trail — Devon, Drugs and the Police 09:10 The First Glastonbury 09:35 Back to Devon — Head Scrambled, LSD 10:05 The Grey Van — Meeting Lou at 21 13:00 Lou’s Father the Pastor — The Garden Conversation 15:00 Training as a Psychiatric Nurse — Still Drinking 17:00 How the Dependency Deepened 19:00 What Addiction Actually Looks Like From the Inside 21:00 The Darker Thoughts 22:00 Brain Damage, Liver Damage, Six Months 24:00 Why the Death Sentence Wasn’t the Thing That Did It 25:45 The Picture of Dorian Gray 27:00 I Don’t Want to Be That Person Anymore 29:30 AA — Hating It First, Then Embracing It 31:00 An Egomaniac With an Inferiority Complex 32:00 The Nursing Manager 34:00 Going Back to Education — Degree, Then Doctorate 36:00 Writing and Teaching the Largest Masters Course on Addiction in the UK 38:00 Families of Alcoholics — The People Nobody Talks About 42:00 Bottled Up — The Website John and Lou Built 44:00 Lou’s Story — The Widow of an Alcoholic Who Didn’t Come Out the Other Side 46:00 Finding Each Other Again Decades Later 47:10 It’s Never Too Late. But You Can’t Do It on Your Own. 48:00 The Walk to the Cathedral — and the Walk Back 48:59 Dom’s Closing Reflection You can find out more about John McMahon at Bottled Up – Help for Alcoholics & Families Bottled Up – Support, Tools & Hope Resources If this episode has raised issues for you: Alcoholics Anonymous UK: 0800 9177 650 — alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk Al-Anon — support for families and friends of alcoholics: 0800 0086 811 — al-anonuk.org.uk Samaritans — free, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: 116 123 All previous Torque episodes available at Torque - Hosted by Dom Fiore Some Episodes to try From Patrol To Podium - Torque | Acast Debunking Sleep Myths - Torque | Acast Lessons From A Father's Influence - Torque | Acast Diving Into Olympic Pressure - Torque | Acast What Makes A Man? Part 1 - From Anger to Understanding, A Journey of Growth - Torque | Acast We want to hear from you Get in touch through Email - connect@mantorquexy.com Instagram / Facebook / TikTok - @mantorquexy Subscribe and leave a review Original music composed and used with permission from Alex Tilley Video Editing for Socials assistance provided by Lily O'Connor Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Bottled Up — From Hopeless to Honours: A Recovering Alcoholic and Academic on Why Families Need Help Too

  3. Oct 18

    The Parts We Hide: A Shadow Work Therapist On Coming Out, Rebuilding, And Living Honestly Later In Life

    The Parts We Hide A Shadow Work Therapist On Coming Out, Rebuilding, And Living Honestly Later In Life Guest: Kenny Whitelaw-Jones — shadow work psychotherapist Trigger Warning This episode touches on sensitive topics including sexuality and childhood sexual abuse. Please be aware before listening. Episode Description Kenny Whitelaw-Jones is a shadow work psychotherapist. He is also a man who spent decades building a persona — a version of himself he thought he should be — before the reality of who he actually was became impossible to keep pushing down. In this conversation, Kenny explains what shadow work is and where it comes from — the Jungian idea that we all arrive in the world as a full personality, and gradually learn which parts of ourselves are not OK with the people around us. Those parts don’t disappear. They go underground, fester, and come out sideways — as compulsive behaviour, as patterns in relationships, as the version of us that jumps up and grabs the wheel when we’re not paying attention. He also talks about why standard talking therapy didn’t work for him, and what he found in shadow work that one session in — a level of change and insight that years of talking had never produced. About being a survivor of childhood sexual abuse and the confusion that left behind. About the midlife reckoning that brought everything to the surface. And about coming out as queer in his 40s, after a marriage and a life built around a different story. Kenny also talks about the bus metaphor that Dom takes away from the conversation — the idea that we spend most of our lives driving the bus, competent and adult and apparently in control, while at the back sit all the earlier versions of us, waiting for their moment to grab the wheel. It’s a frame that anyone who has lived enough life will recognise. Timestamps 00:00 We’re All Messy Human Beings. Mine Had a Sexuality Flavour. 01:52 Talk Ten — Quickfire Questions with Kenny 03:37 What Is Shadow Work? 05:57 When Parts Go Underground — What Happens to Them 06:25 How Repressed Anger Comes Out Sideways 07:48 The Shadow Isn’t Just Darkness 09:16 What Triggers You, What You Do Compulsively 10:21 When Shadow Work Is Most Needed 12:00 How We Choose Partners 14:00 Shadow Material in the Workplace 15:30 Your Boss Is Often Your Parent 18:00 The Bus Metaphor — Who Is Driving Right Now? 20:00 What Shadow Work Actually Involves 22:30 Separating Facts From the Stories We Tell Ourselves 28:06 What Brought Kenny to Shadow Work Himself 29:10 Childhood Sexual Abuse — What It Left Behind 30:35 One Shadow Work Session is all it took 33:00 The Midlife Reckoning 35:00 Coming Out as Queer in His 40s 37:00 The Marriage 41:00 Rebuilding — What Life Looks Like Now 45:00 The Friends Who Knew Something Was Wrong 47:24 What He Would Say to Someone Suppressing Their Sexuality 47:40 Dom’s Closing Reflection About Kenny Whitelaw-Jones Kenny Whitelaw-Jones is a shadow work psychotherapist working with individuals on the parts of themselves they have repressed, denied or tried to wish away. His first degree was in psychology. Following his own midlife reckoning and transformation through shadow work, he trained as a shadow work and depth psychology practitioner. Kenny works one-to-one with clients and is based in the UK. You can find Kenny at 1:1 therapy — DEEP PROCESS PSYCHOTHERAPY Instagram Resources If this episode has raised issues for you around sexuality or childhood sexual abuse: Galop — LGBT+ anti-abuse charity: 0800 999 5428 — galop.org.uk NAPAC (National Association for People Abused in Childhood): 0808 801 0331 — napac.org.uk Samaritans — free, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: 116 123 All previous Torque episodes available at Torque - Hosted by Dom Fiore Some Episodes to try From Patrol To Podium - Torque | Acast Debunking Sleep Myths - Torque | Acast Lessons From A Father's Influence - Torque | Acast Diving Into Olympic Pressure - Torque | Acast What Makes A Man? Part 1 - From Anger to Understanding, A Journey of Growth - Torque | Acast We want to hear from you Get in touch through Email - connect@mantorquexy.com Instagram / Facebook / TikTok - @mantorquexy Subscribe and leave a review Original music composed and used with permission from Alex Tilley Video Editing for Socials assistance provided by Lily O'Connor Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    The Parts We Hide: A Shadow Work Therapist On Coming Out, Rebuilding, And Living Honestly Later In Life

  4. Oct 11

    What having a Child with Autism Taught me about Connection and How to Let Go of the Child you Expected

    Episode 22 What Having a Child with Autism Taught Me About Connection How to Let Go of the Child You Expected Guest: Craig Parks — camp director, musician and founder of Parenting Harmony Episode Description Craig Parks has spent 30 years working with other people’s children. He’s a camp director, a musician and a parenting coach. When his son was diagnosed with autism at around 18 months, Craig and his wife had to readjust everything — the future they’d imagined, the social life they’d assumed, the milestones they’d expected. Their home became a place of constant therapy. They stopped going to gatherings. They became isolated. And Craig, for all his professional expertise with children, found himself learning that everything is harder with your own kids. In this conversation, Craig talks about what that early diagnosis actually meant for the family — emotionally, spiritually, financially. About the fear of never hearing his son say ‘I love you’. About the years of letting go, slowly, of the child he’d imagined. And about what he found instead: a son who teaches skateboarding to kids, DJs parties, plays drums in one of Craig’s bands, and is — as Craig says simply — a shining soul in this world. He also talks about the mundane moments that build a childhood — why the memories that last are almost never the big planned ones. About technology and how to navigate it with kids. About physical presence and what it does. And about his coaching work through Parenting Harmony, helping parents create a childhood both they and their children can look back on with gratitude rather than regret. Timestamps 00:00 Cold Open — He Didn’t Get a High School Diploma. He Is a Shining Soul. 00:48 Show Description and Coming Up 01:37 Talk Ten — Quickfire Questions with Craig 02:50 Craig Welcome to Talk 02:57 30 Years Working With Other People’s Children — Is Your Own Easier? 07:26 The Early Autism Diagnosis 08:57 What Craig Had Imagined — And What Had to Change 10:21 The Home Becomes a Place of Constant Therapy 11:49 Isolation — Stopping Going to Gatherings 13:25 Letting Go of the Child You Expected 15:00 The Fear of Never Hearing ‘Daddy’ or ‘I Love You’ 17:00 Grief — What Craig and His Wife Went Through 23:00 Technology and Kids — What the Research Shows 25:00 Physical Presence — Why Connection Requires the Body 27:00 The Mundane Moments — Where the Real Memories Are Made 29:00 Character Voices, Bedtime, Bathtime — Making the Ordinary Special 31:00 Relationships Are Built on Moments 33:00 Dom’s Experience — Being There for Sporting Fixtures 35:00 Parenting Harmony — What It Is and Who It’s For 38:00 Reactive Parenting — How to Catch Yourself 42:00 His Son Today — Group Home, Skateboarding Business, Drummer 44:43 The Fears That Came True — And Why They Don’t Define Him 46:58 Dom’s Closing Reflection About Craig Parks Craig Parks is a camp director, musician and the founder of Parenting Harmony — a coaching practice helping parents create deeper connection with their children and build a childhood both can look back on with gratitude. He has spent 30 years working with children of all ages and has 22 years of experience raising his autistic son Jonah alongside his daughter Nishama. Craig is based in the United States. Find him and Parenting Harmony at [insert website / social handles]. You can find out about Craig and his work at Parenting Harmony | Notice More. Create More. Instagram All previous Torque episodes available at Torque - Hosted by Dom Fiore Some Episodes to try From Patrol To Podium - Torque | Acast Debunking Sleep Myths - Torque | Acast Lessons From A Father's Influence - Torque | Acast Diving Into Olympic Pressure - Torque | Acast Off Screen - Torque | Acast Do You Feel Frozen Out? - Torque | Acast What Makes A Man? Part 1 - From Anger to Understanding, A Journey of Growth - Torque | Acast We want to hear from you Get in touch through Email - connect@mantorquexy.com Instagram / Facebook / TikTok - @mantorquexy Subscribe and leave a review Original music composed and used with permission from Alex Tilley Video Editing for Socials assistance provided by Lily O'Connor Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    What having a Child with Autism Taught me about Connection and How to Let Go of the Child you Expected

  5. Oct 4

    Big Brother to Bollywood: A Life Beyond Normal

    Episode 21 Big Brother to Bollywood A Life Beyond Normal Guest: Benedict Garrett — British actor based in Mumbai, Bollywood film and TV Trigger Warning This episode contains discussion of sexual assault and the adult entertainment industry. Timestamps for both sections are included below so you can skip them if needed. Sexual assault is discussed from approximately 07:31 to 13:54. The adult entertainment industry is discussed from approximately 05:18 to 07:31 and briefly again later in the episode. Timestamps 00:37 Trigger Warning 03:13 Growing Up in Middle England — Supportive Parents, High Expectations 04:33 Obsessions 05:18 The Adult Entertainment Industry — Liberating or an Act? 06:34 Stripping, Escorting, Adult Film — What the Experiences Were Actually Like 07:31 Sexual Assault — Three Incidents, Photographers and an Agent 08:22 The Agent Who Used His Past Against Him 10:00 Freezing — Why He Didn’t Stop It and Why That’s Normal 13:54 Teaching — The One Job His Parents Told Him Never to Do 15:21 The Tabloid Exposure — Past and Present Colliding 17:30 Being Outed as a Former Adult Entertainment Worker While Still Teaching 19:00 Big Brother 2012 — How He Got There 21:00 What Big Brother Was Actually Like 24:00 The Marriage Breakdown and the Decision to Go to India 27:00 Arriving in Mumbai With Two Suitcases 29:00 How He Got His First Roles in Bollywood 32:00 23 Films in Four Years — Playing British Raj Officers 35:13 How India Has Changed Him — Professionally and Personally 38:13 Learning the History He Was Never Taught at School 40:00 The British Empire’s Legacy — What He’s Learned Living It 42:00 Immigration Hypocrisy — His Perspective as a British Expat in India 44:00 His Social Media Presence and Why He Speaks Out 46:00 What He Misses About the UK 48:07 Quickfire Questions with Benedict 50:39 Dom’s Closing Reflection About Benedict Garrett Benedict Garrett is a British actor based in Mumbai, India. He has appeared in over 23 Bollywood feature films and multiple web series since moving to India in 2021, frequently playing British Raj era characters. Before India, he worked across banking, Transport for London, consulting, high school teaching, and spent time in the adult entertainment industry. He appeared on Big Brother in 2012. Benedict speaks openly on social media about immigration, the legacy of the British Empire, and life as a British expat in India. You can find Benedict at Instagram All previous Torque episodes available at Torque - Hosted by Dom Fiore Some Episodes to try From Patrol To Podium - Torque | Acast Debunking Sleep Myths - Torque | Acast Lessons From A Father's Influence - Torque | Acast Diving Into Olympic Pressure - Torque | Acast Off Screen - Torque | Acast Do You Feel Frozen Out? - Torque | Acast What Makes A Man? Part 1 - From Anger to Understanding, A Journey of Growth - Torque | Acast We want to hear from you Get in touch through Email - connect@mantorquexy.com Instagram / Facebook / TikTok - @mantorquexy Subscribe and leave a review Original music composed and used with permission from Alex Tilley Video Editing for Socials assistance provided by Lily O'Connor Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Big Brother to Bollywood: A Life Beyond Normal

  6. Sep 27

    The High-Functioning Addict: A Foraging Teacher on How Plants Saved His Life

    Episode 20 The High-Functioning Addict A Foraging Teacher on How Plants Saved His Life Guest: Robin Halford — forager, somatic teacher and founder of EatWeeds Trigger Warning This episode contains themes of addiction, homelessness and drug use. Please be aware before listening. Episode Description Robin Halford spent years running a digital marketing training company — 15 hours a day, 7 days a week. He also spent years as a drug addict, hiding it well enough that he could stand in front of professional chefs, deliver a three-hour session, and nobody would know. High functioning, in the specific sense that he could still do the work. But as Robin says: the rest of your life is a shit show. By the time he hit rock bottom, his wife had divorced him, he’d lost his house, his daughter didn’t want to see him, he had a granddaughter he wasn’t allowed to meet, and none of his friends wanted him around. He ended up homeless for over a year — not a rough sleeper, but wandering Britain, teaching plants in exchange for a bed and a meal. In this conversation, Robin traces his story from a brutal childhood and an early calling to the priesthood, through 20 years of using, through getting clean in a Buddhist recovery community in Thailand, to the work he now does with plants — teaching people to forage, to heal, and to feel their body again through direct sensory experience. This is a conversation based in reality, not romanticism. It goes to some dark places and comes back with something real. Timestamps 00:00 That’s What Happens When You’re a Really Good Drug Addict 01:21 Talk Ten — Quickfire Questions with Robin 03:37 The Calling to the Priesthood — Running Away From His Body 07:20 A Brutal Childhood — Not Unusual, But Real 07:50 Religion as a Drug — A Way to Bypass the Existential Void 08:30 The Independent Catholic Bishop and the Contemplative Group 10:15 The Out of Body Experience — The Choice to Come Back 12:45 Belief Systems and Why He Left — I Want Direct Experience 14:30 Setting Up EatWeeds in 2008 16:00 The Digital Marketing Company — 15 Hours a Day, 7 Days a Week 18:30 When the Addiction Started to Take Hold 21:00 The High-Functioning Addict — Delivering Three-Hour Sessions High as a Kite 24:00 Eye Drops and Masking — How He Hid It 26:00 The Friends Leaving — Can’t Deal With You, Rob 28:00 How Good Could You Be If You Weren’t Using? 30:30 Getting Clean in a Buddhist Recovery Community in Thailand 31:30 The Fear That He Wouldn’t Be Able to Create Without the Drugs 32:00 Get Out of Your Head, Come to Your Senses 33:00 The TED Conference in Edinburgh — Better Sober 35:00 Losing Everything — Wife, House, Daughter, Granddaughter 37:00 Homeless for Over a Year — Teaching Plants for a Bed and a Meal 40:00 Not a Rough Sleeper, But Homeless Nonetheless 42:00 How Plants Became the Route Back Into His Body 44:00 The Radio Analogy — Turning Up the Volume on Feeling 46:00 The Practices That Kept Him From Dying 48:00 Trauma in the Body — Monsters in the Dungeon 50:00 Life Is the Workshop — Not a Process Weekend 52:00 How Are You Behaving Every Day? That’s the Practice 54:00 The Car Crash — Nine Lives Used Up 55:27 Dom’s Closing Reflection You can find Robin at; W: https://www.eatweeds.co.uk W: https://www.thewayofdomei IG:https://www.instagram.com/robinharfordofficial/ Resources If this episode has raised issues for you: Narcotics Anonymous UK: 0300 999 1212 — ukna.org Alcoholics Anonymous UK: 0800 9177 650 — alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk Samaritans — free, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: 116 123 All previous Torque episodes available at Torque - Hosted by Dom Fiore Some Episodes to try From Patrol To Podium - Torque | Acast Debunking Sleep Myths - Torque | Acast Lessons From A Father's Influence - Torque | Acast Diving Into Olympic Pressure - Torque | Acast Off Screen - Torque | Acast Do You Feel Frozen Out? - Torque | Acast What Makes A Man? Part 1 - From Anger to Understanding, A Journey of Growth - Torque | Acast We want to hear from you Get in touch through Email - connect@mantorquexy.com Instagram / Facebook / TikTok - @mantorquexy Subscribe and leave a review Original music composed and used with permission from Alex Tilley Video Editing for Socials assistance provided by Lily O'Connor Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    The High-Functioning Addict: A Foraging Teacher on How Plants Saved His Life

  7. Sep 20

    Duncan Rich — Somatic Healing for Men: On Dissociation, Men's Groups, and Getting Out of Your Head and Into Your Body

    Episode 19 Somatic Healing for Men On Dissociation, Men’s Groups, and Getting Out of Your Head and Into Your Body Guest: Duncan Rich — musician, somatic coach and founder of Meld Episode Description Duncan Rich grew up in a household where the rules were strict and the emotional space was narrow. He learned early to dissociate — to cut off from what he was feeling because feeling it wasn’t safe. At 18 he was asked to leave the house. What followed was 15 years on the road as a drummer, touring, self-destructive behaviour, living in his head while his body carried everything he wasn’t able to process. The shift came slowly. He left New York City for the mountains, almost by accident — evicted from his apartment, went for a month, stayed. In the quiet, things started emerging. He found a men’s group, started doing body-based work, and spent a decade showing up every week to practice being present in himself. From that, Meld was born — an organisation building somatic practice and community for men. In this conversation, Duncan explains what dissociation actually is and where it comes from, how the body stores what the mind can’t process, and why understanding your problem doesn’t always solve it. He talks about the gap between knowing something and feeling it — and why that gap is where the real work lives. He also talks about men’s groups — why they work, how they’re different from therapy, what it means to sit in a circle with other men and actually practise being present. And about what he’s building with Meld: programmes, retreats, and a book on how to start your own men’s group using somatic practice. Dom also opens up in this episode about his own experience since the accident last year — a growing intolerance for people who aren’t willing to be genuine, and what Duncan said in response that quietly landed. Timestamps 00:00 Ask a Man How He’s Feeling and It’s Like, Good 00:47 Note from Dom — Urgent Arm Operation and What It Made Him Think About 01:59 Torque Ten — Quickfire Questions with Duncan 04:09 What Is Dissociation — Duncan’s Definition 05:37 The Body’s Signal — There’s More Here, There’s More Here 06:25 It’s a Survival Mechanism We’ve Turned Against Ourselves 06:55 The Origin for Duncan — An Overbearing Household 08:45 Not Allowed Out After School — The Rules and the Punishment 10:10 Teaching Him He’s Unsafe, Not Teaching Him the Skills 11:00 Shutting Down the Desire to Have Needs at All 14:30 15 Years on the Road as a Drummer — Risky Behaviour and Running 17:00 The Slow Down — Leaving New York City for the Mountains 19:00 Things Starting to Emerge in the Quiet 20:30 The Healing Space Is Very Feminine — Where’s the Stuff for Men? 22:00 Finding the Men’s Group and the Somatic Practice 24:00 What Happens in the Group — Presence, Breath, Body 25:30 Why Children Dissociate — When Caregivers Can’t Handle What’s Happening 27:10 It’s Not My Fault, But It Is My Responsibility 28:50 Breaking the Cycle — Passing Something Different to His Son 30:30 The Gap Between Knowing and Feeling 32:00 Understanding Your Problem Doesn’t Always Solve It 34:00 Why Men’s Groups Work — What’s Different About Being in a Circle 36:30 The Nervous System in a Group Setting — Co-Regulation 38:30 Somatic Practice — What It Actually Involves 45:00 The CORE Programme — 10 Weeks, Men’s Group, Nervous System Education 46:46 Where to Find Duncan and Meld 48:09 Dom’s Closing Reflection You can find more about MELD @ Instagram All previous Torque episodes available at Torque - Hosted by Dom Fiore Some Episodes to try From Patrol To Podium - Torque | Acast Debunking Sleep Myths - Torque | Acast Lessons From A Father's Influence - Torque | Acast Diving Into Olympic Pressure - Torque | Acast Off Screen - Torque | Acast Do You Feel Frozen Out? - Torque | Acast What Makes A Man? Part 1 - From Anger to Understanding, A Journey of Growth - Torque | Acast We want to hear from you Get in touch through Email - connect@mantorquexy.com Instagram / Facebook / TikTok - @mantorquexy Subscribe and leave a review Original music composed and used with permission from Alex Tilley Video Editing for Socials assistance provided by Lily O'Connor Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Duncan Rich — Somatic Healing for Men: On Dissociation, Men's Groups, and Getting Out of Your Head and Into Your Body

  8. Sep 13

    The Bald Ref: The Referee Standing Up to Abuse and Why Men Need to Talk

    The Bald Ref The Referee Standing Up to Abuse and Why Men Need to Talk Guest: Johnny Cartwright — rugby referee, primary school teacher, Loose Heads ambassador Episode Description Johnny Cartwright is a primary school teacher, a dad, and a rugby referee operating at RFU National League level in the Manchester area. He is also the Manchester Referee Society Chair of Training and Development and a proud Loose Heads ambassador — an organisation that champions respecting the game and men's mental health beyond rugby. Known in the rugby world as the Bald Ref, Johnny has built a social media presence around calling out the abuse referees face on the pitch — not from the comfort of the touchline, but from the middle of it. In this conversation he talks about the incidents that shaped him: the under-15s coach who tried to get his home address after a game, the time nobody on the touchline spoke up to defend him and the silence that changed the way he operates, and the paradox of being reported for calling out abuse while the abuser walked away. He also talks about Waffle Wednesdays — a weekly voice note routine he built with two close friends to keep the lines of communication open between men who don't always find it easy to say how they're actually doing. And about Loose Heads, the world record attempts, and the goal of putting a mental health ambassador in every rugby club in the world. This is a conversation about standing up, speaking out, and the small habits that keep men connected. Timestamps 01:28 Torque Ten — Quickfire Questions with Johnny 02:42 Johnny Welcome to Talk 02:49 Entry Into Refereeing — From Coaching to the Whistle 03:39 The First Match — Nerves and a Ladies Game at a Familiar Club 05:44 Women’s vs Men’s Rugby — The Difference in Spirit 06:37 The First Time He Was Really Abused — An Under-15s County Cup Game 08:40 The Coach Who Pointed, Made Accusations, and Tried to Get His Home Address 10:20 Insinuations About Him as a Teacher — Where It Crossed a Line 11:30 Nobody Said Anything — The Silence That Changed Him 13:00 Becoming an Active Bystander — The Man Who Doesn’t Walk Past 14:30 Why He Started Posting About It — The Bald Ref on Social Media 16:00 The Paradox — Reported for Calling Out Abuse, the Abuser Walked Away 18:00 What the RFU Is Doing — and Where the Gaps Are 19:30 Respect the Ref — What Good Looks Like on a Touchline 20:45 Waffle Wednesdays — Where It Came From 21:38 How It Works — Voice Note, Two Close Friends, Every Week 22:00 Why a Voice Note Rather Than a Phone Call 23:13 The Beauty of Considered Rather Than Reactive Feedback 24:25 What Happens When He Misses a Wednesday 25:40 Men and Platitudes — Why We Don’t Say What We Mean 27:00 LooseHeadz — What It Is and What It’s Trying to Do 29:00 A Mental Health Ambassador in Every Rugby Club in the World 30:30 The Personal Loss Behind Why He Does This 32:00 Teaching Primary School Children vs Refereeing Adults 34:00 Parents at Kids’ Rugby — The Grandma and the Forward Pass 40:53 The Guinness World Record Attempt — Longest Game of Sevens Rugby 42:09 Dom’s Closing Reflection You can find Jonny at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-cartwright-7401712b?utm_source=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=member_ios https://www.instagram.com/the_bald_ref?igsi=cjNoZXFjZXkyd20w&utm_source=qr We want to hear from you Get in touch through Email - connect@mantorquexy.com Instagram / Facebook / TikTok - @mantorquexy Subscribe and leave a review Original music composed and used with permission from Alex Tilley Video Editing for Socials assistance provided by Lily O'Connor Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    The Bald Ref: The Referee Standing Up to Abuse and Why Men Need to Talk
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About

A podcast about men, life, connection and the things we don’t always say out loud  Have you ever felt like there's too much pressure, and nowhere to turn? Well you’re not alone and this podcast is for you. This podcast exists because host Dom Fiore suffered a life changing injury that sent him on a journey of discovery. Dom believes that proper connection is what is missing for most men and he wants to understand how we can make that change together. With a focus on lived experience Dom is on a journey to discover real life stories with real life men and experts on a range of subjects to understand how we can connect, deal with and share the changes and experiences that life brings. We talk about life, health, fitness, career, family, relationships, stress and how we connect as men. The show will feature in depth interviews, personal reflections and how we keep going when the pressure is on. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    Dom Fiore
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    28
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Dom Fiore
  • Show Website
    Torque

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