There are many fancy definitions one could give to the term mentoring but in simple terms, mentoring is simply the act of advising and supporting someone in some area of life. A mentor usually has a certain level of experience walking the path that he is wanting to take a mentee on. A mentor can be older than a mentee though this is often not the case as youth is not always a hallmark of inexperience and older age is not always a hallmark of learned wisdom.

Men’s mentoring simply involves a man serving as a mentor to another man.

Men’s mentoring could cover a number of areas of life including things like: being clear on who you are, what your values are, self-care, mission/purpose, personal hobbies/interests, relationships, spirituality, health, romance/sex, and finances.

I think a critical part of this definition is mentoring involves both advising/training AND supporting/encouraging.

If a man were simply teaching or training another man on something, then it would probably be more appropriate to label that man a teacher, advisor, or trainer.

On the other hand, if a man were simply supporting another man on something, then it would probably be more appropriate to label that man anything from a friend to a counselor.

What’s the difference between a men’s mentor and men’s coach? In this day and age, I have seen those terms interchangeably. Having done training as a life coach (which I also do)– I have learned that, strictly speaking, there are some nuanced but important differences in the approach of a mentor and a coach.

How is mentoring different from therapy? Good question! Again, there’s overlap here but the big difference is that therapy can often be used for medical conditions and is used to help people when they are mentally unhealthy. Mentoring is generally best reserved for people that are fairly functional but highly motivated and willing to work on areas they feel stuck in life.

So, what are the benefits of men’s mentoring?

Glad you asked!

Benefits include but are not limited to the following:

  • pondering and implementing the power of beliefs and the nature of value
  • discovering and articulating your masculine operating principles,
  • learning how to have a healthy self
  • taking ownership of your life
  • moving your local of control from external to internal
  • learning to lead in life and relationships
  • relationship polarity
  • understanding sex and sexuality
  • embracing triggers as a cue to go deeper
  • enhancing your self-care
  • the power of vulnerability

If this sounds interesting, reach out to me by emailing me at [email protected] or setting up a free consultation at www.thrivinglifeguide.com. I’d be happy to talk to you!