MAN - WOMAN - HUMAN

Uniting gender in the face of meta collapse

"Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing,
There is a field. I'll meet you there."

Rumi

So why am I here? Writing to you. Good question.

Over the years, I’ve learnt to navigate some tricky terrain, met some interesting people, and lived some life.

I’ve changed people's lives, and still my humility makes it hard to say that, so don’t take my word for it - read here from the horses' mouths.

I have two competing parts, and to answer this question, I need to share both. Or maybe they’re two aspects of the same part.

My trickster is the part which agitates, challenges, probes, prays for revolution. 

On the one side, it fucks with just for the sake of fucking with, enjoys the energy of combat and resistance, of mischief and play, just because. 

On the other side, something needs to change. Here I get stuck, there's so much that needs to change, I could be here for days. 

And also, I’m reminded of the old joke

- How many therapists does it take to change a light bulb? 

It depends on whether it wants to change!

Well my trickster wants to be part of that change.

Are you with me?

So that’s the question. Are you with me?

 

What I’d like to influence is the division. 

Right and wrong, right and left, black and white, liberal and fascist, east and west, cat or dog.

My piece in this is; if the global and personal issues are to be addressed, we need to be together, in communication, in connection.

Who is the we you speak of?

Men and women.

This is a call to the human.

Let's come together.

(More than human welcome too)

Division is divisive, its an age-old tactic, divide and conquer. 

Whilst we’re fighting each other we’re missing who’s pulling the strings.

We are atomised, dissected, separated.

WHY?

If we are going to be able to tackle the big problems of the age; the meta crisis, environmental and economic collapse, we need to come together.

Division is divisive, its an age-old tactic, divide and conquer. 

Whilst we’re fighting each other we’re missing who’s pulling the strings.

We are atomised, dissected, separated.

You can not make a difference, but You’s can, and you know it.

Want to make a change, you join something;
a gym, a campaign, a therapy group. 

Come together - exchange ideas, dreams, heartbreaks.

Suddenly, you don’t seem so small, and the issue doesn’t seem so big.

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So - I’m planting ACORNS -

 Autonomous Collection Of Regulated Nervous Systems

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MAN

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WOMAN

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HUMAN

Also known as groups.

Groups are my thing (check out my credentials below), i’ve been doing it for half my life.

I’ve been asked to run groups again for a while, but it hasn’t felt right.

But now the ACORN project feels right.

Read more about Alistair

Experience

Professional experience

Private practice - One to one Integral Psychotherapeutic Counselling and Coaching 2005 - On-going.
Private practice - supervision 2014 - On-going.
Co-mentoring training - Well Spring Project 2025 - On-going.
Men’s retreats - The Dreaming Retreat Centre - 2026.
Man - Woman - Human groupwork project - 2026.
Mankind Charity - Lead groupwork creator and facilitator - 2014-2020.
Wildnature - Lead facilitator and counsellor - 2012-2018.
Counselling and Psychotherapy Training Academy (CPTA) - Lead Tutor Diploma course - 2012-2023.
Young Person’s Centre - Clinical supervisor - 2014-2001.
Join the Dots: Community Supervision and support - Director 2022-2025.
A band of brothers - Mentor - 2008-2009.
CRI - Counselling Co-ordinator - 2006-2007.
YMCA - Assertive outreach young persons substance misuse worker - 2004-2006.
CRI - Outreach Young Persons Support Worker - 2003-2004.
Addaction - Probations Substance misuse worker - 2001-2003.

Education

The Field - Group Facilitation Training - 2025.
Trauma training - Babbette Rothschild - 2017.
Diploma in Clinical Supervision - 20013-14.
Integral Theory Training - Levels 1&2 - 2006-2009.
Working with young people - Brighton Uni - 2007.
Diploma in Integrative Counselling - 2001-3.
BSc Combined Studies - Geography and Psychology - Leicester University - 1996-1999.

CPD - Continued Professional Development

So much CPD I can’t list (or remember) them all. Dealing with difficult and disturbing behaviours, Diversity and Inclusion, Mentoring, Group supervision, anger management, anxiety, young people, creative methods, working in nature.

Experiences

Living Tantra.
Tamera Introduction.
Vision quest - Ecodarma.
Wilderness quest - Ecodarma.
New warrior initiation training - Mankind Project.
Various 5 rhythms dance retreats and 20 years of practice.
Pilgrimage - Pyrenees, Iona, Iceland.

HOW IT WORKS

Eight individuals join me on a ten-week group work programme. This is a training group of sorts, and in other ways just a group, just a gathering. This is about seeding a collective.

After those eight individuals pair up, and set up their own group of eight.

The original group carries on fortnightly in a supervision circle, and they grow on the job.

So 8 + 4 x 8 = 32, becomes 40.

WHY?

As a baseline, something which is invested in and forged, so when life comes along with it’s fire and fury, grit and grace. You’ve got somewhere to go.

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STAGE 1 : MEN

Lets face it, generally, women are better at coming together. In some ways, they are steps ahead, in some ways steps behind - who fucking knows, really. But what is clear is there’s trouble in the midst, and division. 

So 

Stage one ACORN MEN 

Stage two ACORN WOMEN

Stage three ACORN HUMAN

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ACORN MEN

Register your interest for

 

My vision is that the work that needs doing is the work between

My mission is to make spaces for that conversation

And to begin with, develop a tribe of men ready and resourced for that conversation.

Economics

I’m not doing this for the money, and i’m not doing it for free. Payment is an investment, men show up for the group and each other.

£40 a group - so much cheaper than therapy.

Paid up front £400.

20% goes to Wild Oak for all of this admin, advertising, development stuff, the rest pays for venue and staff.

£400 - 20% = £320 - venue (£20) - supervision £20 (£40 every two weeks)/
2 staff men = £140 each.

First team:

Alistair • Dan • Jono • Kyle • Marc • Steve • Scott • Nicolas • Alan • Andrew • Mathew

Then what?

 

Session 9 is always what next - continue weekly or fortnightly  / merge, fill from other groups, set up a new group and cycle again, run two groups.

Necessary ingredients - two facilitators and supervision.

Men are holding the space; men need to be held.