Available Sessions:
– Let’s Talk What We Know—and What We Do Not: February 5, 2026, from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm ET
– Let’s Talk Competing with an Online World: March 10, 2026, from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm ET
– Let’s Talk Online Fringe Groups and the Manosphere: April 3, 2026, from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm ET
Moderated by: Seth Wescott, LMLP, ATSA-F, Dan Knoepfler, and David Prescott, LICSW, ATSA-F
Cost: $8.00 per session
Please Note: These sessions are not eligible for CE credits due to the informal conversational format.
Professionals working in violence prevention have noted a growing number of challenges with emerging adult clients—people in the developmental stage roughly spanning from ages 18 through 25—who can appear primarily engaged with the online world. Often, these clients describe having limited avenues for meaningful offline lives. Factors such as lack of community resources, the effects of public registration and notification requirements, and strained relations with offline friends and family can all play a role in this pattern.
We know that social isolation is a significant risk factor for repeated problematic behavior and for unfulfilled potential, especially among emerging adults who are navigating identity, belonging, and independence. The internet, meanwhile, often appears to provide vulnerable young men with a sense of community and purpose within movements such as incel and “men going their own way.” Under these circumstances, how can professionals best help their clients?
In this Our Safe Haven series, Dan Knoepfler, Seth Wescott, and David Prescott explore the growing challenges faced by professionals working with emerging adult clients whose lives are increasingly centered online. Through guided discussion and participant engagement, we’ll ask questions, share perspectives, and consider practical strategies for moving forward.
Each session begins with a focused review of challenges, evolving naturally into an engaging, attendee-driven conversation shaped by shared experiences and professional insights:
- Session 01: Let’s Talk What We Know—and What We Do Not
Date: February 5, 2026, from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm ET
This session focuses on questions around what we truly understand about this pattern, and where the gaps are in our knowledge. It explores how we can recognize when digital engagement among emerging adults crosses the line into harmful isolation or distorted self-perception. The facilitators may discuss other cultures that have struggled with similar challenges, such as Japan’s Hikikomori and China’s tang ping (“lying flat”) movements. They may also explore what these experiences can teach us about supporting clients in rebuilding meaningful offline connections and healthier engagement with the online world. - Session 02: Let’s Talk Competing with an Online World
Date: March 10, 2026, from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm ET
This session focuses on areas such as: how can professionals best understand the perspectives of emerging adults who find comfort, connection, and even identity in the online world? It may also explore the challenges of providing effective treatment when virtual spaces offer quick gratification and the illusion of progress. The session will also focus on ways to engage clients more meaningfully, clarify the connection between digital and offline realities, and helping clients build real-world connections that support growth and wellbeing. - Session 03: Let’s Talk Online Fringe Groups and the Manosphere
Date: April 3, 2026, from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm ET
Websites and online communities that advocate male supremacy have proliferated and become more organized in recent years. This session examines how these spaces attract and influence vulnerable individuals, offering a sense of identity or belonging that can reinforce harmful mindsets and behaviors. The facilitators will discuss what professionals need to know about these movements, including exploring strategies for addressing clients’ involvement, and sharing approaches that help prevent a return to problematic or harmful online engagement.
These sessions are more than a discussion—they are opportunities to network, build skills, exchange ideas, and contribute to shaping best practices in this field. Join us to connect with like-minded professionals and make a meaningful impact in addressing the challenges posed by the online world.
To ensure that each session is workable, we will limit the number of attendees. Registration for each session will therefore be on a first-come, first-served basis. We are charging a non-refundable fee of $8.00 to reserve your spot.
Your personal privacy is our highest priority. These sessions will be recorded for liability purposes only. The recordings will not be shared with attendees or distributed outside of Safer Society Foundation.
Like any group discussion, everyone will have a responsibility to keep it a safe, professional, and confidential space. We will adhere to the codes of ethics of our professions, mandatory laws, and other professional standards. The Safe Haven series is intended to be supportive; not formal supervision, consultation, or legal advice.