In this moving episode of And Now Love, Cynthia Marks sits down with Father Greg Boyle, founder of Homeboy Industries, to explore what healing looks like when a community chooses tenderness over judgment. Father Greg shares how Homeboy began at Dolores Mission in the middle of eight warring gangs—and how burying young people pushed him to build jobs, training, and a “movement” rooted in kinship. He explains why people arrive “barricaded behind a wall of shame,” and why the only thing that scales that wall is tenderness—a place to feel safe, seen, and cherished. The conversation reframes “bad behavior” as a language that points to the “thorn underneath,” inviting curiosity instead of condemnation. They discuss mental health as the defining health issue of our time, and why society should make health assessments—not moral judgments—about violence and hatred. Father Greg describes “clear love” (not tough love), and how Homeboy sets boundaries while staying connected and compassionate. The episode closes with a bold invitation: build compelling communities where there is “no daylight” between us—because none of us are well until all of us are well.

00:00 — Origins of Homeboy + “cherished” as the secret sauce

08:35 — Shame, tenderness, and why love needs “new language”

17:10 — “Find the thorn underneath”: trauma-informed curiosity

25:45 — Mental health, meds, and “it’s about health—not hate”

34:20 — Clear love: boundaries, rehab, and the “no-fly list”

42:55 — Gangs vs. gang members: hope, community, and tattoo removal

51:30 — Unconditional vs. conditional love + Homeboy’s turning point

1:00:00 — Conclusion: demonizing, healing models, and Hope Village

In this candid and deeply human conversation, Cynthia Marks sits down with Mädchen Amick—actress, director, writer, and co-founder of the inclusive mental health foundation Don’t Mind Me—to talk about what happens when a family is forced to navigate a system that doesn’t work. Mädchen shares how her son Sylvester’s first major episode in college thrust their family into emergency rooms, misdiagnoses, and a long search for truly qualified mental health care. She explains why mental illness remains so stigmatized, and how education helped her separate “my son talking” from “his disorder talking,” shifting the entire family dynamic. Together they explore the staggering lack of access, the predatory cost of treatment, and why the brain needs real time to heal—more like recovery from a heart attack than a quick fix. Mädchen describes Don’t Mind Me’s mission: vetted resources, scholarships for treatment, and an ambitious brick-and-mortar “holistic campus” that bridges the gap between crisis stabilization and long-term recovery. She offers practical guidance for families—stay loving, stay present, and don’t confuse fear with leadership. The episode closes with a message of collective responsibility: mental health is not “them and us”—it’s all of us, together.

00:00 — What “Don’t Mind Me” Means + Why Stigma Persists

07:10 — The Broken System

14:20 — The Cost of Care: Insurance Gaps and “$100k a Month” Quotes

21:30 — Crisis Stabilization vs Residential Treatment

28:40 — Sylvester’s Diagnosis Journey

35:50 — Psychiatry on Staff, Tracks, and Long-Term Care

43:00 — How Families Can Help

50:10 — Genetics, “Superpower,” Community, and Support

In this thoughtful return episode, Cynthia Marks welcomes Dr. Tom Paris, a retired psychotherapist whose practice centered on dreamwork and the teachings of Dr. Bernard Bail. Together they explore “the masculine” through the lens of the mother’s imprint—the emotional and unconscious material a fetus absorbs while “marinating” in a mother’s inner life. Tom explains how the imprint becomes a lifelong survival strategy: we learn early to monitor and manage the mother’s emotional state, often at the expense of knowing who we truly are. From there, the conversation expands into power, privilege, and why gender inequality persists—sometimes reinforced by both men and women through culture, fear, and the comfort of the status quo. Cynthia and Tom discuss father involvement in pregnancy, how men can be supported to develop emotional fluency, and why mothers also need permission to raise sensitive boys. They connect personal change to cultural change: progress often comes in small steps, with backlash, and requires courage. The episode ends with a hopeful invitation—use your dreams to know yourself, clear the “trash,” and build a world where men and women share equal space.

00:00 — What the Imprint Is

06:10 — Babies, Survival, and Losing the Self

12:15 — Why Men Don’t Engage in Pregnancy (and Why It Matters)

18:20 — Power, Privilege, and the “Less-Than” Training

24:30 — Culture Change: Steps Forward, Backlash, Repeat

30:40 — Idealizing Parents, Repeating Patterns in Love

36:50 — Feelings, Empathy, and Raising Boys Differently

43:10 — What Equality Could Look Like + Closing Invitation