Men's group therapy
A confidential, ongoing therapy group for individuals who identify as male and are ready to begin healing from childhood or adolescent sexual trauma — in a space built on safety, dignity, and shared experience.
If you experienced sexual abuse as a child or adolescent, you may have spent years — or decades — carrying that experience alone. Many men never speak about it. Not to friends, not to family, not to anyone. The shame, the confusion, the sense that no one would understand or believe you — these are common responses to an uncommon burden.
You are not alone. And you are not what happened to you.
The Men's Group at McMillan Behavioral Health and Addiction Services was created in 2019 specifically for individuals who identify as male and are healing from childhood, pre-teen, or adolescent sexual trauma. It is an ongoing group — which means you can join at any time — and it is built on the understanding that healing happens in community, at your own pace, without judgment.
About the group
Research estimates that 1 in 6 boys experience sexual abuse before the age of 18. In most cases the abuse occurs within an ongoing relationship and escalates gradually over time. As adults, survivors may experience depression, PTSD symptoms, shame, difficulty in relationships, and out-of-control behaviors with sex, alcohol, or other substances — often without connecting those struggles back to what happened earlier in life.
The Men's Group at MBHS provides a structured, therapist-led space to begin making those connections, process what happened, and build a path toward recovery that is grounded in your own experience and goals.
The group meets once a month, typically on the third Thursday evening. It is ongoing and open — meaning new members are welcome to join at any point rather than waiting for a new cycle to begin.
What the Group Addresses
Work in the Men's Group is individualized within a group setting. Topics and themes addressed include:
- The impact of childhood and adolescent sexual trauma on adult life
- Healing symptoms of Complex PTSD
- Shame and shame-based identity — and how to begin releasing both
- Reclaiming your own narrative about what happened and who you are
- Managing out-of-control behaviors that developed as coping responses to trauma
- Building individualized treatment goals
- Developing a therapy completion plan
Trauma & Complex Trauma
The mental health field's understanding of trauma has grown enormously in recent years — and so has our ability to treat it. Trauma doesn't always come from a single dramatic event. Complex trauma, sometimes called C-PTSD, often develops from prolonged experiences like childhood neglect, sexual or physical abuse, growing up in an unsafe environment, or navigating years of discrimination as an LGBTQ+ person.
Unhealed trauma can shape the way you see yourself, your relationships, and the world around you — often in ways that are hard to connect back to the original experience. MBHS is trained and certified in Trauma-Informed Care, an approach that prioritizes safety first, helps you regain control of your own narrative, and moves at a pace that works for you.
Who This Group Is For
The Men's Group is open to any adult who identifies as male and is carrying the weight of childhood or adolescent sexual trauma — regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, relationship status, or how long ago the abuse occurred. It is never too late to begin healing.
MBHS is an LGBTQ+-affirming practice. LGBTQ+ men and non-binary individuals who identify with male experience are welcome and will find a space that honors their full identity.
You do not need to have everything figured out before you join. Many members come in uncertain about what they're looking for — that's exactly what the group is designed to hold.
A Note on Confidentiality
Everything shared within the group stays within the group. Confidentiality is a foundational commitment of the Men's Group at MBHS, and it is taken seriously by every member and by the therapist leading the group. Creating and maintaining a safe space is not just a value here — it is the practice.
Taking the first step
Reaching out about this may be one of the harder things you've done. That's understood. You don't have to explain everything in your first message or call — just let us know you're interested in the Men's Group and we'll take it from there, at whatever pace feels right for you.
The group meets monthly. You can start whenever you're ready.
Ready to take the first step? Call 248-907-0247 or send us a message. We'll take it from there.
