It is often difficult to involve fathers in early intervention work with at risk families.

This paper will report on a series of eight meetings offered to men whose partners are experiencing difficulties such as depression and anxiety. The objective of these meetings was to create an opportunity for men to think about their experience of becoming a father and allow them to express some of their emotional reactions.

The paper will discuss common issues for clinicians in setting up groups for fathers and report on the links the men made between the parenting they received and the expectations and fears they became aware of for themselves as fathers.