Why Traditional Therapy Fails Men and What Actually Works Instead featuring Vince Benevento

Vince Benevento, a licensed counselor and founder of Causeway Collaborative, shares a harrowing personal journey of his son Leo’s life-threatening battle with aplastic anemia and a rare fungal infection that led to a spinal fusion—spanning 150 hospital days. This crisis, coupled with Vince’s own history of mental health struggles and substance use since his teens, became the crucible for his mission: redefining therapy for men. He argues that traditional talk therapy fails men because it’s deficit-based, labeling them as broken, while his model empowers men through action, autonomy, and co-designed goals. Vince’s book, *Boys Will Be Men: Eight Lessons for the Lost American Male*, centers on reclaiming masculinity through purpose, wildness, and self-ownership. He reveals that men don’t need more talk—they need a battle to fight, an adventure to pursue, and permission to be messy. His work with young men like Jimmy, who rebuilt his identity through a reptile breeding side hustle, proves that healing happens not in silence but in doing. Vince’s message is clear: your mess isn’t a flaw—it’s your message, and it’s the very thing that can help others rise.