Group Therapy FAQ

If you are considering joining our ‘Real Relating’ gay mens’ group therapy, you may have some questions about the group. We hope we answer some of your questions below. If your question has not been answered, please email us.

What is the structure of the group?

How much does the group cost?

What is your refund policy?

I’ve never been in group therapy. How does  it work?

How will I know if  group therapy is right for me?

Is the Real Relating group a place where guys pick up?

What types of men participate in the Real Relating group?

Who is NOT suited to group therapy?

What do you discuss in the group?

Who are the facilitators and what experience do they have?

What have other participants said about the group?

What is the structure of the ‘Real Relating’ group?

The next ‘Real Relating’ group will run weekly for 10 weeks commencing Wednesday March 7, 2012 until May 9, 2012 from 6.30-8.30pm. The location is in the Sydney CBD, 507/147 King St. Just minutes from Martin Place, Town Hall and Wynyard train stations. The group will be closed, which means no new members will join once the group has commenced. There will be a maximum of 10 members and 2 facilitators.

How much does the ‘Real Relating’ group cost?

Group is a very economical way of receiving therapy for a lot less than the cost of individual therapy. The fee is $88 per 2-hour session, which works out at $44 per hour. A $220 non-refundable deposit is required to secure your place and the $660 balance is due at the first meeting. All fees are inclusive of GST.

Payment plans are also available on request. Payment can be made by cash, VISA, Mastercard or Eftpos.

What is your refund policy?

Due to the nature of organising a group of this nature and the necessity to know how many group members there will be, your commitment is for all sessions across the 10-week period. If you miss a session for any reason, you will not receive a refund for that session. If you decide to change your mind about whether the group is right for you at any stage of the group process, you will not receive any refund of fees. The deposit is non-refundable to cover administration costs.

We will do our best to fully explain what the group experience is like so that you can make a well-informed decision. Our feedback speaks for itself and we encourage you to read what others have said about the group experience as an indication of what kinds of experiences and outcomes members can expect.

I’ve never been in group therapy. How does  it work?

• You will need to participate in the group to get the most out of it.
• You will develop personal goals that you will work on in the group.
• The group will have a ‘here and now’ focus. This means you will share your thoughts and feelings in the present moment with the group and other members.
• Giving and receiving feedback with other members is a part of the process. This is how you learn about the unique way that you relate to others.

How will I know if the ‘Real Relating’ group is right for me?

Many different types of men participate in group therapy. If you can relate to some of these statements, then you may benefit from group.

• I have superficial relationships that never go deeper.
• My relationships never last and I get bored quickly and move on.
• I can’t stop judging or criticizing myself and how I look.
• I feel like I just don’t belong in the gay community or anywhere else.
• I feel lonely, disconnected, depressed or isolated.
• I struggle to connect with other gay men and feel awkward on the gay ‘scene’.
• I’m unsure about my sexuality and scared about what being gay might mean.
• I’ve only just come out and have no idea how to begin connecting with other men.

Is the Real Relating group a place where guys pick up?

The short answer is no.  The point of the group  is to experience emotional intimacy between men, but not sexual intimacy. We have a rule that there is no sex between members, so that the group is a safe place to explore your relationships without the worry about sexual overtones.

What we have seen is that many of the group members form strong friendships within the group that carry on after the group finishes.

What types of men participate in the Real Relating group?

You don’t need to be a specific type of man to join the group, but here are some of the types of men who have benefitted from participating in the Real Relating group:

• Single men that have problems starting or sustaining relationships.
• Men in  relationships that have problems getting and staying close with their partner.
• Single men that avoid being close to other men.
• Single men that have lots of casual sex but never go deeper or commit to another man.
• Men in relationships who feel that something is missing, but they are not sure what.
• Men who cycle through many relationships and can’t find one partner to share their life with.
• Men in good relationships that want to make them even better.

Who is NOT suited to the ‘Real Relating’ group?

Not everyone is suitable for group therapy. Group therapy may not be for you if:

• You are experiencing violence in your relationship.
• You suffer from a serious or severe form of mental illness.
• You have a physical dependence on illicit drugs or alcohol and use on a daily/weekly basis.
• You have been violent to others and struggle to manage your anger or rage reactions.
• You have huge mood swings that range from deep depression to extreme highs.

All of these conditions are potentially serious and may require the attention of an individual or couple counsellor.

What do you discuss in the ‘Real Relating’ group?

Each week, depending on the needs of the members, themes are set as a  springboard for you to explore and discuss the relationship issues that you are experiencing as a gay man.

The following themes are by no means exhaustive, but will help you to get an idea of how we structure each weekly session.

Some of the ‘Real Relating’ themes we will explore in the 10 weeks include:

• What and who gets in the way of me having a meaningful relationship?
• What do I find challenging, difficult, confronting or frightening in relationships?
• Intimacy – How comfortable am I in my own skin?
• How come I can’t keep a relationship for longer than 3 dates?
• Risk taking – what do I avoid in my relationships?
• How do my past experiences influence my relationships today?
• Exploring my dreams, hopes, fears and doubts in my relationships.
• Are my values and beliefs getting in the way of having a committed relationship?
• Why am I so desperate to have a relationship?
• Why do I sabotage every relationship before it starts?
• How do I negotiate my needs and wants in a relationship without hurting the other?
• Why am I always putting others first and myself last?
• Exploring when being gay is not the issue.
• Looking for love in the wrong places.
• Sexual identity and sexuality.
• Coming out late in life.
• I was once married, now I’m free to be me. Or am I?
• Boundaries and staying safe. How comfortable am I in playing safe?

We also encourage you to bring your own issues or themes that you want to bring to the group for discussion. There will always be time for reflections about the previous group and how you are progressing with your personal goals.

Who are the facilitators and what experience do they have?

 

Clinton Power and Adam Mclean are passionate about facilitating groups and have over 20 years of combined experience in running group therapy in a variety of settings. They are both experienced clinical counsellors and psychotherapists that have  extensive experience in working with the GLBTI community.

 

 

Clinton has worked with the GLBT community for over a decade, initially as an Ankali emotional support volunteer for those suffering from HIV/AIDS and soon after as a clinical counsellor when he completed his post-graduate studies in psychotherapy. He trained in interpersonal group therapy and went on to facilitate groups in a counselling training institute for 7 years. It was here that he discovered his passion for running groups and saw how powerful group therapy could be in helping people change.

Adam McLean has a  love and passion for group work. He is a group therapist and trainer, having begun in Psychiatric hospitals, outpatients and then making the transfer to cancer clients and carers issues. He developed group support and therapy programs for face-to-face groups by telephone and online and currently teaches group leadership in a number of settings.

It was in 2010 that  Clinton and Adam decided to collaborate specifically on creating a gay mens’ group in Sydney. They saw a need for gay men to connect with each other and learn the skills of emotional intimacy with other men. Out of this desire to help other men develop long-lasting and meaningful relationships came their decision to offer a group specifically for gay men.

Out of this collaboration they have gone on to successfully run groups for 30 weeks in the last year to overwhelmingly positive feedback, with some group members returning to continue their work in subsequent groups.

What have other participants said about the ‘Real Relating’ group?

You can read feedback and testimonials from past participants of our gay mens’ group therapy in the right hand column of this page.

Are you ready to start living a great gay life through attending our ‘Real Relating’ group?

If the Real Relating groups sounds like it might be for you, here’s what to do next:

1. If you’ve read the FAQ above and you still want to find out more, fill out the form below and then click on the confirmation link in the email we send you. We will then contact you.
2. If you have any further questions that aren’t answered on this page, please call Clinton on 0412 241 410 or Adam on 0407 915 076 or email us.

*UPDATE: We are now accepting applications for our next group that commences on March 7, 2012. Enter your details below for more information.