Generation of Men

We have a problem and the problem is with our boys – the next generation of men. Between the ages of 12 to 15, boys undergo a pivotal phase of character development. During these years, they shore up the identities of the men they’ll become. However, we have a situation on our hands. The world today is complex. Technology, social media, current events, and dynamic shifts in culture have exposed modern youth to complicated concepts and situations at a much younger age. Children are navigating the ideas of adulthood in nearly every interaction. Yet, they have limited access to male role models.Meanwhile, they are receiving conflicting definitions of masculinity. In movies and tv, they see “macho” male idols while, at the same time, hear echoes from society that “men are bad.” Amidst these convoluted expectations and assumptions, boys will turn to their friends, celebrities, video games, and the internet to learn how to “be a man.” The result is a patchwork manhood.Because boys with absent fathers are forced to source male role models from different places, their concept of manhood is also pieced together. Today, we have a systemic problem of prolonging immaturity into adulthood. What’s more, this “patchwork manhood” is being passed generation to generation. And what we see is a generation of boys who seem distant, upset, angry, apathetic and detached. Generation of Men addresses the problem we have with our boys—the next generation of men. Serving as a how-to guide for fathers struggling to connect or reconnect with their sons, Dr. Clay provides fathers with the framework to use his proven program, The Quest Project®, designed to provide immediate help and hope to fathers and sons.Generation of Men reveals what our boys need and what they are missing. It discusses the importance of the father-son relationship, depicting real-life examples of broken father-son relationships through case studies. Most importantly, it introduces a boys’ modern-day rite-of-passage towards becoming a man. Generation of Men addresses:•The Problem with Punishment & How to Set Ground Rules•The Wounds Boys Share: The Ways Fathers are Absent Today•What is Influencing Your Son•Why Some Boys Never Grow Up•The 5 Things Critical for your Son’s Transition into Manhood•Breaking the Cycle of Pain

Clayton Lessor, PhD, LPC, is the author of Generation of Men and the Founder of The Quest Project, founded in 1996. He has authored a number of books on saving this generation of men including Saving Our Sons: A Parent's Guide to Preparing Boys for Success, The Effect of Modern Day Initiation and Mentoring on Adolescent Boy, Difference of a Counselor Facilitated Adolescent Boys Group on Behavior, and he co-authored The Role of Deceased Mentors in the Ongoing Lives of Protégés.

After serving as a commissioned officer in the Air National Guard, Dr. Clay devoted his life’s work to studying childhood trauma and adolescent development. Driven by his own childhood history, Dr. Clay’s personal mission is to steward healthy lifestyles by teaching, facilitating, writing, researching, and serving as an example for boys and men everywhere.

Dr. Clay’s work and doctoral focus was built upon the foundational works of psychologists Erik Erikson and Urie Bronfenbrenner. After more than two decades of study, he has crafted a Modern-Day Rite-of-Passage program that contextualizes psychosocial and bioecological theory into a practical format for modern boys. With 18 years and well over 2,000 participants, The Quest Project has shown proven results, both quantitatively and in the personal testimonials of the families directly impacted.

Dr. Clay hopes that one day The Quest Project will be available to all boys across the country. For that reason, he splits his time between training other LPCs and LCSWs as facilitators of The Quest Project while continuing to steward growth for boys in his own practice, located in St. Louis, Missouri, as well as facilitating an intensive weekend version of the project at treatment centers, youth organizations, and churches upon request. 

When he isn’t working, Dr. Clay spends his free time at home, with his wife and two dogs.

Dr. Clay is also the founder of Charity Patch, a not-for-profit urban garden founded in 2013, which provides fresh produce to local food pantries. He can often be found in the garden along with a dozen or more The Quest Project graduates, covered in dirt, with an armful of veggies.