Episode 9: Healing Men: The Unseen Battle with Trauma

THE UNSEEN BATTLE: WHY MEN SUCK AT HEALING FROM TRAUMA

Let’s get real. Men don’t talk about trauma. We barely talk about emotions at all, so why the hell would we open up about the stuff that actually messed us up? Instead, we do what we’ve been trained to do—bury it, numb it, ignore it, and hope it just goes away. Spoiler alert: It doesn’t.  

In this episode of The Evolved Caveman Podcast, Dr. John Schinnerer sits down with Malachi Gillihan, a PhD candidate and men’s trauma specialist who’s making it his mission to help men face their demons instead of running from them. Malachi knows what he’s talking about, because he’s been there. As a survivor of child sexual trauma, he understands firsthand how trauma rewires the brain, hijacks emotions, and shapes how men show up (or don’t) in relationships, work, and life.  

We explore the messy, uncomfortable, and absolutely necessary conversation about men and trauma—why we avoid it, how it impacts us in ways we don’t even realize, and what the hell to do about it.  

THE UNCOMFORTABLE TOPICS WE’RE DIVING INTO  

- What trauma actually is (hint: it’s not just war vets and car crashes)  

- The helplessness factor and why it screws men up more than we think  

- Clinical vs. subclinical PTSD and why so many guys are walking around with undiagnosed trauma  

- How gender socialization makes healing harder (because apparently, “suck it up” isn’t great medical advice)  

- Why co-regulation matters in recovery and why going it alone is the worst plan ever  

- How the rugged individualism myth keeps men stuck in cycles of pain  

- The power of group therapy and why healing happens faster when you stop trying to tough it out solo  

ABOUT MALACHI GILLIHAN  

Malachi is not your typical trauma expert. He’s a yogi, spiritual counselor, and trauma specialist who blends Eastern and Western approaches to recovery. He’s taught over 1,000 classes on trauma, meditation, and healing, runs a private practice, and leads retreats designed to help men break free from the weight of their past. With a Master’s in East-West Psychology and a PhD in progress focused on group-based interventions for survivors of sexual trauma, he’s spent years studying how trauma rewires the brain and how men can reclaim their emotional health.  

If you’ve ever thought, “I don’t have trauma," or "That stuff doesn’t affect me," this episode might just prove you wrong. And if you’ve been carrying something heavy for way too long, this conversation could be the first step toward finally putting it down.