Father Figures
An online course in Refathering for Men
Father Figures is a self-directed course for men in reparenting, specifically refathering. For those who lacked nurturing fathers, this course will help you identify what fatherly teaching and support you missed. It will help you create an ideal father figure who will provide advice and encouragement.
Father Figures: Refathering for Men comes in two versions, one for gay men and one for straight men.
Father Figures for Gay Men
This course was created for gay men struggling with addiction, compulsive behaviors, lack of self-love, or difficulty with self-discipline. These challenges often stem from the absence of a nurturing father figure—or from one who was emotionally unavailable or unable to show love. Through guided exercises and reflection, this course helps participants release pain, hurt, and rejection tied to negative male role models and begin building an inner, loving, and wise gay father figure who offers strength, compassion, and guidance.
Father Figures for Straight Men
This course was designed for straight men who experienced difficult relationships with their fathers or other male role models. Addictions, avoidance, lack of confidence, and low self-worth often originate from boyhood lessons about manhood—especially when that learning was confusing, painful, or came from a woman instead of a man. Participants will be guided to release old pain and rejection from negative male figures and to create a positive, loving, and wise father figure—custom-built to support, guide, and empower them moving forward.
Heal the Past. Reclaim Your Future. Create the Father You Needed.
- Self-Directed Course for Men: Focused on re-parenting and re-fathering for those who lacked nurturing fathers.
- Identify What Was Missing: Explore the fatherly love, teaching, and support you needed but didn’t receive as a child.
- Connect with Your Inner Child: Learn skills for listening to and talking with your inner child.
- Evaluate Childhood Experiences: Reflect on and evaluate gaps in your upbringing.
- Create Your Ideal Father Figure: Develop an imaginary, internalized father tailored to your unique needs and preferences.
- Goal Setting and Achievement: Use this internal father figure to explore new ways of setting and reaching your goals.
Reparenting Begins with Understanding Your Story
- Who: This course is for men who lacked nurturing fathers and want to heal and grow through the process of reparenting and refathering.
- What: The course guides you in identifying the fatherly love, teaching, and support you missed as a child. You’ll learn how to connect with your inner child, evaluate your childhood experiences, and create an idealized, internal gay father figure to provide advice, encouragement, and guidance.
- Where: The course is entirely online, allowing you to participate from anywhere.
- When: The program is self-directed and can be completed at your own pace.
- Why: For many men, the absence of a nurturing father creates emotional gaps. This course empowers you to reimagine and internalize the father figure you needed, helping you develop tools for self-compassion, goal-setting, and personal growth.
This Course Is For You If YOU HAVE A…
- Need for Healing: You lacked a nurturing father during your childhood and feel the results today.
- Need for Connection
- Need to identify your inner child.
- Need to connect with your inner child and address unmet needs by your father.
- Need for Self-Understanding: You want to evaluate and understand the gaps in your upbringing that may be affecting your life today.
- Need for Support and Encouragement: You long for the presence of a father figure who understands and supports your unique journey.
- Need for Personal Growth: You’re ready to develop new tools for goal-setting, self-compassion, and achievement.
Father Figures will help you discover…
- Healing Through Reflection: Gain clarity and insight into the fatherly love and guidance you missed, helping you heal past wounds.
- Emotional Connection: Learn how to listen to and nurture your inner child, fostering a sense of self-compassion.
- Tailored Support: Create an idealized, internal father figure who offers the understanding and encouragement you’ve always needed.
- Empowered Self-Growth: Develop tools for setting and achieving meaningful goals, supported by your internal father figure.
- Learning At Your Own Pace: Participate in a flexible, self-directed course that fits your unique schedule and needs.
Enroll in Father Figures Now
What You Get with Father Figures
When you enroll in Father Figures: Refathering for Men, you gain access to a thoughtfully structured, self-paced online course designed to support deep personal reflection, healing, and growth. Here’s what’s included:
- 17 Transformational Modules
Each module builds on the next, guiding you through key themes such as father loss, inner child connection, reparenting, and developing a personalized, internal father figure. - 56 Guided Exercises
These reflective and experiential practices help you apply course concepts to your own life—uncovering emotional patterns, exploring unmet needs, and fostering self-compassion. - 20 Downloadable Worksheets & Tools
Printable forms and guided templates provide structure for your reflections, goal-setting, and inner dialogue with your imagined father figure. - Self-Paced Format
Access the content anytime, from anywhere, and move through the material at a pace that works for you—no deadlines, no pressure. - Lifetime Access
Revisit the materials whenever you need support, clarity, or a reminder of how far you’ve come.
Testimonials
“Father Figures gave me compassion for myself when I have tried to solve my problems and have failed, due to the lack of a gay father figure growing up.”
“I feel very supported after this, and that the answers or solutions are within me, namely through my father figure, who is an outgrowth of me.”
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About the Author
Meet David Bowman
David Bowman, MA, LMFT, is a licensed psychotherapist based in Los Angeles, dedicated to helping people explore the roots of their emotional lives and reclaim their inner strength. Before becoming a therapist, David spent decades in publishing and education, experiences that deepened his interest in how early life shapes who we become. His clinical work has focused on the LGBTQ+ community, supporting clients through trauma, identity struggles, and personal transformation.
With Father Figures, David combines professional insight and personal passion to guide gay men through the powerful process of reparenting and self-discovery.
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