Sven Masterson

I’m Sven Masterson. I take men on journeys of self-discovery
I show them how to experience life with a healed heart, a sound mind, calm emotions, confident actions, deep and emotionally satisfying connection, and vibrant, passionate intimacy.

But what else? Who is Sven Masterson?

I have a confession to make. In many ways, Sven Masterson is a nobody. Literally

Grab a coffee, and let me explain…

I’ve been a long-time Starbucks customer. Being the smart ass that I am, I’ve routinely provided fictitious names to baristas asking for a name for my order. The simple and stupid things in life sometimes make me smile.

Several years ago, I offered the name “Sven”. I hadn’t counted on these young hipsters remembering my name, and pretty soon, they were greeting me with “Hey Sven!” when I arrived for another dose of their overpriced coffee.

I enjoyed the experience of being known as someone else. As the years went by, more people started calling me “Sven.” My wife and I each took on our “Starbucks names” as personas unto themselves and began calling one another “Sven” and “Zelda” on occasion. Then, even those stuck. More and more people came to know us as “Sven” and “Zelda.”

Meanwhile, after years of using Facebook under my true identity, I finally weaned myself away. Soon after, one of our six children decided to travel the world and informed us he would only place his travel updates on Facebook.

Sigh! I had sworn off the Facebook lifestyle and was determined not to go back. If I signed back up, I knew I’d be right back into the false “friendships” and would have to undo it all again.

However, I didn’t want to miss out on my son’s travel updates. I needed a solution. I needed an alter ego for social media, and Sven was my ticket.

Thing is… Sven had always lacked a last name (“surname” for my overseas friends). I chose “Masterson” as a clever way of identifying myself as “The Master’s Son,” which reflects my relationship with my master – Yehovah, and his son Yeshua of Nazareth. Though I am a person of faith, I’m not a religious person (something many men worry about when contacting me).

I never set out to befriend anyone on Facebook as Sven. As part of my journey, I joined an online coaching community where Facebook was a major component. Once again – “Sven” found some usefulness as my Facebook persona.

As life would have it, I ended up creating offline relationships with these real-life human beings – all who knew me as Sven Masterson.

Today, Sven Masterson lives on – almost as an archetype of myself. At the very least, it’s easier to remember and spell than my real name. You’ll have to meet me in person or get to know me quite well to get me to tell you what that is.

So why do I continue as Sven? In short, I want to limit my involvement to only those who care to know me deeply and invest in a relationship with one another. Doing so also allows my family and me a modicum of privacy from internet trolls and malcontents. I work with many men in crisis, and if you’ve ever seen the movie “What About Bob?”, you can appreciate why a pseudonym is appropriate for my life’s work.

I’ve been in a continuous, monogamous relationship with the same beautiful woman, Zelda, for thirty years. I’m also the father of six wonderful kids (ranging between the ages of 10 and 26). I’m also a homesteader, tinkerer, outdoorsman (as if you couldn’t tell from my website!), Lollard, and a passionate lover of people.

Though I am a full-time, certified professional men’s coach, that only means something to you if you choose to have it do so. Who certifies? Who certifies them? I am not a mental health practitioner, lawyer, or physician, nor do I pretend to be. As a mentor and coach, I help you find your answers.

I have no meaningful professional credentials, but I have helped hundreds of men (some of them credentialed practitioners) to experience the restoration of themselves and their marriages – and often after trying everything else available.

I’ve been able to do this by sharing my own journey, one fraught with many meaningful experiences – good and bad – and I offer those to others in mentoring relationships.