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Group history

The Sandpoint Men’s Group (smg) started February 2005 with 12 men. Their invitations to join came from Owen Marcus who developed the design out his experience over the years leading groups and from his affiliation with the MandKind Project.

We believe there are three main reasons this group is powerful. The first is the container we hold and the men in it. The second is the quarterly lineaged Sweat Lodges that are open to men’s partners to attend. The third aspect is the Healing Journey we have refined over the years. The Healing Journey is an gentle process of taking a man back to the origin of what is preventing him from achieving his goal.

The group grew to three circles or sub-groups. In June 2009 several men reformed Sandpoint Men’s Group into smg 2.0.

The men of the Sandpoint Mens Group support the continued success the Sandpoint Women’s Group. As men, we support the women in our lives, be them our wives, partners, lovers, friends or children. It is our experience that as we become more the men we want to be, we create more opportunity for women to be who they want to be.

Group Focus

The smg is not therapy; our focus is not pathology, but enhancement. We focus on supporting members in achieving a richer life. There are often times in men’s lives when medication and serious therapy may be needed, the smg supports that need. We tell these men to consider joining the group when their treatment, pharmaceutical or psychotherapy is complete.

We ask that when a man joins the group he joins for himself first. The more a man is fully present and fully committed – the more he receives from the group and the group receives from him. A core tenant of the group is feeling and expressing what we feel and want. As simple as this may be, as humans we often struggle with totally showing up. To help each other in this endeavor we ask that the man be emotionally and physically present.