Men's Group
Online Men's Group: Building Emotional Attunement and Connection
Most men don't have anywhere to bring the hard parts. Not the surface-level version, the real thing. The distance that's grown with your partner. The way you go quiet, or go sharp, when you're overwhelmed. The nagging sense that your kids are getting a version of you that you don't want to be giving them.
This is an online men's group for that. It's led by Joshua Ollswang, a licensed psychotherapist, and it's built around one idea: the way you connect with the people you love is learnable, and it's much easier to learn in a room full of men doing the same work.
At a Glance
- Format
- Online and live on video, join from anywhere
- Commitment
- You register for all of that group's meetings, because a place is held for you
- Led by
- Joshua Ollswang, licensed psychotherapist, 15+ years
- Recordings
- None, every session is live only
- Groups
- Weekly and monthly options
- Scholarships
- Available for veterans and first responders
- Length & price
- Varies by group
- Open to
- Men across the US and internationally
- Next group
- Forming for Fall 2026
Who This Group Is For
- You want to be more emotionally available to your partner and your children, and you're not entirely sure how
- Something has gone wrong in your relationship and you want to repair it rather than manage it
- You're tired of being the guy who has it handled
- You go defensive, or go blank, in exactly the moments that matter most
- You feel isolated in your struggles and suspect you shouldn't be
- You want the experience, maybe for the first time, of being genuinely known by other men
What this group is not
It isn't group therapy, and it isn't a substitute for clinical care. No diagnosis, no treatment plan, no clinical record. It also isn't a place where you'll be pushed to perform vulnerability on a schedule. Plenty of men spend their first session listening. That's a normal way to start.
What Actually Happens in a Session
Four things, every time. The third is the one members talk about afterward.
Taught material
A shared language for attachment styles, the anatomy of a negative cycle, and what repair actually requires.
Group discussion
Where men bring their own situations to the whole room, and find them echoed back.
Live role play
Joshua takes a real statement from a real relationship and plays out the response in front of everyone.
Breakout rooms
Smaller groups, where men who would not speak on a large call find that they will.
"I've read and heard a lot about it and seen scripts and tools, and brought those to my relationship, but it was another thing to see someone do it, even just for one to two minutes at a time."
Daniel B. · February 2026
Every session is live and nothing is recorded, so what happens in the room stays in the room.
Examples of Our Conversations
Attachment and how you're wired
- Do you identify more as anxious, avoidant, secure, or disorganized in your attachment tendencies?
- Who was there in childhood when you needed help?
- How did you know, or feel, that you were loved as a boy? How about now?
Reaching, and being reached for
- How do we reach for someone when we're in need? How do we ask for what we want?
- How do we give our partners space, and honor their need for time alone and for friendships outside the relationship?
- How do we validate and empathize in new ways?
Conflict, repair, and what sits underneath
- What's beneath anger and reactivity?
- Responsiveness compared with defensiveness
- Apologizing and making amends, and repairing conflict with loving presence
- Impact versus intention, including tone and body language
- Forgiveness of others, and of self
Presence with someone else's pain
- How do we sit with someone in their pain without taking over, rushing them, or providing answers too quickly?
- Conversations about sex, emotions, communication and intimacy
- What weight do we carry, and how would we rather show up?
And we laugh together. A lot, actually.
Who Leads the Group
Joshua Ollswang
Licensed Psychotherapist
- 15+ years helping individuals and families in a range of therapeutic capacities
- 10+ years founding and leading men's groups in Manhattan, Chicago, Montana and online
- MA, University of Chicago, clinical mental health interventions
- MA, European Graduate School, Switzerland, psychotherapeutic theories
- BA, Psychology
- Post graduate training in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), the Gottman Method, Trauma Informed Care, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Interpersonal Neurobiology and Intrapsychic Humanism
- Published in academic journals on psychotherapeutic theory, and has presented at professional psychological association conferences on gender roles and the movement from disempowerment to empowerment
Joshua specializes in couples therapy, men's and women's issues, gifted children, and survivors of abuse and neglect, as well as hopes for connection, meaning, intimacy and healing. He has taken part in men's groups in London, Wisconsin and Los Angeles in addition to those he founded, and has helped people find harmony and ways forward through painful periods of loss and disconnection.
In his free time he loves cold water open swimming, creative projects, metalworking, reading and writing, multiplayer chess (three, four and five people), exercise and hot yoga, and spending time with the people he loves and by whom he feels loved. And Star Wars.
Men's Group Testimonials
"A brotherhood I never knew existed."
As much as I used to believe I was alone, I've come to see how so many of us have similar experiences. Proud to be associated with men who are showing up in truth, with transparency, courage and accountability.
Shane P. · February 2026
"For 20+ years, and especially recently, I've felt really alone and like my struggles were unique and a result of my failures. Halfway through the first session I realized that everyone's story, frustrations and fears are variations of my story. I still carry a lightness and joy in my heart knowing that I'm not alone in this."Dan H., April 2026
"The opportunity to be vulnerable to other men rarely, if ever, presents itself in my life. Learning about the four stages of Initiation, Presence, Vulnerability and Honesty has been eye opening for me. I shared this with my wife, and I want to continue to practice those steps in our relationship."Will, 2026
"I've been in many men's groups over the years, and this one seems to me to be of high quality and relatable content. The material presented, slides and additional supportive information truly make it more engaging and powerful. At the end of the meeting I found myself wishing we could meet weekly."Charles, 2026
"It was something I really needed, even though I didn't get an opportunity to share with my group. It meant a lot to hear everyone's stories and experiences, how they all weave together in so many ways."Shaun H., January 2026
"I had multiple meaningful realizations about my own difficulties with nurturing. And my breakout room was so open and thoughtful and appreciative of one another. Just beautiful stuff."Craig, 2026
"We are kind of pioneering what it can be like to be a whole man through these group sessions."Phil P., March 2026
And from men in earlier groups:
"Men's group in my opinion is a starting place to being fully seen. The group provides almost an internal anchor to rely on."Professional screenwriter, working powerfully to show the strength of love he has for his wife and two school-aged children
"I appreciated having a safe space to connect emotionally with other men. It was comforting to hear how other guys were able to grow from struggles with their relationships."Statistics professor, single, dating a wonderful woman he's honoring incredibly
"What I liked about the men's group was being able to share stories of the ups and downs in our relationships within a circle of trust and non-judgement. We are like-minded men who have had many of the same experiences, and it is comforting to realize through sharing our stories that the difficulties we've all experienced are both normal and correctable."Military special forces, passionate husband and devoted father of two young children, discovering intrepidly who he is as a civilian
Where Our Members Are
The group meets entirely online, so you can join from anywhere. Joshua founded and led men's groups in Manhattan, Chicago and Montana before bringing the work online, and has taken part in men's groups in London, Wisconsin and Los Angeles. If you've been searching for a men's group in your city and coming up short, that is exactly why this one is online.
- New York
- Chicago
- Los Angeles
- Washington DC
- Montana
- Silver Spring
- Across the US
- International
Scholarships are available for veterans and first responders.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this men's group therapy?
No. This is a facilitated men's group, not group therapy. There's no diagnosis, no treatment plan, and no clinical record. It's led by Joshua Ollswang, a licensed psychotherapist, so the facilitation is informed by clinical training in Emotionally Focused Therapy, the Gottman Method, Internal Family Systems, and trauma-informed care. Many members are also in individual or couples therapy; the group works alongside that, not instead of it. If you're in crisis or need clinical care, this group is not a substitute for it.
How much does the men's group cost?
Price varies by group, because the groups themselves vary in length and cadence. We run both weekly and monthly groups, and you register for the full set of meetings in whichever group you join. We give you the exact cost for a specific group when we contact you from the waitlist. Scholarships are available for veterans and first responders.
How often does the group meet, and how long is each session?
It depends on the group. We run both weekly and monthly groups, and the length and cadence are set for each group when it forms. Every session is live on video. Nothing is recorded.
Why do I register for all of the meetings?
Because a place is held for you. Groups are kept small and the work depends on the same men being in the room each time, so when you join a group you register for all of its meetings rather than dropping in.
Do I have to talk?
No. Plenty of men spend their first session listening, and that is a normal and welcome way to start. One member wrote after his first session that he had not had a chance to share and still found it something he really needed. Hearing other men's stories was the part that landed. You set your own pace.
I have never done anything like this. Is that a problem?
It is common. A large share of members are in their first men's group ever. The format is built for it. Sessions open with structure and taught material rather than an open floor, and smaller breakout rooms make it far easier to speak than a large call would.
Do you offer scholarships?
Yes. We offer scholarships for veterans and first responders. Mention it when we contact you from the waitlist and we will take it from there.
Who is this group for?
Men who want to be more emotionally available to their partners and children, men working through a rupture in a relationship, men who feel isolated in their struggles, and men who want the experience of being known by other men. Members range from first timers to men who have been in groups for years. The common threads are attachment patterns, communication, conflict repair, and reconnecting with feelings they learned early to shut down.
Where is the group located? Can I join from my city?
The group meets entirely online, so you can join from anywhere. Joshua has founded and led men's groups in Manhattan, Chicago, Montana and virtually, and has taken part in men's groups in London, Wisconsin and Los Angeles. Current members join from across the United States and internationally.
How is this different from a peer run men's group or a men's group app?
It is led by a licensed psychotherapist with more than 15 years of clinical experience and post graduate training in EFT, the Gottman Method, Internal Family Systems, Interpersonal Neurobiology and Intrapsychic Humanism, rather than by a peer facilitator or an algorithm. The focus is specifically attachment and relationships: how you connect with a partner, your children and yourself, rather than men's issues in general.
How do I join?
Add your name to the waitlist below. We contact you when a group opens and give you the details for that specific group, including the schedule and the cost. We are planning our next group for Fall 2026.
"Living the conflict through the role play was awesome. This weekend, I found the courage to answer a complaint with care and respect, and to take responsibility for not being there for my partner when she needed me. I played your answers in my head and then in my heart."
Philip R. · March 2026
Join the Next Men's Group
Our next group is forming for Fall 2026, and spots are limited to keep groups small. Add your name to the waitlist and we will reach out when it opens.
Not sure yet? That's normal. Most men on the waitlist weren't sure either.
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