UNEXPECTING DADS' CHAT
A FREE*, VIRTUAL,
8-WEEK PERINATAL LOSS SUPPORT GROUP FOR GRIEVING FATHERS
YOU'RE NOT ALONE, MAN.
A safe place for belonging, honest conversations, and remembrance among other dads who get it.
Sponsored by Untold Stories of Maryland
Facilitated by Matthew Braman, LCSW, LCSW-C, PMH-C, Founder & CEO / Therapist of Verve Psychotherapy, Certified Perinatal Mental Health Professional, and Fellow Loss Dad with Lived Experience of Perinatal Loss.
Are You Navigating Pregnancy or Infant Loss Alongside Everything Else?
It hurts. We know.
Pregnancy and infant loss can change everything. And for fathers, grief can sometimes feel especially complicated and lonely.
Unexpecting Dads' Chat is a free*, virtual, 8-week perinatal loss support group for grieving fathers. This is a non-clinical, peer support group.
What You'll Gain
Unexpecting Dads’ Chat brings together a small group of bereaved fathers for eight weeks of honest conversation, remembrance, and peer connection.
Whether you're struggling to find the words, feeling pressure to stay strong for others, or simply looking for men who understand what you've experienced, there's room for you here.
Facilitated by a fellow loss dad and paternal perinatal mental health specialist, this free* virtual group offers a space to share, listen, reflect, and connect without pressure to grieve or share in any particular way.
Group Details
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1:1 Intro Call with Facilitator: 30 Minutes via Zoom
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Closed Cohort: 4–6 Participants*
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Minimum Enrollment to Launch: 4 Participants
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Maximum Enrollment: 6 Participants
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Duration: 8 Free Group Sessions
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Frequency: Weekly
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Group Chat Length: 90 Minutes
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Format: Virtual via Zoom
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Starting: January 2027
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Attendance Expectation: Dads should plan to attend at least 6 of the 8 meetings.
*Keeping the cohort small and closed is intended to foster greater trust, psychological safety, continuity, and meaningful opportunities for each participant to engage in the group for their maximum benefit.
8-Week Curriculum
*Reviewed by Untold Stories of Maryland
Week 1 – You Belong Here
Introductions, community agreements, the experience of becoming a bereaved father, and establishing a safe peer-support environment.
Week 2 – The Invisible Grief
Exploring paternal grief, disenfranchised grief, isolation, and the ways fathers may experience loss differently from others around them.
Week 3 – The Pressure to Be Strong
Examining expectations to protect, provide, fix, remain composed, and support others while also grieving.
Week 4 – Grieving Differently
Understanding differences in grief between partners and the effects of loss on marriage, relationships, communication, and intimacy.
Week 5 – Anger, Guilt, Blame, and "What If..."
Creating space to discuss difficult emotions that often accompany pregnancy and infant loss without judgment.
Week 6 – Work, Family, Friends, & the Outside World
Navigating work, friendships, extended family, social expectations, insensitive comments, boundaries, and returning to everyday life.
Week 7 – Living Forward
Exploring anniversaries, milestones, trying to conceive, pregnancy after loss, parenting living children, uncertainty, and hopes for the future.
Week 8 – Carrying Them With Us
Reflecting on continuing bonds, remembrance, meaning, community, and sources of ongoing support beyond the group.
Cost & Enrollment:
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* $50 (Non-Refundable) for a 30-Minute Intro Call via Zoom to assess individual fit and readiness for the Group (this is required, and does not guarantee group enrollment, inclusion, or registration).
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* Free 90-Minute Virtual Peer Support Group Sessions over 8 Weeks starting in January 2027 – Dude, just show up.
📍 Virtual Peer Support for Perinatal Loss Dads:
If you’re a Grieving Father living in Maryland and searching for peer support, then this is for you. It's OK if you're located outside of Maryland. This is not a therapy group and there are no residency restrictions.
*Unexpecting Dads’ Chat is a non-clinical, facilitated peer support and educational program. Although the facilitator is a licensed mental health professional, the group does not provide psychotherapy, diagnosis, psychological assessment, or individualized mental health treatment.
**Participation does not establish a therapist-client relationship.
Participants agree to respect one another's privacy; however, confidentiality among peer participants may be limited and cannot be guaranteed. The group is not a substitute for professional mental health treatment, crisis intervention, or emergency services. Additional support or referrals may be recommended when appropriate.
Questions? Ready to Join the Chat?
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Get ready to Join the Chat with courage, confidence, and connection!
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Follow @untold_stories_md and @vervepsychotherapy on IG for announcements, updates, and more on perinatal loss support.
