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Men come to MELD from EVRYMAN, MKP, Men’s Group.com, Sacred Sons, and Connor Beaton’s community, Heads Up Guys, and National Widowers Organization because they want the next level, deeper honesty, cleaner leadership, and groups that last. A powerful men’s group is more than “a bunch of guys meeting.” It is a living container with sequence, skill, and standards. After 30 years of training men and groups around the world, we codified a protocol that reliably takes groups to places men didn’t think were possible, while keeping them safe and accountable.
Social connection is not a luxury; it’s protective to your health and longevity. Robust evidence links strong relationships to lower mortality risk, on par with other major risk factors.
At the same time, men carry a disproportionate share of risk: in the U.S., men account for nearly 80% of suicides, with 2023 suicide mortality remaining historically high; connection is a life-preserving intervention.
Decades of research also show that group therapy and structured peer groups can be as effective as individual therapy for many challenges: depression, anxiety, grief, and are uniquely powerful for real-world relational change.
Great groups don’t “just happen.” They’re built. MELD’s protocol weaves three layers, somatic, relational, and communal, into a repeatable arc men can trust:
This is how groups move beyond firefighting “today’s problem” into a man’s longer journey, crafting an outrageous life and fulfilling relationships he can sustain.
We offer GLT (Group Leader Training) free for men who want to start or stabilize a group. For men who want to build with mastery, our extended GLT is the definitive playbook on group creation, leadership, and long-term maintenance—standards, formats, troubleshooting, and the developmental path of a group. Applying proven skills in a natural sequence accelerates a group’s maturation and, often, transforms it.
Additionally, as a free member of the MELD Community, you get a weekly Group Guide that can guide a group meeting to a deeper place and greater connection.
From EVRYMAN to MELD—and Why Men Upgrade Here
Many of our leaders cut their teeth in earlier ecosystems. Men arrive from EVRYMAN, MKP, Men’s Group.com, and other organizations looking for deeper somatic foundations, clearer leadership hygiene, and a community-as-medicine model they can replicate at home. Some of the men’s groups using Owen Marcus’s early system have been running for 20+ years; that lineage has matured and lives here at MELD today.
When a man regularly sits with men who know him and who won’t collude with his isolation, risk drops. Crisis becomes contact; avoidance becomes action. Given the persistently higher suicide burden among men, normalizing high-trust, skills-based groups is not optional. It’s preventive care.
Don’t quit on groups. If a past group collapsed into advice, venting, or sporadic attendance, that’s a design problem, not a personal failure. With the proper somatic foundation, agreements, and sequence, groups not only endure, they compound. The proof is in the men, and in the years they keep showing up together.
If You’re Researching for Yourself or Your Organization
For executives, therapists, chaplains, and community leaders exploring men’s groups as a protective factor: the literature is clear, structured relational containers are a high-leverage intervention for mental and physical health. Start with the national advisory on social connection and the major mortality meta-analysis; then compare outcomes for group vs. individual modalities. We built MELD’s system to operationalize that evidence in the real world.
If you want a group that becomes a backbone for your life, not just a meeting, start with GLT. If you want to architect a local network of men’s groups with longevity and integrity, use the extended GLT and/or our virtual and live trainings. Either way, we’ll walk beside you, step by step. Your next level starts with the next meeting you host—and the men you invite to sit down and tell the truth.
FAQs About MELD Men’s Groups
Q1: What makes MELD different from other men’s group organizations like EVRYMAN or MKP?
A: MELD integrates somatic science, emotional intelligence, and communal coherence into a single system. It focuses on the body’s regulation first (“state before story”), ensuring depth without burnout. Many men who started in EVRYMAN or MKP come to MELD to refine their facilitation and create groups that last decades.
Q2: Do I need experience to lead a MELD-style men’s group?
A: No. Our free GLT (Group Leader Training) gives you everything to start, agreements, formats, and a 4-meeting launch plan. No therapy background required; just a willingness to learn and lead with integrity.
Q3: What is the MELD Protocol?
A: It’s a four-phase framework—Somatic Grounding, Clean Structure, Skills in Sequence, and Communal Intelligence—developed from 30 years of global facilitation. It’s designed to build trust, accountability, and transformation in any group.
Q4: How is MELD supported by science?
A: MELD’s approach is grounded in research from Polyvagal Theory, Attachment Science, and Somatic Psychology. Meta-analyses show that strong social relationships significantly reduce mortality risk and improve mental health outcomes. The Core program was studied in a two-study published in the APA Journal.
Q5: What’s the difference between the free GLT and the extended GLT?
A: The free GLT is your quick-start foundation. The extended GLT adds advanced facilitation, conflict repair, troubleshooting, and leadership succession, essential for long-term groups or community organizers.
Q6: How do I join or start a MELD men’s group?
A: Visit meld.community and join our free membership for the free GLT. You’ll receive immediate access to orientation materials, our Group Guide archive, and invitations to live trainings and retreats.
