This week I speak with a returning guest, Dr. Justin Coulson, one of Australia’s leading parenting experts, co-host of Channel 9’s Parental Guidance, and host of the Happy Families podcast. We discuss his latest book, Boys: Building Strong Young Men from the Inside Out, and dive into why the modern conversation surrounding boys and young men is missing the mark. Rather than treating boys as a societal problem to be managed, Justin shares how parents and youth leaders can help them build character, cultivate internal motivation, and step into an aspirational vision of healthy masculinity.

We explore the psychology of why young people do what they do, how to move beyond shallow compliance and coercion, and what it truly takes to create environments where our youth feel connected, capable, and empowered to live the gospel.

Some highlights from this episode include:

  • Redefining Healthy Masculinity: Justin shares an empowering definition of masculinity inspired by Richard Reeves: a healthy man is one who helps the people around him feel and be safer and stronger. We explore how this vision aligns with the Aaronic Priesthood theme to ground young men in their divine identity and purpose.
  • The Continuum of Motivation: A breakdown of the five levels of motivation—from the shallow "kiddie pool" of external carrots and sticks, to duty-bound introjection, and into the deep waters of integrated and intrinsic conversion where youth live the gospel because they truly value and love it.
  • The Three Basic Psychological Needs: How leaders and parents can prevent church dropout by nurturing relatedness (connection and belonging), competence (feeling capable and worthy), and autonomy (acting by persuasion rather than coercion).
  • Grace Over Surveillance: A moving account of how a wise bishop transformed a potential church standard confrontation into a powerful moment of unconditional love and inclusion.
  • The "Chair Stackers" and Real Role Models: Why young men need to see living examples of service, compassion, and discipleship in action, and how pointing our youth toward Christ provides the ultimate model of what a man should be.

About Dr. Justin Coulson

Dr. Justin Coulson is one of Australia’s most trusted parenting authors, keynote speakers, and media commentators. He holds a PhD in Psychology from the University of Wollongong and is the co-host of Channel 9’s hit television program Parental Guidance. Alongside his wife Kylie, he hosts the Happy Families podcast—Australia’s leading family and parenting show. Justin is the author of multiple bestselling books on parenting and family life, including Miss-Connection, 21 Days to a Happier Family, and The Parenting Revolution. He and Kylie are the parents of six daughters and live in Australia.

Connect with Dr. Justin Coulson & Discover His Work:

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