The Gathering
The Gathering is a weekend event for men of all ages run by the Centre for Men and Families Australia. A lot has been said about toxic masculinity and the damage it does in our society. The Gathering is a celebration of healthy masculinity where men can be equipped to be part of the solution, not part of the problem.
Whether you are new to the CFMF community, or a regular face, there will be something for you. The Gathering will include electives and workshops to help you navigate the beauty and pain of life as a man, along with plenty of time to relax, unwind and connect.
The Gathering 2025
Cost:
Early Bird $395 (closes 5th April 2025)
Full Price: $455 (closes 19th May 2025)
Day Passes: $300 (closes 19th May 2025)
Date: 30th May – 1st June 2024 – Arrival 4-5pm Friday and Depart 2pm Sunday
Venue: The Outlook, 4001 Ipswich Boonah Rd, Boonah QLD
All meals, accommodation, bedding and all sessions are included in the cost.
Payment Options: Full amount can be paid by Credit, Debit Card or Direct Debit. To secure your place without playing the full amount immediately a $100 deposit can be made by choosing Direct Debit at checkout, then transfer $100 to the listed account.
Can’t come for the whole weekend? Come for a day instead!
We have a number of options for men that may only be able to attend one day, or live local and would prefer to sleep at home. Click the buttons below to register.
Come along for the full Saturday which includes all meals and full Saturday program
Come along for Sunday which includes breakfast and lunch, and Sunday program (event wraps up at 2pm)
Attend the whole event and sleep at home which includes all meals and full program Friday-Sunday
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us: admin@cfma.org.au
Traveling from Interstate?
A free private bus will collect any participants from Brisbane Airport on Friday 17th May and return on Sunday 19th May. Please indicate that you will require this service once you register.
William Diplock is an Individual, Relationship and Family Counsellor who has worked in the counselling field for 30+ years.
He has been involved in Mens Work for 20years and specifically more recently in the Mens Rites of Passage Work through MROP
He enjoys working with Men who have the courage to risk and see great success in vulnerability.
I am a son, a brother, a father, a husband and a friend. I am MROP initiated. I work as a School Chaplain at three Special Schools in the Brisbane and Ipswich areas. I have 3 trades. Two in the Cabinet Making Industry and one as an Ocean-Going Small Boat Skipper. I hold a Bachelor of Social Science and a Masters in Autism. I have authored two books. “A case for drumming” and “Chaplaincy” an introduction to working in special schools.
Dom Fay is a broadcaster, a podcaster, and a comedian. He is currently one half of the comedy duo Zach & Dom, heard nightly on the KIIS Radio Network around Australia, and also co-host of AFL podcast The Roar Deal and spirituality podcast On The Way. Alongside his media work, Dom is also employed at an Anglican school as Faith & Spirituality Coordinator, working alongside high school students as they wrestle with the big questions of life, faith, identity, and meaning. He has recently created Private Speaking, a card game to move people into deeper conversations.
For many years Joel McKerrow has been holding together the tension of being a Father and a husband, as well as a full-time creative. He is a writer, performer, poet, educator, speaker, podcaster, university lecturer and a host of other things. Before poetry took over his life Joel was running courses in identity and spiritual formation and now spends much of his work focussing on the intersection between creativity and spirituality. Joel has five published books as well as five spoken word/music albums. He is the director of The School for Creative Development and is the artist ambassador for TEARFUND Australia
Wayne Stevens is a counsellor and men’s leader. He has worked in Counselling for 14years and works with men and couples.
He has done men’s work in Australia and the US. He currently works with QAS and QPS officers. Wayne comes from a Humanism frame and believes that all humans have the answers to all questions of life.
Richard Fay is a clinical psychotherapist in private practice, ambassador and past CEO of the Centre for Men and Families and a weaver of the Men’s Rites of Passage. Richard’s work specialises in trauma, couples therapy and spiritual direction.
Dan Foster is the CEO of the Centre for Men & Families and has a passion for providing safe places for men to process their emotional wounds, to overcome trauma in a deep and profound way. In his professional life, he has worked as a youth worker, school teacher, and pastor. He pioneered a work for young men to engage them in ritual work that helps to deepen their maturity and gives them a framework to process their pain. He is a prolific and passionate blogger and poet. He and his wife Ann-Marie are raising three children and are forging a path together through the complex word of understanding adolescent minds.
Robert is an experiential human in a male body. He loves understanding humanity from a point of view of love and fear. His journey in life has had its “ups and downs” to allow his Soulful Self to emerge from behind his Protective Personality to shine and radiate with love. He is a Relationship Counsellor and Therapist, registered with PACFA and a certified Energy Codes Coach in bio-energetics. Robert loves being in the bush and the beach and communing with the earth, the flora and fauna and feels deeply connected to all.
Brett Stanford has engaged CfMA since 2012 having completed his MROP in 2012 and maintains regular engagement in his local men’s circle. Brett’s professional career has previously engaged work with adolescence through roles such as: a teacher of outdoor education and a high school guidance counsellor. He currently works as an Adventure Therapist for a youth adventure therapy organisation specialising in supporting young people in the outdoors with complex needs. He currently also serves as an elder on the Forged team.
Of all the hats I wear, the most cherished are as a husband, father and grandfather. I am a Registered Counsellor and Trauma Practitioner with over 7 years’ post-graduate experience. My journey into the profession of counselling was an outcome of adversity and an identity crisis in mid-life. I’ve served on the CFMA RIM and MROP teams for the last 5 years and carry a passion for the personal and relational healing and transformation of all who cross my expressions of service.
I am a passionate lover of nature in all its forms, in particular human nature. I love to see the potential released all things from buildings I have worked on as a tradesperson, old furniture and houses I have restored and renovated and people who I walk with as a therapist and guide.
I work in ways that are nature-based and wholeness-focussed, not merely wanting people to not be struggling, but rather creating the conditions for thriving: Uncovering gifts and living them into the world.
I am a husband of 26 years, Father of 4 grown children, Businessman for 25 years, Tradesman, Counsellor (Since 2008), Group Facilitator & Soul Work Guide. I have been involved in Centre for Men since 2004, as a counsellor, Group facilitator, retreat leader, Board member & MROP Elder.
With over 20 years’ experience in the people helping field, Tim is a caring and empathetic counsellor who journeys with people as they learn about themselves. Tim understands the many challenges life can bring and has significant lived experience over a range of issues including physiological trauma; depression; identity issues; relationships; miscarriage; sexuality; and childhood sexual abuse.
Tim is a registered member of the Australian Counselling Association and Counsellors Victoria, and holds a Bachelor of Theology, Grad Dip Counselling, and a Grad Dip in Creative Arts Therapies.
I am a Certified Learning & Development Specialist, Certified Trainer and Assessor, and Certified Coach. I use these skills and my passion for knowledge to help my clients reach their “higher planes” of achievement in their career.
Having worked with many businesses, large and small, it never ceases to amaze me that businesses do not see learning and development as a competitive advantage. So many business leaders spend time fighting fires rather than preventing them through a learning and development strategy.