Men In Change
Support group 7.30 Tuesday evenings
Raeburn House, 138 Shakespeare Road, Milford.
Facilitator: Joe Barker
Ph: (09) 480 8307
Raeburn House Administration:
Email: info@raeburnhouse.org.nz
Website: www.raeburnhouse.org.nz
PO Box 36 336, Northcote.
Raeburn House is a brick building on the corner of the main entrance to North Shore Hospital, and parking is available at the back door. You don't need to book, or make any on-going commitment; just turn up, and you will find someone at the door waiting to welcome you in. There is no charge, but they appreciate a small donation towards costs.
The group was founded by Bill Boyle, first secretary of Men's Centre North Shore back in 1994.
About Men in Change
"We can give you this cast iron guarantee that If you don't make changes you will continue to experience exactly what you have experienced up till now....."
The choice is yours. The only person you can change is yourself.
Change does not imply there is something 'wrong' with you. It simply means that the old ways of handling things may no longer be appropriate. Change can be exciting, and rewarding.
How does Men in Change operate?
We start at 7.30 PM with an open round. The opening round is a chance for each member to say, in about two minutes, what has happened to them in the last week.
For new members it is a chance to say what brings you to Men in Change - or whatever you feel comfortable with. As with everything in Men in Change there is no need for you to say or do anything.
After the open round we split into two groups. One group deals with men who wish to talk about issues relating to their present or past.
The second group has a clear focus upon growth through shared experience and facilitated discussion.
Both groups rejoin at 10 PM for a closing round. This is a brief statement from each person of what the night's highlights have been for them and perhaps a short term goal for the week.
Ritual
The stick signifies that the person holding the stick has the right to be heard. The holder is heard without interruption.
Rules
The rules are simple:
What you see here, say here and hear here stays here. This is to create a feeling of trust with the group members.
Put downs will not be tolerated by the group. We are here to develop ourselves. This cannot be achieved by belittling the men in the group, people outside the group or women.
Join Us
So join with us one evening and say as little or as much as you feel comfortable with. When the time feels right you can share whatever you wish to say. There is time for trust to grow and for you to share your feelings with us.
Men in Change gives you the chance to experience the empowerment you can achieve by recognising who is in control of your life and how you can change your life to achieve what you really want.
You are at a point of change. We hope that Men in Change will give you the direction needed.
However, if it does not meet your needs we encourage you to continue your search. There is an answer for you. It is a matter of searching it out.
The Objectives of Men in Change
Men in Change explores the realm of feelings.
We encourage members to make statements using the word "I" so as to claim ownership of those feelings. Declaration of feelings enable men to open up to themselves and others and in so doing discover who they really are.
Listening is an important part of our process. We encourage men to learn to "listen with their hearts" - that is to hear the feelings (not so much thoughts) of other members in the group.
The objectives of the group is to allow individuals to discover understanding and truth, develop trust and growth and change the patterns which have bound them in the past.
Change can come from sharing of experiences, and from learning from the process new ways to handle common situations.
Humour is another important part of the process.