Dad Support Group in Bentonville, AR
Our programs are led by fully licensed clinicians who use evidence-informed approaches and validated assessments to create measurable, lasting change.
A Space for Fathers to Connect and Grow
Modern fatherhood comes with unique pressures that often go unspoken. Research shows fathers experience significant mental health challenges during the perinatal period and beyond, yet rarely seek help (Cameron et al., 2016, JAMA Psychiatry). Our Dad Support Group provides a confidential, judgment-free space where fathers can share their experiences, learn from each other, and develop the skills to thrive both as parents and individuals.
Facilitated by a licensed therapist who understands the challenges of contemporary fatherhood, this group offers practical strategies and genuine peer support.
Topics We Explore Together
Real conversations about the challenges that matter most to dads.
Work-Life Balance
Managing career demands while being present for your family.
Co-Parenting After Divorce
Navigating custody, communication, and staying connected with your kids.
Emotional Expression
Breaking through societal barriers to communicate feelings effectively.
Anger Management
Healthy strategies for managing frustration and modeling emotional regulation.
Bonding with Children
Deepening connections through quality time and meaningful engagement.
Navigating Teen Years
Staying connected and relevant as your children become teenagers.
New Father Adjustment
Transitioning into fatherhood and supporting your partner.
Single Fatherhood
Managing solo parenting responsibilities with confidence.
Ready to Schedule Your First Session?
Free 15-minute consultation · Same-week appointments · Most insurance accepted
Group Format
A structured yet flexible program designed for busy dads.
8-Week Program
Structured curriculum with room for organic conversation
90-Minute Weekly Sessions
Evening sessions that work with your schedule
6-8 Members Per Group
Small enough for real connection, diverse enough for perspective
Confidential Environment
What's shared in the group stays in the group
Licensed Therapist Facilitation
Professional guidance with evidence-informed techniques
Connect
Build friendships with other dads who get it.
Learn
Gain practical parenting skills you can use immediately.
Express
Develop a stronger emotional vocabulary.
Belong
Reduce isolation and feel understood.
What We Cover: The 8-Week Fatherhood Curriculum
Each closed-cohort group at our Bentonville office follows a structured arc, while leaving room for the conversations that matter most to the dads in the room. Here is what a typical eight-week cycle looks like.
The Dad Support Group is a psychoeducational and peer-support group facilitated by a licensed clinician — not a lecture series and not a substitute for individual therapy. Every week pairs a brief skills focus with open, confidential discussion. Themes are sequenced so the group builds trust before tackling the heavier material, and the facilitator adapts the pacing to the men who actually show up. Below is the working outline; your specific cohort may shift the order based on the group's needs.
Weeks 1–2: Arriving & the Father Identity
We set group norms together, introduce the confidentiality agreement, and name what brought each man to the room. We look at the “invisible job description” of modern fatherhood — provider, protector, coach, partner — and where the gaps between expectation and reality create stress.
Weeks 3–4: Stress, Mood & the Quiet Signals
Many fathers experience depression and anxiety as irritability, withdrawal, working more, or physical tension rather than sadness. We practice recognizing those signals early and building a simple regulation toolkit — breathing, grounding, and structured time-outs — that you can use before frustration spills onto your kids or partner.
Weeks 5–6: Connection & Communication
We work on emotional vocabulary, repairing after conflict, and showing up for your children in ways that fit who you are. For partnered dads we cover co-parenting and dividing the “mental load”; for separated or divorced dads we cover business-like co-parenting communication and staying a steady presence across two households.
Weeks 7–8: Sustaining the Change
We pull the eight weeks together into a personal plan: the habits worth keeping, the warning signs to watch for, and how to keep a support network once the formal group ends. Men who want to continue can step into a new cohort, move to individual therapy, or both.
Throughout, the facilitator draws on evidence-informed approaches such as cognitive behavioral and acceptance-based skills. Talk therapy and structured psychosocial support are well-established treatments for depression and anxiety; for an overview of how these approaches work, the National Institute of Mental Health maintains plain-language guides on psychotherapies and on men and mental health. The group is intentionally built for men who have rarely been invited to talk about this part of their lives.
Is This Group Right for You?
The Dad Support Group is designed for fathers in Bentonville and across Northwest Arkansas who want practical tools and the steadying experience of not doing this alone.
This group tends to help dads who are
- New fathers adjusting to a first child or a new baby in the house
- Feeling stretched thin between career demands and being present at home
- Navigating separation, divorce, custody, or co-parenting across two homes
- Parenting solo and carrying the load on their own
- Noticing more irritability, short temper, or emotional distance than they want
- Wanting to break cycles from their own upbringing and parent differently
- Feeling isolated, with few other men they can talk to honestly
When something else may fit better
A support group works alongside, not instead of, more intensive care. If you are dealing with active suicidal thoughts, a substance-use crisis, untreated severe depression, or a high-conflict relationship that feels unsafe, a one-on-one setting is usually the right starting point. We can help you begin with individual therapy and add the group later when it makes sense.
If medication might be part of the picture, our licensed clinicians provide therapy and coordinate with your primary care provider or a prescriber — ZipHealthy does not prescribe or manage medication.
How intake & screening work
Every father starts with a free, confidential 15-minute consultation. Because group fit matters for everyone in the cohort, the facilitator then completes a brief screening before your first session. This is a short conversation — not a test — to make sure the group is a good match for what you are dealing with, to answer your questions, and to flag anything that may be better addressed individually first. There is no obligation, and what you share is protected.
If you are in crisis, please reach out now. A support group is not an emergency service. If you are having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, or you are worried about your safety, call or text 988 (the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline), text HOME to 741741, or call 911. You can learn more about warning signs and getting help from the National Institute of Mental Health.
Group Format, Confidentiality & What to Expect
Clear expectations help everyone show up fully. Here is exactly how the Dad Support Group runs.
Closed Cohort
6–8 fathers who start and finish together, so trust can build week to week.
8 Weekly Sessions
Ninety-minute evening sessions over eight weeks, scheduled around working dads.
In-Person + Telehealth
Meet at 240 S Main St in downtown Bentonville, or join securely from anywhere in Arkansas.
Cost & Insurance
Group therapy is often covered; many insured clients pay $20–$40 per session.
In-person in Bentonville or by secure telehealth
The group meets in person at our office at 240 South Main Street, Suite #270 in downtown Bentonville, with parking and an easy drive from Rogers, Cave Springs, Centerton, and Bella Vista. When a cohort runs as a virtual group, sessions are delivered over our HIPAA-secure telehealth platform, which keeps the group accessible to fathers in Fayetteville, Springdale, and across Arkansas who cannot reliably get to Bentonville on a weeknight. Telehealth participants must be physically located in Arkansas during sessions.
What it costs & how billing works
ZipHealthy is a Blue Cross Blue Shield preferred provider and works with most major insurance plans. Group sessions are frequently a covered behavioral-health benefit, and many insured members pay roughly $20–$40 per session out of pocket; your exact cost depends on your plan. If you are paying out of pocket, you are entitled to a written Good Faith Estimate under the No Surprises Act before you begin. You can also review our pricing and what to expect and our broader notes on therapy cost in Arkansas. We verify your benefits before your first session so there are no surprises.
Confidentiality & group norms
Group work only succeeds when every father trusts that the room is safe. Our facilitators are licensed clinicians who follow the confidentiality and ethics standards of the NASW Code of Ethics. In the first session the group agrees on shared norms, including:
- What's shared here, stays here. Members agree not to repeat anyone else's story outside the group. While the clinician is bound by confidentiality, members are asked to honor it too — group confidentiality is an agreement of trust, not a legal guarantee from other participants.
- Respect and no judgment. One man speaks at a time; we listen to understand, not to fix or compete.
- Voluntary sharing. You set your own pace. You are never required to disclose more than you choose.
- Limits to confidentiality. As mandated reporters, clinicians must act if there is a risk of serious harm to you or someone else, or suspected abuse of a child or vulnerable adult. We review these limits clearly at the start so nothing is a surprise.
You can expect a facilitator who keeps the group on track and safe, a small circle of fathers who genuinely get it, and a clear structure that respects your time. New cohorts begin periodically, and space is intentionally limited to protect the quality of conversation.
For the weeks between sessions...
Positive Parenting Toolkit
A clinician-designed companion for dads: evidence-informed parenting strategies, family communication tools, behavior-support frameworks, and connection-building activities you can put to work at home between group meetings.
Get the ToolkitInstant digital download · Designed by our licensed clinicians
For educational and personal development purposes. Not a substitute for professional therapy.
Related Care at ZipHealthy
The Dad Support Group works well on its own or alongside our other services. Explore what might fit your family.
- Individual Therapy — one-on-one support for what you'd rather work through privately first.
- Group Therapy — our broader group programs beyond the fatherhood cohort.
- Depression Therapy in NWA — help when low mood shows up as irritability, fatigue, or withdrawal.
- Anxiety Treatment in Bentonville — tools for the worry and tension that come with the dad job description.
- EMDR Therapy — for fathers carrying unresolved trauma from their own past.
- DBT Skills Group — structured skills for emotion regulation and managing intense moments.
- Telehealth across Arkansas — secure virtual sessions when you can't make it in person.
- All Behavioral Health Services — the full range of care our Bentonville practice offers.
Join the Next Dad Support Group
New groups begin monthly. Space is limited to ensure quality conversation. Reserve your spot today.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
Free 15-minute consultation · Same-week appointments · Most insurance accepted