Men have a primal side that is often villainized and stigmatized as toxic. What does it mean to be Alpha? What does it mean to be wild in a healthy way? At Sacred Journey Recovery, we look to wolves as one of our sources of wisdom. The Alpha pair in a wolf pack teaches the necessity for strength and vulnerability, edge and softness. Wolves teach us that vulnerability and openness are true expressions of strength. The wolf has been stigmatized for generations; their wildness has been misunderstood for millenia. When we interact with these creatures, they teach us how to be open and how to carry ourselves with respect, not just for others but also for ourselves.

The wildness in men is a source of strength and power not to be pushed off into the shadows but celebrated. It must be integrated in a healthy way. Masculinity is not toxic, but without self-understanding and models to guide us, power can be corrupting. Wolf therapy offers us a window into the most primal parts of our psyche so that we can begin to build structures that allow us to channel our own powers as men in ways that are healthy, loving, and create life for us and those around us.