Mindful Dads:
Tools for taking care of you, so you can take better care of them.
Weekly, virtual support group for fathers of young children and adolescents.
Join from anywhere in WA state.
You want to be a present, connected dad…
but the reality is complicated.
You’ve tried to be patient. You’ve tried to stay calm. Maybe you’ve listened to mindfulness podcasts or even attempted meditation. But nothing has really stuck, and the pressure just keeps building.
You want to show up for your kids with warmth, patience, and connection.
You want to be a supportive partner.
You want to stop feeling like you’re failing at home while excelling at work.
You want to break generational patterns—
but you don’t know how.
You’re juggling a career, a partnership, kids who need you, and the pressure to “keep it all together.” On the outside you look capable—even successful.
But inside?
You’re overwhelmed. Frustrated. Tired of snapping when you don’t mean to. Tired of feeling like you’re getting it wrong.
Your family wants more of your emotional presence. They want to feel connected to you, but you don’t always know how to show up in a way that feels authentic and real.
Maybe you’ve even caught yourself acting in ways that remind you of your dad… and not in a good way.
What if the path to becoming a better parent starts with being a little less hard on yourself?
Modern fatherhood asks a lot of you.
But no one equips you with the emotional tools you actually need.
Mindfulness isn’t about getting it right every time.
It’s about learning to respond instead of react.
It’s about riding the wave when you’re overwhelmed.
It’s about understanding your triggers, your patterns, your shame, and your stress…and choosing something new.
You don’t have to become your father.
You don’t have to do this alone.
And you don’t have to be perfect to be deeply connected to your kids.
INTRODUCING…
Mindful Dads:
A 4-week mindfulness-based support group for fathers who want to parent with more presence and less pressure. In this group you’ll learn how to:
Manage frustration, overwhelm, and anger more skillfully
Stay connected to your kids even when things get tough
Reduce snapping, withdrawing, and feeling like you’re “failing”
Build emotional resilience and self-compassion
Strengthen your confidence as a father
Break intergenerational cycles through mindful awareness
Show up with emotional presence, so your family feels truly seen and connected
This is a group where it’s safe to be honest about the hard parts—without judgment, shame, or pressure to perform.
The Curriculum:
Week 1: The Two Wings of Mindfulness: Learn the foundations of awareness and compassion—the core skills that support calm, connection, and emotional regulation.
Week 2: Forgiving Our Fuck Ups (Self-Kindness): Explore how shame and self-criticism shape your reactions. Learn tools for self-compassion so you can recover more quickly after hard moments.
Week 3: Connecting to Common Humanity: Understand the universal challenges of fatherhood. Reduce isolation by recognizing you’re not alone—and not broken.
Week 4: Reparenting Ourselves: Identify inherited patterns, reconnect with your emotional needs, and begin choosing new ways of showing up for yourself and your kids.
Program Details:
February 2026 Schedule:
Thursday, February 5, 2026 at 5:30–7:30 pm
Thursday, February 12, 2026 at 5:30–7:30 pm
Thursday, February 19, 2026 at 5:30–7:30 pm
Thursday, February 26, 2026 at 5:30–7:30 pm
Location:
Virtual – live on Google Meet. Join from anywhere in Washington state.
Tuition:
Total 4 week cohort: $80 / $140 / $200
(That comes out to $20 / $35 / $50 per session)
Choose the tier that best reflects your financial reality.
No questions asked.
Facilitators:
Felix Bankston & Alyssa Franks
Meet your hosts...
Alyssa Franks, MA, 200 E-RYT, (She/Her)
Therapy with me is rooted in deep presence, curiosity, and collaboration. Together we explore all aspects of who you are, understand the patterns shaping your relationships, and uncover the barriers to living your most authentic life. I aim to empower you with the self-awareness that creates real choice, freedom, and change.
Felix Bankston, BAS (They/Them)
I specialize in queer, trans, and non-binary affirming therapy, identity and intersectionality, gender and sexuality, non-traditional relationships, racial identity and trauma, generational trauma, life transitions, and anxiety and depression. My approach is integrative and collaborative—identifying the patterns that shape your life today and helping you shift what no longer serves you.
Mindful Dads:
A 4-week mindfulness-based support group for fathers who want to parent with more presence and less pressure. In this group you’ll learn how to:
Manage frustration, overwhelm, and anger more skillfully
Stay connected to your kids even when things get tough
Reduce snapping, withdrawing, and feeling like you’re “failing”
Build emotional resilience and self-compassion
Strengthen your confidence as a father
Break intergenerational cycles through mindful awareness
Show up with emotional presence, so your family feels truly seen and connected
This is a group where it’s safe to be honest about the hard parts—without judgment, shame, or pressure to perform.
To secure your spot in the group, please follow these simple steps:
Complete the scheduling form to confirm your interest and availability.
A team member will follow up to answer questions and confirm your spot.
You’ll receive access to the client portal to complete intake paperwork.
Once approved, you’ll submit payment based on your chosen tier.
Space is limited to maintain a supportive, personal environment. Registration is first-come, first-served.
Frequent Asked Questions:
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This is a closed group that is on a 4 week rotation.
This means that we only allow confirmed participants to enter this group when the group begins on the first scheduled session and for the duration of the 4 scheduled weeks. While the group is in attendance, there will be NO new participants joining, until the next rotation begins.
Here’s why:
Group cohesion and safety is very important for this group. It takes time to build rapport, so we ask that each group participant commit to the 4 weeks they signed up for, so that all group members can feel safe to build relationships with the other group members.
we want to offer flexible scheduling and time to adjust. Most of our participants report they feel that they have just settled into this group around session 3, and then by session 4 it is over. Our group participants often want to continue with the next rotation if their schedules allows.
At the end of the 4 week rotation, all group members will have the option to continue with the next rotation (with an additional fee), or exit the group (with NO additional fees). That way, if it’s not a good fit or if you have scheduling challenges, you are able exit the group at the end of 4 weeks with no additional commitment, which makes space for new members to enter the group.
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Group Therapy can be a powerful and valuable place for healing and growth to occur. Group therapy is a process of understanding more about yourself and others in a safe environment.
You are welcome to share as much or as little about yourself while in the group. We strongly encourage you to share openly and honestly with the group, actively participating with the group process.
Participating in group therapy can result in a number of benefits to you, including a better understanding of your personal goals and values, improving personal relationships, and resolution of specific problems you are facing in your life. It is important to recognize that therapy is not magic, and change does not occur overnight. Your willingness to participate fully in the group and your openness to take feedback from your facilitators and other group members will play a role in how much you gain in therapy.
There can be some discomfort involved in participating in group therapy. You may remember unpleasant events or experience unpleasant emotions, which is a typical experience in the therapeutic process. If distressing thoughts, feelings, or emotions arise during group therapy, please talk with the group and the facilitators so we can support you.
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First, we hear you and you are not alone. In fact, you are in good company, because most of our new participants report feeling this way.
Starting anything new may cause some nervousness. However, if you are up for the challenge, we think you will be pleasantly surprised how supportive and healing this group is.
At the start of this group, most of our participants report feeling nervous and unsure about what to expect. However, at the end of this group, most of our participants report feeling thankful they stuck with the challenge, because they feel very safe and supported in the group, they developed meaningful connections with other group members, they feel this group offers a sense of personal accountability to their practice, and they successfully learned how to manage and release stress, anxiety, and trauma in the body.
Overall, our participants report that this group was worth their time and commitment, as well as extremely rewarding.
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Presence of members in every scheduled group is vital to the success of the group. Therefore, we ask that you attend all sessions and make this commitment a top priority for the duration of the group.
It is understood that occasionally an emergency may occur that will prevent group attendance. Should you need to cancel or miss a session, you must call, text, or email the group facilitators as soon as possible.
**Please note there are NO refunds for missed sessions.
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In order for insurance to cover the cost of any treatment, the client must meet the criteria for a diagnosis that the insurance company deems as “medically necessary.”
This program will not be covered by insurance, because the facilitators will NOT be completing a full biopsychosocial assessment with participants, and therefore, cannot provided a mental health diagnosis.
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Absolutely! Please use this scheduling form to schedule a consultation call with one of our team members.