Raised by Wolves, Possibly Monsters: From Mobster to Reiki Master

Raw, compassionate, and perceptive, Michael Swerdloff’s memoir RAISED BY WOLVES, POSSIBLY MONSTERS is a vital excavation of toxic masculinity’s rot—and an urgent call for individual and cultural transformation. ~Edward Sung for IndieReader

He learned early that power meant violence.

That love could not be trusted.

And that vulnerability was weakness.

So Michael Swerdloff became exactly what the world around him trained him to be: dangerous, dishonest, emotionally disconnected, and spiraling toward self-destruction.

But RAISED BY WOLVES, POSSIBLY MONSTERS is not just a memoir about surviving abuse, addiction, and toxic masculinity—it’s about what happens when a man decides to stop running from himself.

In a story that moves from criminal underworlds to spiritual awakening, from chaos to compassion, Swerdloff takes readers through an astonishing transformation that includes recovery, deep inner work, meditation retreats, healing practices, and encounters that would change his life forever.

Brutally honest and deeply moving, this memoir offers something rare: a portrait of male accountability without excuses—and proof that even the most damaged people are capable of change.

This is not a story about perfection.

It’s a story about choosing humanity, one painful step at a time.

An extraordinary journey that includes 10 days with the Dalai Lama, a four-month silent retreat, and a solo backpacking expedition in the Gobi Desert of Mongolia.

If you are ready for a raw and impactful memoir with redemption and transformation through personal and spiritual healing, Raised by Wolves, Possibly Monsters is the memoir for you!

Michael has been a counselor, coach, social worker, community organizer, educator, writer, and DJ for more than twenty-five years. He has received training from His Holiness the Dalai Lama, The Gottman Institute, and other revered teachers and healers. Along with his private practice, Michael is the Program Manager at Dance New England, a volunteer-centered non-profit that hosts dance events that cultivate a vibrant multi-generational community. Michael facilitates retreats in New England and globally. He laughs often, hugs deeply, and practices meditation, Reiki, yoga, and dance daily. He lives by the water in Rhode Island, which is not an island.