Gay Men’s Interpersonal Psychotherapy Group in Washington DC
I offer an ongoing gay men’s therapy group in Washington DC for adult gay men who want deeper, more satisfying relationships and a stronger sense of connection with other men. This group is for men who feel stuck in familiar relationship patterns, experience isolation or disconnection, or want a space to be more open and honest with other gay men.
This in-person group provides a structured and confidential setting to explore relationships, emotional awareness, and the ways past experiences can continue to shape how you relate to others in your personal and professional life.
About This Gay Men’s Group
Gay men often navigate experiences that shape how relationships feel long before adulthood. Many arrive wanting connection, but also feeling wary of it, especially if earlier experiences with family, identity, or belonging made openness feel risky.
Loneliness and isolation can be common, even for men who appear socially connected. And within gay communities themselves, unspoken norms about who belongs can sometimes reinforce feelings of exclusion, judgment, or invisibility, particularly for men who do not feel they fit narrow cultural ideals.
This group offers a structured and confidential setting to explore these experiences with other gay men. The focus is not on performing vulnerability or giving advice. It is on understanding patterns, building emotional honesty, and developing more satisfying ways of relating to others.
Common themes in the group include:
• Dating, romantic relationships, and intimacy
• Friendship and connection with other gay men
• Belonging, exclusion, and comparison within gay spaces
• Family acceptance, rejection, and the aftereffects
• Shame, self worth, and internalized homophobia
• Substance use and addiction concerns
• Body image, social pressure, and apps
• Coming out experiences and self acceptance
• Discrimination, bias, and the stress of navigating the world as a gay man
Goals for the Group
This group is designed to help you build more satisfying relationships and a stronger sense of self in connection with others. Over time, members often work toward goals like:
• Increasing self awareness around emotional triggers and relationship patterns
• Learning how to express needs and boundaries more directly
• Becoming more comfortable with closeness, conflict, and honest feedback
• Reducing shame and building self respect and confidence
• Developing deeper connection with other men, including friendships and community
• Finding healthier ways to cope with stress, anxiety, or loneliness
What to Expect and Meeting Details
This is a weekly, therapist-led psychotherapy group with a consistent structure. Sessions are confidential and focused on real-life relationships and what happens between members in the room. Some men also choose to combine group work with individual therapy to explore personal history, identity, or specific concerns in more depth alongside the group process. You will have opportunities to speak, listen, and receive feedback, but you will not be pressured to share more than you are ready to share.
Gay Men’s Group Meeting Details
When: Wednesdays, 8:15 AM to 9:30 AM
Where: 2000 P St NW, Suite 408, Washington, DC 20036 Near Dupont Circle
Group Leader: David A. Heilman, Psy.D. Licensed Psychologist
Research and Approach
I have written and presented on the role of group psychotherapy for gay men, including a peer reviewed article in the International Journal of Group Psychotherapy. If you would like to read more about how group therapy can support gay men in reducing shame and building connection, you can find the article here.