Men's Trauma Group
A small, structured therapy group for men, led by Paul Shin, trauma-informed somatic & art psychotherapist. Four places. Deep work, at a pace you control, alongside other men doing the same.
Express interest →How joining works
This group goes beyond learning coping skills. It's a space to work with what happened, in the presence of other men. Because of that depth, joining happens in stages:
Expression of interest
A short form: preferences and background in broad strokes only. Nothing personal is asked in writing.
Screening call
A free, confidential conversation with me. We look together at readiness, timing, and whether this group is the right fit for you right now. We'll also talk about what support you have around you; individual therapy alongside the group is recommended, and prior experience of it helps.
Settling weeks
The first sessions build the ground: agreements we make together, getting familiar with each other and with how we'll work: body-based settling, noticing, and simple creative practices.
Working sessions
The heart of the group. Members take turns doing a piece of individual work with me while the others witness. You choose when to take a turn, and how far to go. Being genuinely seen by other men is a large part of what makes this work.
Review, integration & closing
The final sessions consolidate what has shifted. We review the block together and decide as a group whether to continue into a further block, or close deliberately, so nothing is left hanging.
The structure each week
Every session follows the same arc, so the shape of the week stays predictable: we arrive and settle together, one or two members take a working turn, each man shares briefly what stirred in him as he listened, and we settle again before closing. Ninety minutes, same time each week, same four men, for a block of 12 sessions. Near the end of the block we review together, and the group decides whether to continue into a further block. Once we begin, the group stays closed; if a place ever opens, a new member would join only if the group agrees to it.
Group rules: some fixed, some made together
A few agreements are non-negotiable because the safety of the group depends on them. The rest we write together in the first session, so the group's rules belong to the group.
Fixed from the start
- Confidentiality: what's shared in the group stays in the group
- Sharing is always by choice; you can pass, pause, or step back at any time
- We listen and witness; advice and analysis of each other stay outside the room
- We start and end on time, and commit to the 12-session block
- If you can't attend, you let the group know
Decided together in week one
- How we want to be spoken to when things are raw
- What support between sessions looks like
- How we handle a session that gets heavy
- Anything this particular group needs to feel solid
What holds the work
Screening before joining. Every member has a screening conversation first. Readiness, current stability, and existing coping capacity are assessed honestly, for your protection.
Individual support alongside. Having individual therapy available during the block is strongly recommended, so anything that opens in group has somewhere to land between sessions. We'll talk about what support you have around you at the screening call.
Pace stays in your hands. The work is titrated: small steps, frequent returns to ground. You decide when to take a working turn and how deep to go. Nothing is pushed.
Professional backing. I'm an HCPC-registered Art Psychotherapist working with somatic trauma approaches, and this group runs with specialist clinical supervision behind it throughout.
If it gets too much. We agree in advance what happens if a session becomes overwhelming for anyone, including individual follow-up with me where needed.
Who this group is for
Likely a good fit if you:
- Have done, or are doing, individual therapy and want to go further
- Can generally steady yourself when things get intense
- Want to be genuinely heard and witnessed by other men
- Can commit to the same time weekly for the 12-session block
Probably not the right time if you:
- Are in an acute crisis right now
- Have never had individual support and are starting from scratch
- Aren't able to commit to regular attendance
If you're unsure which side you fall on, that's exactly what the screening call is for. Express interest and we'll figure it out together.
Interested?
Start with the short form. It takes about 5 minutes, broad strokes only. I'll reply within a few days to arrange a free, confidential screening call.
Express interestFour places · Applications reviewed in order received · paulshintherapy.ie