The Evolved Caveman: Stress, Relationships, and Emotional Mastery for Men

"The biggest barrier to success is not that others are unwilling to give but that we are afraid to ask.” - Adam Grant, NY Times bestselling author I love it when, the most powerful ideas are the simplest. Find out how you can begin to master the one tool that stands between you and your success: the ability to ask for what you need to succeed and be happy.  The Man Box culture teaches the value of...

One of the biggest factors in a happy, thriving life is meaning. Knowing your ‘why’, you can get through any ‘how.’ This show was previously aired in 2022, however it’s one of my all-time favorite episodes as the content is simple, actionable & significant.  Topics covered… Why is meaning so important for us? How do you discover your meaning in life? Are there individual differences in terms o...

What's the best way to strengthen your connection in your romantic relationship and navigate through the complexities of your deepest core emotional wounds? Join me, Dr. John, and my partner Joree Rose as we dive into the essential understanding of core wounds in relationships, shedding light on how these deep-seated emotional injuries can impact our interactions and connections with our partners....

Love Isn’t Enough: Is Intensive Couples Therapy Right For You? Dr. John Schinnerer & Joree Rose, LMFT Join Joree and I in an in-depth conversation about our experience in intensive couples therapy (i.e., 2 six-hour days of therapy with Charlie & Linda Bloom!). We also go into our belief that intensives are a much more effective means to create positive, lasting change than the traditional...

One of the biggest sources of human suffering comes from our tendency to avoid uncomfortable emotions. We are not taught how to face these unpleasant, somewhat frequent experiences. Our first (and sometimes only) strategy is to suppress them, ignore them, or become overwhelmed by them. Yet how we meet and greet these difficult emotions with curiosity has everything to do with our well-being, resil...

Anyone who has ever been a people-pleaser can know how hard it is to be in relationships that don’t have reciprocity. It can feel like we give and give and give, and just because we are connected in the relationship, can think it’s enough, when in reality, we end up feeling depleted and resentful. In this joint episode, with my partner in life and love, Joree Rose, LMFT, we talk about 6 areas that...

One partner has an anxious attachment style and gets triggered by her partner needing a time out during an argument, or threatening to leave. The other partner has an avoidant attachment style and gets emotionally flooded during disagreements. During these challenging moments, the anxious partner seeks to turn towards their partner, needing to reconnect in order to calm their physiology. The avoid...

Psychedelics have been described as “the mind revealing itself to itself.” Recent research backs this notion up, showing the profound healing impact of psychedelics such as psilocybin (magic mushrooms), MDMA, and more. MDMA has been deemed “breakthrough status” by the FDA for folks struggling with PTSD. Psilocybin has been given “breakthrough status” by the FDA for its positive results for individ...

Let’s face it: couples argue. Disagreements are inevitable. Arguing is not a problem; in fact, there’s a lot of authenticity & freedom in being able to express yourself fully, even when you’re angry. The problem is when arguing is ineffective, or when anger & insults erode the safety & security of your relationship. However, there are proven ways that you can argue better; ways that ac...

Yoga is a group of physical, mental, energetic and spiritual practices which originated in ancient India, aim to still the mind and reduce human suffering (Duḥkha). Yoga can even include sexual energy in its practices. Yoga-like practices were first mentioned in the ancient Hindu text known as Rigveda. Yoga is referred to in a number of the Upanishads. The first known appearance of the word "yoga"...

One of the most important pillars of a happy, thriving life is your relationship with your partner. Yet, so many of us struggle in this area.  What do you need to be more satisfied in your relationship?  How do you get your needs met?  How do you put an end to having the same frikkin’ arguments over and over?   How do you get a handle on your anger so your partner feels safe and secure in the rela...

In an epoch of disconnection, alienation, loneliness and lack of meaning, how do we begin to tap into happiness? How might we start to cultivate personal power and self-confidence? How can the challenges we face ignite and illuminate our gifts to the world? Join Dr. John as he chats with Stephanie James, a psychotherapist, author & filmmaker on these topics and many more, such as… How does a t...

Join Joree and I in our new monthly Master Class series on Relationships: https://joreerose.com/theawaremethodmasterclass/ And join us in Costa Rica Sept 28-Oct. 5, 2024: https://joreerose.com/retreats/costa-rica/ In this joint episode with my partner Joree Rose, LMFT,, we talk with esteemed therapists, Charlie and Linda Bloom, who were an integral part of our healing after our breakup. Married fo...

At the root of all happy and fulfilled relationships are deep connections - emotional, spiritual, intellectual, and physical. Connection is something we all say we want and yet not many know how to actually achieve it in a sustainable way. In this episode, Joree and I share some far out stories about our plunge into spirituality, owl familiars, psychedelics and healing our relationship following o...

2023 was a rough year for me. And I suspect it may have been rough for you too. In hopes of lightening things up as we head into a more peaceful and productive 2024, I interview Alli Goldberg, an up and coming comedian who, among other things, hosts a live dating show, Love Isn’t Blind, in which the men cannot speak. Alli and I talk about what she has found out about dating given her unique perspe...

Even though men as a group have power, individual men often feel powerless. These contradictory experiences contribute to men’s hurting—hurting others and being hurt. Depression has risen to unprecedented highs in men. Loneliness among men is an epidemic. How do we reconcile these disparate truths? Based on more than fifteen years of research, Keith E. Edwards, PhD, illuminates men’s masking, unma...

At the root of all happy and fulfilled relationships are deep connections - emotional, spiritual, intellectual, and sexual. Connection is something we all say we want and yet not many of us know how to actually achieve it in a way that is truly sustainable. In this episode, Joree and I share some stories from our recent trip to Africa that highlight the importance and value of human connection. We...

Earlier this year, I went through a breakup with my partner, Joree. It was bruuuuutal. Fortunately, we reconciled after two months and now are stronger than ever. Yet, it raises a critical question: How do you BEST deal with the painful breakup from a loved one?  We know that love is addictive. So breakups are a lot like kicking a substance abuse problem. But why do some people get addicted to the...

 To what extent are you sexually repressed? Do you have a hard time talking about sex? Body parts? Can you ask for what you want in bed? Do you even know what you want? Great sex is an important part of a satisfying relationship. Find out more about how to level up the sexual part of your relationship in this episode of The Evolved Caveman.  Topics covered: How to bring playfulness into your sex l...

The Wisdom of Elders. What can we learn from the wisdom of men who have suffered trauma, made mistakes & risen above it all? As it turns out, we can learn an incredible amount.   Don St John’s life has been nothing short of miraculous. He suffered abuse in childhood—violent beatings & constant verbal abuse. In his early twenties, he was incapable of feeling human connection, had poor impul...

Star Wars. Lord Of The Rings. Call Of Duty.  Homer’s Odyssey. Spiderman. All are examples of the Hero’s Journey. Popularized by the famed mythologist Joseph Campbell, this story arc is etched into our minds and hearts as what we are to do if we are to succeed as men. Yet, what happens if our lives are merely ordinary? What if we never get the chance to be a hero? Do we matter any less? Find out mo...

Slightly over two weeks ago, Joree and I came home from an epic Africa trip. The following day, the police came to my door to tell me my 23-year-old son, Brett, was dead. As always, I try to use experiences in my life to authentically and honestly teach others - how to feel, how to cope, how to make meaning, and how to rejuvenate and re-open the heart after loss. Trigger warning: This one is raw,...

The cliche’ that happiness is an inside job is true. Jon Kabat-Zinn said, “wherever you go, there you are.” The foundational step to a happier, more fulfilling life is self-awareness. And 95% of us will quickly self-report that we are highly self-aware. In truth, it’s about 12% of us. One of the most powerful ways to increase self-awareness is meditation. It allows us to turn inwards and explore t...

Research from Gallup Organization has shown for decades that employee engagement is minimal. Gallup defines employee engagement as the involvement and enthusiasm of employees in both their work and workplace. Yet, only 23% of the workforce is actively engaged in their job, while 25% is actively disengaged. This bottom quartile has been shown to have 81% more absenteeism, 43% higher turnover, 28% m...

New developments in the treatment of mental health challenges have traditionally been painfully slow to arrive - until now. Talk therapy, lithium, prozac, electroshock therapy have all developed in the past 150 years. There have been a number of new medications developed but each has its own profile of positive and negative benefits. And few are highly effective (i.e., help more than 50% of the po...