ONLINE MEN's WEEKLY MEETING GROUP
Complete Men ONLINE weekly men’s meeting group.
MEETINGS ARE FREE TO ATTEND: Donations are gratefully accepted and they are tax-deductible.
Please be there on time or a little early. The first ten minutes is to get to know each other and iron out any technical problems, then we start with check-in from each man. The facilitator will close the room to new entrants after 10 minutes to make it a safe and uninterrupted space for men to share deeply.
Men come to our weekly online men's groups for all or some of these reasons to get clarity and share their experiences and difficulties and to hear from other men on how they have handled:
Relationship issues, Separation, Divorce
Anxiety and/or Depression,
Mood or personality disorder,
Loneliness and Isolation,
Grief, loss, bereavement
Thoughts of suicide or life’s not worth living!
Retirement, Unemployment or Career challenges.
Financial worries
Anger Management, Strong Emotions
Mid Life Crises
You will need access to a reliable internet connection.
Most men join from a private space at their home or work, while others find a private spot in or outside a favourite cafe or library with a solid wireless signal.
Open to men, Australia and Worldwide
Register for our online men’s groups below. Using the ZOOM App, men (often 10 or more) join our online men’s group regularly for our 90-minute meetings.
ONLINE MEN'S GROUPS
TUESDAY NIGHTS WITH DAN
After a long stint in our Gold Coast Men’s group, Dan now spends the middle of each week in Sydney where he commutes for work. He’s found men’s groups helped him through the challenges of separation, divorce and re-inventing himself as a man and father in mid life. He started this group to keep up the momentum and build a community of men actively engaged in supporting each other. Dan finds this group helps him make changes in his own life and has a focus on participants supporting and holding each other accountable for the small and large steps involved in personal growth.
Dan’s meeting is from 645pm to 8:30pm NSW/VIC time every Tuesday. When you register below, it will show the meeting times in your local time zone.
Register to join our online men’s group
To Register, please select a date from one of the calendars below and then click on the time shown . . .
Tuesday Nights with DAN
Benefits for you?
David Lomman (CMF Facilitator) shares how attending the Complete Men’s Online Weekly Men’s Group Meetings can benefit you!
ONLINE MEN'S GROUP - FAQ
ARE THERE ANY GROUND RULES?
Yes, we use a set of protocols that have been tried and tested by many men's groups over the years. These are noted at the start of each meeting, and each man agrees to abide by the protocols for the duration of the meeting.
WHAT EQUIPMENT WILL I NEED?
You're probably using it now. You'll need a PC, Mac, Tablet or Smartphone and a reliable internet connection. If you’ve not used Zoom before, you’ll need to do a one-off download a small app to your computer, tablet or phone. You can install or test Zoom with this link https://zoom.us/test. If you’ve used Zoom before, it will launch a test meeting with just you in it. If you haven’t used Zoom before, it will prompt you to install a small App – you only need to do this once, and you don’t even need to register for a Zoom Account. Zoom have some good videos on how to join a meeting at https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362193-How-Do-I-Join-A-Meeting- with different sections for Windows/Mac/iOS/Android etc. Please note we do not have an option to join by telephone, as our meetings require each man to show up on screen.
WHAT HAPPENS IN AN ONLINE MEN'S GROUP?
The meeting is run by experienced facilitators and will usually have a theme that's emailed in advance to each man attending. Having said that, there are times when a man will bring something to the group that's impacting him deeply and the group may choose to explore that issue. We start by agreeing to the safety guidelines and protocols, and then hear from each man about what's going on in his inner world. This is called a check in and the time is shared equally. Then the facilitator will present the topic of the day and we explore how that show's up in each man's life. And then there's the final check out round, where men can ask for support and other men to hold them accountable for any tasks or challenges they wish to take on before the next meeting.
HOW LONG DOES EACH MEETING LAST?
Using the Zoom app, we are able to have up to 25 men join a virtual men's group for 90 minutes. The first ten minutes are generally used for getting to know the other men and ironing out any technical issues, and going through the guidelines and protocols that ensure safety and confidentiality for all participants.
WHAT SORT OF INTERNET CONNECTION IS REQUIRED?
You will need access to a reliable broadband connection. Please be aware that if you access Zoom via a phone's data plan, a 90 minute meeting can use over a gigabyte of data. Most men join from a private space at their home or work, while others find a private spot in or outside a favourite cafe or library with a solid wireless signal.
Group Protocols
Protocols have been used in "menswork" over many years to provide a safe environment for men to be experience the personal growth that comes from belonging to a group where it's OK to be vulnerable, and where men can inspire and support each other.
Safety and Respect: I come here with good intentions: – to be a better man and to support others in becoming better men – I am responsible for creating safety and respect for myself and the other men.
Feelings: All feelings and emotions are OK. I will show them and own them. If I’m not feeling OK, I will say so. If I am uncomfortable when another man is distressed, I will not try and rescue him. When I am honest with the group and own my feelings, I can work through them, rather than wearing a mask and quietly internalising, suppressing and then dumping them on to someone else later on.
Passing: It is OK for me or another man to pass – this will always be respected. It’s better to say “pass” than to resort to banter, put up a smokescreen, perform, or use other tactics to hide from what I might be feeling, thinking, or whatever might be triggered inside.
Feedback and Advice: I will not give any feedback or advice to another man unless he requests it, or permission is sought and granted. If I want some advice, I can ask other men how they have addressed similar challenges.
I will only speak for myself: In the spirit of not giving advice, I will own what I speak by using “I” language, When I say “you”, “we” or “one” instead of “I” or “me”, I’m avoiding ownership of feelings, issues and opinions which can make change a long uphill battle. What I say may not be true for every other man. When I say “you” or “we” I’m seeking validation and making the acceptance of other men more important than my own truth.
Confidentiality: I can only speak or write about my experiences outside of this group by using “I” language and not using the names, descriptions or stories of other men.
Presence: I come here unaffected by any mind-altering substances (unless these are known to the group). I will join the meeting from a quiet environment where I will not be disturbed. I will dedicate my undivided attention to the group, and not be distracted by technology or multitasking.
Facilitation: I give permission to the facilitators to respectfully remind me if I forget any of these protocols.