Shamsudin Hakim says men seeking emotional healing need safe masculine spaces: groups or mentors who model healthy masculinity without the toughness and aggression. In these environments, a man learns that assertiveness doesn't equal abuse and masculinity doesn't have to be dangerous.
Step 2, safe masculine spaces. Marcus needs to be around safe men, not the men who hurt him, not the locker room hypermasculine toughen up energy. Safe men, men who are emotionally available, men who've done their own work, men who can model what healthy masculinity looks like without judgment. A men's group, a mentorship, a church small group with men who are honest. Somewhere he can slowly learn being masculine doesn't mean being dangerous, being assertive doesn't mean being an abuser.
