Dear Lisa: I’m 52 years old and recently ended a two-and-a-half year relationship with a man who was nice but not the right long-term person for me. As we parted, he said to me, “You don’t know how to let a man be a man. All you do is emasculate me.”

I asked him what that meant and he said, “Go ask your friends.” My friends really had no idea either, so I’m turning to you, hoping you can tell me what his words actually mean.

— Lynnie

Lynnie: You grew up like the rest of us over 50, in an era where women were taught to be strong and independent, and not dependent upon men.

You were probably taught how to give but not how to receive. And that’s why receiving from a man can feel so uncomfortable for you.

Yet, take a look at our daughters. They expect a man to do a lot for them, and men their age do.

If you go back to the DNA of a man, it’s about taking care of a woman and giving her what he can. In return, she receives his gifts (even though they might not be what she wants or needs — but that’s a whole other issue) with appreciation and gratitude.

It goes back to the days of the cavemen, with the “hunters” (men) and the “gatherers” (women). Our generation has taken this role away from men leaving them feeling less than men, or emasculated.

You can learn how to come into your feminine power of receiving by allowing men to do things for you.

Getting back in touch with a woman’s femininity is one of the biggest issues my private clients are working on. They are powerhouse women in the workplace and need help learning to turn it off and simple “receive” in their love life.

You can get so much further and be more powerful with men using your feminine energy versus your masculine powerhouse side, which actually reads to a man as “competitor” not “girlfriend.”

Start small. Let a man open a door for you and say thank you. By the way, men our age are scared to even do this for us, fearing we’ll bite their heads off for being chauvinistic.

If you drop something and a man is standing next to you, let him pick it up for you and say thank you. If a man compliments you, say thank you.

Man gives, women receives. It’s that simple and a great way to start finding the true power of your feminine side.

Dear Lisa: I seem to attract the same type of man over and over again: He’s an alcoholic who gets drunk all the time. I am so tired of attracting this type of man, and I don’t know why this is happening to me. What can I do?

— Dee

Dee: One reason you may be attracting the same man over and over again is something inside you needs to heal — something that only this type of man can help you do. Often it originates from unresolved issues in your family when you were young.

When I married hubby No. 1, my sister would say, “Do you know you married mom?” I was in my 20s and I thought she was nuts, but guess what? She was right. And I actually married my mom the second time, too. I would have continued to do so over and over if I hadn’t finally resolved the issues in my relationship with my mom.

The type of man you’re attracting is trying to show you what needs healing inside of you. See it as a gift to go inside yourself and learn more about you.

Alcoholics are abusive to themselves. Is there something you are doing that is abusive to you? Check in and be sure you are being kind and nurturing to yourself.

Take a long reflective look inside of you and to see what still needs healing within your heart. Once you do this and once you heal this piece, you’ll have the ability to attract a different type of man.

You might want to consider taking a dating break while you allow yourself to heal. This is not an overnight process and your healing can take some time.