In short: Interpersonal group psychotherapy for queer men is a weekly therapy group of six to ten male-identifying folk (including trans men), led by two trained facilitators, where the relationships forming in the room become the main driver for change. Members practise being honest, and being seen, with other men in real time. Turning Ground runs one on Wednesday mornings in Fitzroy North, in Melbourne's inner north. The next intake is open until 18 December, and the group recommences on 13 January 2027.
Plenty of queer men are very good at rooms. We scan one as we walk in, adjust the voice, decide how much of ourselves to bring. It's a skill learned young and learned well, and for many of us it never entirely switches off: not with friends, not with lovers, sometimes not even in a therapist's office.
If you've noticed that in yourself, and wondered what it might be like to put it down for ninety minutes a week, this post is for you. It covers what interpersonal group therapy is, what happens in a session, what the evidence says, and whether it might suit you.
What is interpersonal group therapy for queer men?
Interpersonal group psychotherapy (IGP) is a form of group therapy, developed from the work of psychiatrist Irvin Yalom, in which a small group meets weekly with trained facilitators and uses what happens between members as the main source of learning. Rather than talking about relationships that happen elsewhere, you notice and work with the one you're in: the here-and-now of the room.
Yalom's observation was that a group becomes a social microcosm. Within a few weeks, whatever shapes our relationships outside tends to appear inside: who goes quiet, who makes the joke, who looks after everyone else, who withdraws when someone gets close. In ordinary social settings those moments pass unremarked. In a therapy group, the facilitators help the group slow them down, name what's happening, and try something different, in a room steady enough to hold it.
In a group for queer men, that room has a particular quality. Nobody needs the backstory explained. Coming out, shame, desire, masculinity, fathers: all of it can be brought in without translation, which tends to mean the work goes deeper, sooner.
Why a group, and why a group for queer men?
Because many of the difficulties queer men bring to therapy are relational at root, and relational patterns change most reliably in relationship.
Research on minority stress, most influentially Ilan Meyer's 2003 paper on lesbian, gay and bisexual mental health, describes how chronic exposure to stigma, concealment and the anticipation of rejection wears on wellbeing. The Australian picture is consistent. In Private Lives 3, La Trobe University's national survey of nearly 7,000 LGBTIQ adults, more than half of participants reported high or very high psychological distress, roughly four times the rate in the general population. (That survey covers LGBTIQ people broadly, not gay men alone.)
Numbers can't tell you what it's like from the inside. In our experience, the terrain often looks something like this:
You're tired of masking or performing, even in spaces that are meant to be safe.
You long for closeness with other men while some part of you braces against it.
There's a gap between how easily you connect online or in the moment, and the closeness you actually want.
Your history with men (fathers, brothers, mentors, first loves, rejections) shows up in how you relate now.
Masculinity, whether inherited, rejected, performed or still being worked out, is costing you something.
Your friendships and chosen family are warm in good times, but haven't yet been tested to carry real weight.
Individual therapy can do a great deal with all of this. A group adds something it can't: other men, live. It's one thing to describe how you pull away when someone gets close. It's another to feel the pull happen with a man across the room, and to find that he's still there afterwards.
What happens in a session?
Sessions run for 90 minutes, once a week, with six to ten male-identifying folk (including trans men) and two facilitators. There's no set agenda or topic. Someone begins, or the group sits for a while, and the work follows whatever is alive.
The facilitators hold the conditions. They keep the room safe enough for honesty, and they draw attention, gently, to what's happening between people: the shift when someone speaks about his father, the silence after a joke, feedback that lands harder than intended. Members offer each other honest responses rather than advice or reassurance. Over time, most men find they're learning two things at once: more about themselves, and how to stay in contact with another man through difference and discomfort.
You aren't expected to perform vulnerability. Hesitation, wariness and silence are part of the material too.
Does group therapy work?
For many people, yes. A large 2016 meta-analysis by Gary Burlingame and colleagues, published in Psychotherapy, compared individual and group formats and found equivalent outcomes. Yalom identified several ingredients that help people in groups, including universality (discovering you're not the only one), cohesion, hope, and learning about yourself through your relationships with others.
One honest caveat: research on interpersonal groups specifically for queer men is still thin. Our confidence rests on the wider evidence for group therapy, the minority stress literature, and our clinical experience, rather than on trials of this exact format.
Who is this group for?
This group is for queer men, including trans men, who ideally have done at least a year of personal psychotherapy (though that isn't a requirement). It suits you if you want to understand how growing up different has shaped the way you trust, connect and protect yourself; to practise being direct and vulnerable with other men; to build friendships that can hold real weight; and to stay in connection through disagreement rather than withdrawing or fighting.
It may not be the right first step if you're in acute crisis, or need more immediate support than a weekly group can offer. Individual therapy or a crisis service is a better place to start, and we're glad to help you find one.
If you need to talk to someone now, QLife offers LGBTIQ+ peer support on 1800 184 527.
The practicalities
When: Wednesdays, 10:30 am to 12:00 pm
Where: Fitzroy North, in person. Close to Northcote, Collingwood, Clifton Hill, Brunswick and Carlton.
Group size: Six to ten people
Commitment: Weekly attendance. You join for an initial 12-week term, then continue as an ongoing member if you and the facilitators agree there's an alignment.
Next intake: Open until 18 December. The group recommences on 13 January 2027.
Fees: $120 (supported) or $140 (standard) per session, excl. GST. Payment plans are available, and if finances are a barrier, tell us on the call, and we'll talk it through.
Who facilitates the group?
We're Al Jeffery and Chris Burgess. Al is a registered integrative psychotherapist with a bachelor's degree in psychotherapy from the Ikon Institute of Australia. Chris is a group facilitator with many years of experience in group work, including Non-Violent Communication. We've both trained in Yalom's style of interpersonal group therapy under the guidance of Dr Traill Dowie.
How to join
Express your interest using the form on our queer men's group page.
Have a conversation. Al or Chris will book a one-to-one call to explore whether the group feels aligned and to hear what you're hoping for.
Receive an invitation. If it feels like a good fit, we'll send a welcome pack, payment information, and an intake form. If it isn't the right fit, we'll aim to offer a referral.
Learn more and apply to join the group →
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to talk in group therapy?
Nobody is pushed to share before they're ready. An interpersonal group works best, though, as members gradually bring in what's really happening for them, including hesitation and silence. Facilitators treat those as part of the work, not as failures to participate.
Is what I say in the group confidential?
Confidentiality is foundational to any therapy group, and it's something we talk through with you before you join.
How long do I commit to?
You join for an initial 12-week term, then talk with the facilitators about how it's going. If you both agree there's an alignment, you're invited to continue as an ongoing member. Many people find their deepest and most lasting change over 12 to 24 months of weekly group therapy.
Do I need to have had individual therapy first?
Ideally you'll have done at least one year of personal psychotherapy, but it isn't a requirement. Speak with us on the call if you're unsure.
Is the group only for gay men?
It's for queer men, including trans men. That includes gay and bisexual men, and men who simply find the word "queer" fits best.
What does it cost, and is it covered by Medicare?
Places are $120 (supported) or $140 (standard) per session, excl. GST, with payment plans available. Psychotherapy groups aren't Medicare-rebatable, and private health cover varies, so it's worth checking with your fund.
You don't need to know exactly what you want from a group like this. Wanting some closeness without the armour is enough to start a conversation. Apply to join the next intake →
Keep reading: What is interpersonal group therapy? · Healing beyond the individual in a relational world · Psychotherapy for LGBTQIA+ folk · Our group therapy programs
