ABSTRACT
At the end of the 1952 film noir movie On Dangerous Ground, a character turns to the jaded, cynical detective played by Robert Ryan and says, “I guess you have to be tough in your line of work, don’t you?” Hearing this line and seeing the hard-bitten reaction on Ryan’s face, I began to think about my own line of work, treating men with histories of sexual trauma, the toughness required in it, the cynicism it causes in me, and the reasons why I have nevertheless pursued this area so passionately over time and how I have been transformed by listening.
