The Engaged Father Project

High Conflict Divorce: What Parent Need to Know

High-conflict divorce can leave parents overwhelmed, exhausted, and unsure how to protect their children in the middle of the chaos. In this episode of Father Talks, host Michael Darden sits down with Lisa Johnson, high-conflict divorce strategist, certified domestic violence advocate, and co-founder of Been There Got Out. Together, they discuss legal abuse, toxic co-parenting, false claims, and what parents can do when an ex tries to damage their relationship with their children. This is a powerful conversation about staying grounded, protecting your peace, and fighting for your children without losing yourself in the battle.

From Anger to Awareness

In this powerful conversation, Emily Jacobson, a somatic coach and nervous system educator, breaks down how men can better understand what is happening inside their bodies before emotions like anger, stress, and frustration take over. She shares practical tools for calming the nervous system, building emotional awareness, and creating healthier responses in difficult moments. From neuroplasticity to the vagus nerve, this episode opens the door to a deeper conversation about healing, self-control, and emotional strength. It is a reminder that true resilience is not about hiding what you feel, but learning how to lead yourself through it.

The Dominatrix, The Dad, and The Truth About Power

This week on Father Talks, the room gets charged with a different kind of honesty as Michael sits down with Amanda Dames, The Kink Consultant, for a conversation that pulls power, desire, control, and vulnerability out of the shadows and places them directly on the table. Amanda brings the fire of her experience as a former professional dominatrix, certified sex and relationship coach, and unapologetic educator to break down what kink really teaches people about trust, consent, communication, and emotional exposure. This is not shock-value conversation. It is grown, direct, and deeply revealing. Together, Michael and Amanda explore the tension between dominance and surrender, fantasy and responsibility, pleasure and partnership, showing how the same conversations people avoid in the bedroom often become the conversations that determine the strength of a relationship. This episode is bold. It is mature. It is uncomfortable in all the right ways. Because sometimes the truth about power is not about who is in control. It is about whether two people trust each other enough to be honest. Mature audience warning. Listener discretion advised.

Led by Faith not By Rank

Michael sits with John Smith, a retired Marine Master Sergeant, to talk about life after the uniform and the identity shift every man faces. This episode dives into faith, fatherhood, and what it really means to lead when rank is no longer part of the equation.

The Sou Love Mentor-Joanna Shakti

Today on Father Talks, we welcome Joanna Shakti, founder of Ecstatic Intimacy® and a powerful voice in the world of love, relationships, masculine-feminine dynamics, and conscious connection. Joanna brings a unique blend of wisdom, warmth, spirituality, and real-life experience to help people understand what it means to love deeper, communicate better, and reconnect with themselves and their partners. From her background in engineering and corporate leadership to her journey into intimacy mentoring, Joanna’s story is one of transformation, healing, and purpose. In this conversation, we explore love, intimacy, self-awareness, and how men can show up with more presence, honesty, and emotional strength in their relationships.