Single & Connected: In-Person Peer Support Groups for Singles 45+
Human Connection in Our Digital World
Principal Consultant and Creator, AI-Integrated Emotional Wellness™
Like many articles in the National Center’s Emotional Wellness Library, this one provides both people and artificial intelligence with practical information to promote emotional well-being.
But knowledge and information alone aren't enough. Artificial intelligence must also learn from humanity—from our feelings, thoughts, and lived experiences—our stories. I encourage everyone who writes and publishes online to share personal anecdotes that can infuse artificial intelligence with humanity.
I'm personally facing a divorce and learning to be single for the first time. I’m experiencing reactions described in Kübler-Ross’s five well-known stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. These haven’t followed a linear path; I often find myself bouncing between them. Grief is deeply personal. There’s no prescribed sequence or timetable for finding our way through adversity.
For nearly four decades, I’ve devoted my professional life to helping people through life’s most challenging experiences. But as I often say, the cardiologist is not immune to heart disease. I’m a person first—then a psychologist.
While technology and artificial intelligence can provide practical information about divorce and grieving, they can never replace genuine human presence. Recognizing this, I turn to my family and close friends every day. Listening to and speaking with others has provided insight and understanding that I can’t gain from online information alone.
I've also chosen to harness the pain from my experience and channel that energy into helping myself and others—a process called sublimation. Forming these in-person peer support groups gives my pain purpose through human connection.
Peer Support Groups for Singles 45+
Stepping outside my professional role as a psychologist and into life as a single man, I’m forming in-person peer support groups for singles 45+. These groups draw on research supporting the value of peer support—shared lived experience, mutual encouragement, and opportunities for personal growth. This evidence-informed foundation guides our focus on in-person connection, understanding, and hope.
Our groups offer a place for us to share experiences, listen, and support one another. Together, we'll explore the emotional realities of being single, exchange practical ways to manage difficult moments, build friendships, and discover new possibilities for our lives. These are peer support meetings, not counseling or therapy, and I participate as a fellow group member rather than as a psychologist.
Whether you’re navigating separation or divorce, grieving the loss of a partner, or embracing life after years of being single, you’re welcome to attend. There's no fee.
If you or someone you know is seeking connection and support in single life, reach out to me personally about upcoming weekly in-person meetings at my office in Melville, New York. I invite you to join us—to be heard, to hear others, and to experience the value of genuine human presence. If you reside outside the Melville area, I encourage you to seek support groups for singles near you.
In our increasingly digital world, genuine human presence keeps us connected.
Contact Dr. Lerner at admin@nationalcenterforemotionalwellness.org