If you're a man who isn't depressed, suicidal, haven't been sexually abused, but is interested in talking deeply and meaningfully about your inner life with others, where do you go?

Program director David Hatfield says that type of social space has been missing for men who aren't in distress or in need of counselling.

"You need to be in pretty deep trouble before support services, particularly health care and social service kick in with a naming of something," he says on the line from Gabriola Island where he's temporarily conducting workshops.

What has helped to fill the gap is Manology, a participatory and experience-based course to address what it means to be male, that Hatfield runs.

Now entering its eighth year, the course is progressing into a new phase, with the fall term becoming a template for an introductory course that will allow participants to later pursue topics of interest in a forthcoming expansion of the program.

The fall term—kind of a "best of" compilation taken from the past seven years—will focus on "core themes of interest for men" and will help newcomers understand" how to learn to be together in a positive culture of exploration together as men". Topics will include having purpose in life, sexuality, awareness, and conflict.

Although he calls it a course, don't expect to be told how to think, how to act or react, or how to feel.

"These aren't presentations," Hatfield says. "This isn't a 'This is the way you should react to this.' This is a space to think and feel and share, and to see these issues through multiple perspectives. You know, 'Look at the big picture but also look at the people in this room. These are the people who showed up tonight who are touched by this subject and they had the courage and intention to come and be here together and share.' "

Hatfield explains that this course is designed to help men address "scripted masculinity" and to explore their identities as men.

"For the most part, for most of us, our family system, our cultural system, and our educational system as young people never really acknowledged that we are part of a gender group and there's a lot of identity stuff in there and for most men…it's pretty dormant in a way in terms of exploration," he says.

While in the past, the course has tackled difficult and hot-button topics such as sexual assault, sex and power, feminism, and violence, he admits it's "not easy work" and has often been challenging for him as a facilitator.

However, while the course helps to build a supportive community of men, he also sees it as preventative work. Although there has been an increase in men's health initiatives over the past few years, the majority are addressing physical and mental health issues, which are often dealing with symptoms rather than causes.

Manology attempts to get at the core issues of masculinity which play into those issues.

"What a lot of men could benefit from is more male friendships, and just one more night of the week when they're not at home on the computer watching TV or being with people but not in a way that really fulfills them and having a safe space or an enjoyable, dynamic space to try and do that, to have opportunities to explore connecting with people differently and watching how other men make use of the same kind of space," he says.

Hatfield realizes that it's also not easy work and can sometimes be a hard sell. He acknowledges there is also a need for grants, support, and infrastructure for his type of work.

"Doing masculinity work's not quick," he admits. "It really requires a real deep skill of leadership, which is multidimensional, and time and repetition. So it's a slower go."

But he says that the past seven years of running the course have been "deeply" educational for him, and have been the basis for many of the close friendships he's developed with both men and women.

The fall term of Manology begins on Monday (September 12) and runs until November 28 at the Roundhouse Community Centre (181 Roundhouse Mews). For more information, visit the Manology website.