About Me
“The journey back to yourself isn’t linear. It is through the Maze of life.”
— David Kernohan
Who I Am
David Kernohan — Mentor Inner Cartographer
I walk alongside men as a mentor, helping them rediscover themselves after grief, disconnection, and identity loss.
I know what it’s like to look strong on the outside and feel hollow inside.
To survive what you never thought you could—and still feel lost.
My work is grounded in three core values:
Authenticity
Helping you tell the truth without shame
Compassion
Making space for what still aches
Courage
Walking with you as you face what’s been buried
My Story
For years, I lived the life I thought would bring meaning.
Husband
Pastor of churches
Father
But even before my son Matthew died in 2009, I had already begun leaving the church—and the version of myself I had built inside it.
I walked away from fundamentalism.
I walked away from ministry.
I walked away from ministry.
Not because I lost faith, but because I could no longer survive the rigid certainty, shame, and religious trauma that came with it.
What followed was grief in every direction:
- The death of my son
- The slow, painful unravelling of a life built around silence and survival
- The end of my marriage
Eventually, I came out as a gay man—after decades in a world that made no room for that truth.
The life I once clung to—the one others praised—no longer held me.
I had to rebuild both my outer world and my inner map.
Why I Do This
Because I know what it’s like to:
- Be successful but spiritually empty
- Grieve in silence
- Carry shame that was never yours
- Lose your place in the world
- Feel like a stranger to your own soul
And I also know:
- There’s a way through.
- There’s a man in you worth coming home to.
- There’s a deeper strength.
What I Offer
The Inner
Cartographer
I guide from lived experience—not from theory or trends.
I feel deeply.
The path I walk with men isn’t about surface change.
And I don’t believe in quick fixes.
I listen closely.
The path I walk with men isn’t about surface change.
And I don’t believe in quick fixes.
I listen closely.
The path I walk with men isn’t about surface change.
I’m deeply attuned to others, but I’ve also learned the importance of staying connected to my own emotional clarity.
This work isn’t a technique for me.
It’s how I live.
It’s how I’ve survived.
It’s how I live.
It’s how I’ve survived.
And it’s how I help other men find their way back to themselves—with courage, compassion, and authenticity.
How I Work
I mentor from the inside out.
No performance. No pretending. No bypassing.
No performance. No pretending. No bypassing.
My approach blends:
My approach blends
Emotions are not problems. They’re guides.
Narrative Inquiry
Your story is your soul’s fingerprint.
Strengths-Based Reflection
We work with what’s right in you, not what’s wrong.
Archetypal Psychology
You are more than your roles. You are in a myth, and it’s trying to find you. We work with what’s right in you, not what’s wrong.
Who I Work With
I work with quiet, capable men who feel like something’s missing.
Most of my clients are:
- Men
- Men who are tired of holding it all in—who’ve learned to stay strong by staying silent, but are starting to feel the cost
- Men navigating grief, spiritual disconnection, or major life shifts
- Men longing for clarity, connection, and inner alignment
You don’t need to have it all figured out.
You just need to be ready to start listening to yourself again.
You just need to be ready to start listening to yourself again.
If You’re Asking…
“Is this for me?”
Ask yourself:
- Do I feel like I’ve lost myself in being everything for everyone else?
- Do I carry grief I’ve never had permission to name?
- Am I tired of performing what a man “should” be?
- Do I long for something real, not just another self-help fix?
If so—
- You’re not broken.
- You’re buried.
- And it’s not too late to come home to yourself.
Begin the Journey
You’ve survived.
Now let’s live.
Let’s talk—like it matters.