ODL 398: Embodied Masculinity: Supporting Men’s Mental Health Through Somatic Practice

1 Credit Hour: This 1-hour continuing education training introduces helping professionals to the MELD (Men’s Emotional Leadership Development) model, emphasizing a somatic, bottom-up approach to supporting men’s mental health. Grounded in Stephen Porges’ polyvagal theory, participants will explore how the nervous system hierarchy and physiological states, such as the freeze response and disassociation, impact a man’s capacity for emotional expression and authentic connection. Ultimately, practitioners will be equipped to foster co-regulation, honor vulnerability, and support men in building emotional resilience and meaningful, restorative communities.