After their daughter was born in 2019, Kalvin Bridgewater was so focused on helping his wife get the help she needed that he didn’t fully recognize how he was struggling, too.
In the weeks after birth, Bridgewater’s wife was diagnosed with postpartum depression (PPD). She’d been crying a lot, constantly doubting herself, and she did not want to be social or touched. As he sat at the checkup appointment listening to her medical providers discuss possible symptoms for the condition, Bridgewater realized, “I think I’m going through something similar.”
As he found out, approximately Though often misunderstood, PPD is nearly just as common in fathers as mothers.
“Whether it’s work or family, we’re trying to balance everything. As dads, we never really take the time out for ourselves,” Bridgewater says. “We never ask ourselves, ‘Are we doing OK?’”
Bridgewater coped with how overwhelmed he was feeling by stress eating, gaining about 50 pounds. He knew he needed to make a change. Watching how his wife, a birth photographer, leaned on her community helped him see that he needed to build his own.
Eventually, Bridgewater started getting outside and going for walks with a handful of friends who also have kids. Quickly, the group swelled to about 15 dads, and the first
Founded by Bridgewater in Dallas, the nonprofit organization has expanded to 22 cities and 14 states, stretching from coast to coast. In August 2025, a group was launched in Washington, D.C.
“The D.C. area is actually one of the strongest chapters,” Bridgewater says. “The first meetup, we had around 150 dads attend. Right now, we see anywhere between 45 and 60 dads come out [every month].”
The DSSC’s mission is simple: to invite fathers with kids of all ages for monthly “strides” together at a park, along with workshops, guided conversations and other activities. While giving a break to their partners, the group builds a community of support and destigmatizes postpartum depression in men.
“It’s not just about meetups,” says Eric Simpson, chapter leader for the D.C. DSSC. “It’s about creating a space where fathers feel seen, supported and strengthened — where our children get to grow up witnessing brotherhood, presence and love modeled in real time.”
DSSC is just one example of groups aimed at helping dads in D.C., Maryland and Northern Virginia navigate fatherhood, and they meet a crucial need.
Despite this “male loneliness epidemic,” men are significantly less likely than women to seek resources like therapy, says dad and clinical social worker Adam Angel, the founder of Dads With Wisdom, a dad support group based in Silver Spring, Maryland. But in recent years, he says, the growth of dad groups is evidence that’s changing.
“This generation, in our area at least, is the most open, willing and educated in wanting to be the best fathers they can be,” Angel says. “I’m very hopeful about the future here around dads groups.”
Angel started Dads With Wisdom after he and his wife had a challenging fertility journey, which included losing a child in late-term pregnancy and two miscarriages.
“I always wanted to be a dad; I was very excited about this idea,” Angel says. “But it was like, ‘Oh, this is a lot harder [than I thought].”
Since 2021, Angel has worked with more than 300 Dads through Dads With Wisdom. The organization operates weekly low-cost support groups for first-time dads and group therapy for fathers with children of all ages. Angel also offers a one-hour free course for soon-to-be dads to get a crash course on preparing for birth and the immediate postpartum needs.
Through his private practice, Angel facilitates support groups for dads who have experienced stillbirth or early infancy loss. He also just finished his first group — in partnership with the
Where Dads With Wisdom thrives is in reassuring fathers that they aren’t going through the struggles and successes of fatherhood alone.
“There’s almost like a brotherhood of you not feeling uniquely troubled,” says Mike Fletcher, a father of three (ages 6, 4 and 2) and lawyer who lives in Silver Spring, Maryland. “This is just a hard phase of life, and that’s a fact. It makes it easier to accept that.”
Fletcher spent a year in a Dads with Wisdom group therapy from 2024 to 2025. As he and his wife prepared to welcome their third child, he had a lot of questions swirling in his head about discipline, growing as a parent, communicating with his partner and balancing his career and being present while at home.
“The reality is that there are no right answers,” Fletcher says. “You have to do what works best for you, and [the group helped with] thinking through what works best for [me].”
Even before Obed Molina became a first-time father in January 2026, the Suitland dad had the foresight to look for resources that could help him be the best dad possible. While he and his wife read books for expectant parents, he searched online for how he could gather with other dads navigating that transition.
He’s glad he did. “I’ve always respected parents. Now that I’m a dad, I have so much more respect for parents,” he says. “Even a shower is really hard to do sometimes.”
Molina signed up for Dads with Wisdom when his wife was six months pregnant. A month after his daughter arrived, he started meeting with other dads in their “rookie season.” Now with a 6-month-old, joining virtual sessions every Tuesday night at 8:30 p.m. has brought a welcome consistency to Molina’s week.
“There’s power in being able to talk about [parenthood] with others,” Molina says. “It’s still hard, but it makes me think about how much more bottled up I could have been if I didn’t have an outlet.”
As his first Father’s Day nears, Molina says the community has given him fresh perspective —and helps him find even more enjoyment when his family of three spends time together.
“Moms get a lot of love — and they should, along with babies — but sometimes dads can be forgotten, or not thought of as much,” Molina says. “To have a group that can talk about what’s going on with us, it’s important. I wish that there were more outlets like this, but I’m happy that this exists.”
Ways for Dads to Get Involved
Dads With Wisdom: Register for the group that best fits where you are as a dad at dadswithwisdom.com or by emailing [email protected]. In September, Angel will lead a group of dads on a one-day retreat to Shenandoah National Park, inviting fathers to step away from daily routines and reflect and connect with other dads.
Daddy Stroller Social Club: Find information on upcoming gatherings and stay up to date with the group by following @daddystrollersocialclub_dc on Instagram. The next event will be June 20 at Anacostia Park.
