A Face It Group – What to Expect
For many men, the idea of walking into a room filled with complete strangers and then proceeding to share their story of depression is…well it’s daunting. Well for any guy who is thinking about joining one of our groups let me reassure you that you’re not expected to come in on your first day and bare your soul, I promise! Interestingly enough though we have had many first time attendees tell us that they came to group with every intention of sitting quietly and then once they realized they were among others who “get it”, well then they couldn’t stop talking.
Joining a group at Face It is an important and effective way to help you learn about ways to overcome your depression. Our groups meet on an every other week basis from 6:00-8:00 in the Face It office. Currently groups are scheduled for Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays and once you have spoken with me you will be assigned to a specific group. Due to our limited size and high demand for our groups we ask that you make a commitment to attend group on a regular basis. The real strength of a group is the connections that are made and those connections can only be made through regular attendance. And with all Face It services, the groups are free.
The groups are all run by men who have experienced depression and all the facilitators use their own experiences and knowledge to be a participating member of the group. The groups provide men with a place to talk about any issue they wish to bring forward and whereas many therapy groups frown on giving advice, at a Face It group you probably will hear some tips and suggestions about how these men have overcome their depression. No one will tell you how to live your life, but they will certainly share with you what worked for them.
At Face It we also encourage the men in our groups to feel free to build relationships outside of group. If you find someone in your group that you identify with and come to enjoy, well then by all means exchange numbers or emails and meet for a cup of coffee. The social support that comes out of group can and should be used outside of the walls of the Face It office.
Whenever anyone calls me and asks about our “approach” for men with depression, I tell them we really don’t have a specific approach. You’ll hear us use the words Effort, Honesty, Accountability, Awareness, and Plan, but those words are just ways to help you think about what you need to do to best figure out what you can do to help yourself in your fight against depression. I can’t tell you how quickly a group will help you, but I can tell you that if you come to group and you are honest and actively participating, you will probably get quite a bit out of the group!
I know the idea of entering a room filled with strangers is a bit daunting, but I can assure you its a far less daunting task than continuing to live in the misery of depression. Take a chance…call us and come join in!
Take care!
Mark