What’s New:
Group Therapy for Gay Men meets weekly at Dr. Swift’s office in Manhattan.
If you’d like to join the group—or if you have questions—please contact Will Swift at 212-517-6942 or drwswift@gmail.com.
Group Therapy for Gay Men
Since 1978, Will Swift has offered group psychotherapy for gay men in New York City. Group sessions meet weekly at Will's office in Manhattan. A brief description of group therapy is shown below. If you'd like to join the group, or have questions, please contact Dr. Swift at 212.517.6942 or drwswift@gmail.com.
WHY JOIN WILL SWIFT’S GAY MEN’S THERAPY GROUP?
You feel like you are stuck, disconnected or need a change in your life.
You would like to belong to a supportive, perceptive and fun gay community.
You want to refine your skills for finding or sustaining relationships.
You want to change behaviors and attitudes that prevent you from meeting your work or personal goals in order to live a more complete life.
You want to learn to be more accepting of yourself.
You want to surprise yourself by discovering new interests or parts of personality.
You are in a difficult transition- leaving a relationship, adjusting to a new job or city.
You find yourself dating guys who are a bad match.
You wonder how you come across to other gay men.
You feel like you don't fully belong in the gay world.
You allow your fears of rejection to stop you from getting what you want.
You have trouble coping with feelings of anxiety and depression.
You need help getting over childhood peer rejection or family trauma.
AND MUCH MORE! If INTERESTED IN JOINING THE GROUP, please contact WILL Swift at 212.517.6942 or drwswift@gmail.com.
“After a really tough breakup, I needed help navigating how to get back on my feet emotionally, spiritually, and mentally. Taking the leap to join Dr. Will Swift’s men’s weekly therapy group was one of the soundest decisions I’ve ever made.
Under Dr. Swift’s leadership, the group provides a caring and safe environment that has propelled me to choose more emotionally healthy options for dealing with life’s stressors without feeling so alone. It has been an eye opener to see, first-hand, that directed candid honest feedback from other gay men has moved me to own and adjust many of the self-defeating behaviors that have been with me since childhood. Dr. Swift is the best!””
WHAT IS GROUP THERAPY LIKE?
When you join one of my groups, you will find that the other group members become family in the best sense of the word: challenging and encouraging you thoughtfully and honestly. It is helpful to discover the differences between your version of yourself and other group members' view of you. We also have a lot of laughs along the way.
Group is a safe place where you can change how you think about yourself and can practice new ways of expressing yourself. It can be particularly helpful when you are in transition (leaving or beginning a relationship, changing careers, dating, coming out, giving up bad habits) or in helping you to become "unstuck" so that you can make a change. You get direct feedback from your peers about any distortions in your thinking (the group challenges the idea that you will never have a lover again after a relationship ends) as well as direct evidence about how other group members handle or view specific problems (how to confront a boss, when not to come out, when to have sex with someone new, etc.).
ISSUES GAY MEN DISCUSS IN GROUP:Some gay men come to group to learn how to be comfortable dealing with groups, other gay men or groups of gay men. In group you can begin to see how you maintain your sense of isolation by minimizing your similarities with the other group members and dwelling on the differences.
Sometimes learning not to express a part of your self (being gay) teaches you not to express your feelings in other areas. You can learn to express your vulnerability and tender feelings as well as differing opinions and negative feelings. Group members help each other to work through worries, disappointments, and loneliness as well as a wide variety of self-image issues including:
meeting and dating appropriate men
combining sex and intimacy
building a satisfying social network
quieting the harsh inner critic
coping with conflict and challenges in relationships
coming out
sexual compulsiveness
career challenges and changes
anxiety and depression
“As someone with mild depression feeling the effects of isolation due to the pandemic, participation in Dr. Swift’s group for gay men has been a godsend (and this is coming from an atheist). Ten intelligent, articulate, and caring men meet weekly for 90 minutes in a warm but happily challenging environment. We help make each other better people. The feeling of belonging is critical. It’s the backdrop for the real therapeutic work. Dr. Swift expertly guides discussion and keeps things on track. I’ve been participating for two years. Some members have a longer tenure, some are newcomers. Dr. Swift ensures that everyone feels welcome and that the time is used productively. Group is a subtle but powerful adjunct to individual or couples work. Dr. Swift excels in this setting and fosters much growth among the members.”
HOW DOES GROUP WORK?
You should be prepared to make a significant commitment of time in order to get the benefits of more intimate feedback from the group. It takes the first couple of months to get the lay of the land. The group asks for a minimum commitment of three months (twelve sessions) before deciding whether the group is benefiting you enough to continue in it.
COMBINING THERAPIES
If you have an individual therapist, you are welcome to join group as long as your therapist is willing to communicate with Dr. Swift when necessary. Some group members also have individual therapy sessions with Dr. Swift while others only attend group. Depending on needs and finances, some schedule private sessions weekly, some bi-weekly, while others have an individual session when needed during a crisis.
“Will Swift has impacted my life profoundly. My husband and I both saw Will individually and were both in his men’s group at different times. I can honestly say that at the end of both therapies, I have never felt more confident in my abilities and better about myself. I was finally able to leave a toxic work environment without fear or guilt. More recently, I was able to manage the death of my husband of 40 years. Will is flexible and has self-insight and sophisticated interpersonal skills. I like him and trust him a lot, and recommend him highly. ”
To schedule a consultation with Will Swift—or for more information—please call (212) 517-6942 or email drwswift@gmail.com.