SAULT ST. MARIE, Mich. (WZMQ) – For the last two years, Up North Advocacy has encouraged men to normalize and open up about their mental health in a unique way, through its Men’s Circles program.
“There are a lot of guys out there walking around with a lot of questions, in a society that expects them to have all of the answers,” said Kalvin Carter, director of Up North Advocacy. “Circle is therapeutic but is not therapy, we’re not trained therapists, we’re just guys who care about one another.”
Through the program, cohorts of six to twelve men begin with introductory weekend gatherings, typically held around a bonfire. Through these sessions, members are encouraged to express their experiences with honesty and support one another, generating raw conversations.
“The last big weekend kickoff we had, there was a lot of heavy stuff, guys are dealing with a lot of despair,” said Carter. “We’re in the same brains and the same bodies our granddads were walking around with, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say things were different now.”
The groups follow through with six individual skill-building sessions after the introduction, digging deeper into these conversations, before cycling through the process with new members.
“Active listening plays a big role in the work that we do, other sessions focus on emotional awareness, there’s one that is focused on setting the right goals for yourself,” explained Carter. “It’s a series of skills that they build, then at the end we do it all over again with a group of new guys, but they’re being supported by the men who have already been through the program.”
Carter and the UNA hope to eventually reach more men across the Upper Peninsula.
“I’m really excited to try to bring these opportunities to other places in the U.P. and northern Michigan,” he said. “We’re just looking for some guys to show a little bravery.”
Those interested in joining a cohort or volunteering can visit upnorthadvocacy.org or the organization’s Facebook page.
