Men's Groups

Men's roles and experience have changed immensely over the last 50 years, often bringing us stress and confusion. These small men's groups provide a forum where we can freely explore our lives, relationships and experience, supporting each other to find individual and personal steps towards a more fulfilling life. Some topics include:

• our power, anger, violence, … our fear, sadness, weakness and vulnerability
• our relationships as sons, friends, lovers, husbands, fathers, …
• our hopes, loves and dreams
• learning to manage stress, conflicts and emotions, and to communicate effectively
• learning about our bodies, our development and ageing, our inner impulses and conflicts
• the roles and responsibilities we take on (work, status, sport, family, …), those that trap us and those that might liberate us
• finding, designing and carrying out adequate and realistic rites of passage to liberate us from old bonds and to consolidate new and healthier behaviours and beliefs.

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In the groups we work to support and empower each other using our personal stories listening without judgement, without trying to solve each other’s issues, building trust to:

• empower each participant to explore their own masculinity and path
  
• engage everyone energetically, authentically and humbly
  
• explore and express ourselves using drama, gestalt, movement, voice, role play …
  
• work with ritual and rites of passage to help consolidate transformation
  

The video shows the Barcelona group "Haciendose Hombres" working with movement and play.

This is some of the process we try to address in supportive ‘Men in Movement’ groups. We create a safe space where we men can openly address our sex, our aggression, our unhappiness with life, our longings, our fears and depression, our relationships with women and other men, ...

• first we stop lying and begin to offer a more honest and complex picture of what it is to be a man with our weaknesses and 'failures', rather than the stereotype caricatures . This more human image is of great value to the others in our close relationships, especially to young people who value honesty and look for models which reflect their lives.
  
• then maybe we can begin to offer rites of passage for men and for teenage boys that we can actually believe in. We can offer channels for our anger with the world, We can offer realistic projects to develop our creativity. Not as hypocritical 'do-gooders' covering our own inadequacies but leading from our humanness, showing our frailties as well as our strengths

Men's work in Aberdeen with Norman

Fortnightly group - small supportive groups working at a very personal level as described above.

New fathers group - Becoming a father is an important Rite of Passage that usually changes our life greatly, .... it challenges the stories we have about ourselves, our families and our social roles. This group is focussed at fathers of young children aged pre-birth to 4 ..... dealing with the experiences and emotions that arise in fatherhood, how this changes the relationship with your partner, ...

Mentors group - you are father, teacher, mentor, trainer, carer, ... working with adolescent boys. Your boys will test and challenge you. They need to feel your power, creativity, sensitivity and authenticity. They need to see how you work with your own emotions and vulnerability. They will rebel where they feel hypocrisy. We work with your personal cases to support you to support your boys. Includes training in working with the emotions, anger, fear,

Individual sessions - Norman accompanies you gently as we explore your issues, at your rhythm to affirm your masculinity.