Category: Event

Workshop Description

          Fatherhood represents one of the most rewarding yet challenging roles for men in modern times. Changing social values, economic stresses and health conditions have radically altered how men navigate their journeys as fathers and parents. Eric Marsh brings his extraordinary background as a professional guide and a leader in fathering education and mentoring programs in Philadelphia to this issue. In this workshop he helps identify the important developmental steps of fatherhood, how men can best think about these, and develop the necessary skills to thrive in their role as fathers.

    In our workshop Eric distills the teachings from his extraordinary Fathering Circle groups. He identifies important topics and questions that men face in today’s world:

• How do we define fatherhood and the challenges of male socialization and oppression?
• How do we define fatherhood and the challenges of male socialization and oppression?
• How can we learn from our children and create healthy patterns of discipline?
• What does effective partnering look like and how do our relationships contribute to strong family bonding?
• Finally, how do dads best help their children make the transition to adulthood and address the difficult patterns of oppression from their own history?

Workshop Participants will have the opportunity to share their own experiences and learn from each other.

This workshop is for clinicians, educators, and community leaders, as well as both active and prospective dads and family members who seek to optimize their fathering experiences.

Eric Marsh is a father, mentor, entrepreneur, community supporter and advocate for menand families. He is the current Executive Director and Co-founder of The Fathering Circle, a peer support organization where fathers examine male socialization, its impact on them and its residual effects on their partners, children, and society. He currently serves as the Chairman of the Mayor’s Commission on African American Males in Philadelphia advising city government on policies and legislation that impacts Black men and boys. He is also the Community Outreach Organizer for WHYY, Philadelphia’s NPR affiliate.

  Eric has served as a workshop presenter, panelist, and planning committee member for The Black Male Development Symposium (BMDS), an organizer and co-host for the annual Focus on Fathers Fall Conferences and helped organize and co-host the Fathering Festival, a two-day event held at the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s Pearlman Building that attracted over 800 visitors. He has presented workshops at the National Family Involvement Conference and presented at the international Unbuntu Conference for Men Engage. Eric is an active board member of MCGC. 

Guest and donations accepted at the door.

Philadelphia has a mask mandate for all indoor and public places beginning Monday, April 18, 2022.

MCGC Encourages compliance

Dear Friends,

Please join us for our upcoming readings and poetry for social change fundraising event. The Men’s Center for Growth and Change Co-Executive Directors, Mai Spann-Wilson, and Bro. Robb Carter, will be performing a series of readings and poetry birthed out of their years of work as mental health professionals. Doors will open promptly at 6:30 PM for social gathering and light food and drinks. The evening events will open with a performance from Violinist Jack Drummond at 7:00 PM.

Guest and donations accepted at the door.

Philadelphia has a mask mandate for all indoor and public places beginning Monday, April 18, 2022.

MCGC Encourages compliance

Workshop Description:

Traditional societal attitudes about race and masculinity pose challenges for all therapists in healing the emotional wounds that bring men into treatment. This workshop examines the histories of Racial Science and rigid Male Code in our country, and how they have combined to exacerbate these injuries for men. 

The concept of race has never stood alone without racism. Racial hatred and violence should be recognized as one of the most damaging diseases of modern times. Research most often focuses on victims’ behaviors, but less frequently on what drives perpetrators’ hate and fear based on color.  Medicine and the Mental Health field have contributed to this process. More recent studies suggest that white supremacist beliefs may carry their own self-inflicted wounds. 

The emotional consequences of these distortions for men, both white and of color, are illustrated with clinical examples. We describe three key components for addressing race-related trauma for men in therapy:

1) trauma-informed interventions, 2) emotional intimacy skills, and 3) cultural awareness (inquiry and self-reflection).

Practicing the principles of anti-racism in everyday life can help therapists enhance their work. Workshop participants will have the opportunity to share their personal and professional experiences with feedback from our leaders.

This workshop is open to participants from all backgrounds.

Objectives:

1) Participants will gain knowledge and awareness of how traditional Male Code and Racial Science have contributed to trauma in males, both white and men of color. Here, the role of medicine and the mental health profession is highlighted. They will learn from examples of the ways this trauma manifests in clinical settings.

2) Participants will gain knowledge of research and theory that illuminates the underlying dynamics of racial hatred, as well as those that foster resilience in male clients.

3) Participants will learn attitudes and skills for healing both real-time and intergenerational emotional wounds in male clients. These include trauma-informed interventions, emotional intimacy skills, cultural awareness and principles of anti-racism.

4) Participants will gain insight by sharing their personal experiences around race and masculinity in private and professional settings with each other.

Workshop Presenters:

Robert E. Carter, MSW, (Brother Robb ) is the Clinical Co-Director of MCGC. He is a faculty lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania’s Departments of Social Policy and Practice and Graduate School of Education. For over three decades he has run groups for youth and adults who are at risk for violence. His research centers on healing from racial trauma, understanding white supremacy, and teaching African and African-American history and culture.

Robert  Garfield, M.D (Rob Garfield) is Board President of MCGC. He is a clinical faculty lecturer in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania. He has run therapeutic men’s groups (Friendship Labs) since the 1990’s, and has conducted research on men’s friendships and emotional intimacy. He authored “Breaking the Male Code (2015)” which describes his work. In 2019, Rob organized a national conference for MCGC on “Men and the #MeToo Movement.”

Brother Robb and Rob G. currently co-teach a lecture on Race and Masculinity at The University of Pennsylvania.

Two (2) Continuing Education Credits (CEU’S) are available at the cost of $15.00 forNASW PA members, and $25.00 for non-members of NASW.  Those interested in receiving credits may contact NASW directly:

* NASW has been designated as a pre-approved provider of professional continuing education for social workers, marriage and family therapist and professional counselors by the PA State Board of Social Workers, Marriage & Family Therapist and Professional Counselors, if you have an out of state license call your state licensing board to verify CEU’s.