Men's Support Group in St. Pete, FL

Posted: January 24, 2024

By: Dr. Sarah Carpenter

This month we have been excited to talk about the topic of group therapy for multiple different reasons and one is that we have started a men’s support group that we are excited to announce. This article is going to recap a little bit about support groups in general and tell you a bit more about this new group that we just started offering right here in Saint Petersburg, FL.

What Is a Support Group?

A top down view of a circle of chairs, representing group therapy in St. Petersburg. FL. Learn more about the support a group therapist in St. Petersburg, FL can offer with group therapy for men in St. Petersburg, FL and other services.

A support group is a gathering of people who have common issues and seek to share their experiences in a space where they can receive comfort and guidance, and give the same in return. Groups vary in type, size, and method. A mental health support group focuses on psychological and emotional issues and invites emotional support and encouragement from its members. It can also provide practical and constructive information. Commonly addressed issues include depression, anxiety, relationship/marital issues, stress and burnout, life transitions, traumatic stressors, addiction, and more.

What Are the Benefits of a Support Group?

A support group can help you learn that you are not alone, which creates a sense of connectedness and hope. You realize that you aren’t “crazy,” as others can relate and have walked in your shoes. Group participation can help you become more optimistic knowing others have lived and persisted through similar struggles. You can learn and gain insight from the experiences of others, and benefit from the experience of being validated – your experiences are understood and make sense. You may also learn alternative ways to cope with your issues. Additionally, you get practice with interpersonal and social skills, and navigating social interactions. Expressing your thoughts and feelings in a group can be incredibly cathartic and healing, and helps you to better understand yourself. The facilitator and members ask questions and make comments that assist your own journey of self-discovery.

Male Support Groups

Male support groups are of particular need and importance. In a society where men are discouraged from being emotionally expressive, they are at a disadvantage in terms of mental health and relational issues. Men are not offered many opportunities to practice being vulnerable, let alone learn how to trust others with their vulnerability. Many thoughts, feelings, and experiences are left unsaid, repressed, and rejected within themselves, and men are often expected to carry this burden otherwise they may be perceived as “weak” or “less than.” Male support groups help put a dent in this stigma. A close up of people stacking their hands on one another while sitting in a circle. This could symbolize the support group therapy for men in St Petersburg, FL can offer. Learn more about the help that men's group therapy in Tampa, FL can offer by contacting a therapist in St. Pete, FL today.

A close up of people stacking their hands on one another while sitting in a circle. This could symbolize the support group therapy for men in St Petersburg, FL can offer. Learn more about the help that men's group therapy in Tampa, FL can offer by contacting a therapist in St. Pete, FL today.

These groups create a supportive space that encourages emotional dialogue with members who can understand and appreciate the true difficulties in doing so. Men can experience a sense of commonality and compassion towards the inherent difficulties of being emotional beings. Men can challenge themselves to step outside of their comfort zone and be true to what it means to be human – which is feeling deep insecurity, pain, trauma, and fear. This can help them learn how to be more vulnerable and authentic with their personal relationships, which helps create a stronger and more meaningful connection.

Men’s Support Group in Saint Petersburg

Wellness Psychological Services has started a men’s support group facilitated by a licensed psychologist at a location in Saint Petersburg! This group focuses on mental health issues commonly experienced by men, to include but not limited to:

Seeking more meaningful and deeper relationships
Understanding and expressing emotions, including anger, fear, and shame
Social injustice/stigma of men’s mental health
Issues with self-esteem like feeling different, unaccepted, or not enough
How to live a fulfilling and meaningful life
Seeking external validation to feel enough/important
Uncertainty around career and purpose
Conflict and relationship issues
A sense of loneliness and isolation
Parenting, being a better dad, helping children learn healthy emotional development

Please get in touch with Dr. Sarah Carpenter, a psychologist with Wellness Psychological Services, at drcarpenter@wellnesspsychservices.com if interested or for more information on dates, times, and location.

Begin Group Therapy for Men in St. Petersburg, FL

A close up of a smiling woman reaching their hand out in support toward the camera. This could represent the support a therapist in St. Pete, FL can offer with group therapy for men in St. Petersburg, FL and other services. Search for group therapy in St. Petersburg, FL for more info today.

Being apprehensive, nervous, or confused about attending a support group is normal. Plus, it is normal to wonder if others will judge, challenge, frustrate, or not understand you. It is normal to enter a group and feel anxious about what to say or do. Trust that the facilitator will help ease the beginning phase of starting a group and that you will find your place and settle after the first or second sessions (if the group is a good fit for you). The reward is worth the challenge! You can receive support from our new men's group with Wellness Psychological Services by following these simple steps:

Contact Wellness Psychological Services
Meet with a caring therapist from our team
Start receiving the benefits of communal support!

Other Services Offered with Wellness Psychological Services

Group therapy isn’t the only service our team offers at Wellness Psychological Services. Our team provides support for a variety of mental health concerns through individual therapy. Other services offered include support for couples, divorce discernment, support through divorce, and mediation for couples. We are also happy to provide mental health support via anxiety treatment, trauma therapy, depression counseling, OCD treatment, stress management, and testing and evaluation services. In addition, we also offer support with eating disorder treatment, PCIT therapy, DBT, child therapy, therapy for professionals, and health psychology. Feel free to learn more by visiting our blog page or FAQ!