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If you or a loved one are affected by a work-related tragedy, FamiliesConnect Online Workshops offer a chance to learn healthy coping skills, alongside others who’ve been through a similar experience.
Each workshop session is led by a grief counsellor, Threads of Life staff member or skilled volunteer. There will be practical tips and information specifically tailored for those dealing with a life-altering workplace injury, occupational disease, or workplace fatality. Participants are free to share as much or as little of their own experience as they feel comfortable doing.
Workshops are offered at no charge, thanks to the support of Threads of Life’s partners and funders.
Registration is first-come, first-served. Seats at each workshop are limited, so if you register and find you cannot attend, please notify us.
If you have questions or need assistance, please call 1-888-567-9490 or email [email protected].
Upcoming workshop sessions you don’t want to miss…
Getting Past the "What Ifs" after a Trauma or Death with Roy Ellis - May 22
May 22, 2024 at 7pm Atlantic, 6pm Eastern, 3pm Pacific (convert for my time zone)
After a trauma or death, the mind conducts an audit of the days and hours leading up to the loss. We can find ourselves stuck in an endless replay of the events and all the possible interventions and actions that we might have taken to change history and prevent the moment from happening. Such thoughts are normal and natural, but if we become stuck in these ‘what if’ loops indefinitely, we can prolong our grief and delay our healing.
‘What if’ loops are deeper than questions and regrets. In the midst of these ponderings, we can question our core goodness, aggressively blame ourselves for not protecting those we love, and marinate in rage and anger at ourselves and others for not preventing the loss.
Gently moving from blame, rage and what-ifs to experience our grief is a tricky business. It asks us to move into the present and away from the past. It requests that we land in the loss of the moment, right here were the pain is, which is exactly where we don’t want to be. This work is done tenderly and carefully, and always with others. This workshop will outline the challenge of what if thinking and offer practical paths to healing.
Roy Ellis is a therapist, author and speaker in Nova Scotia. Roy brings 35 years of practice working with grief, trauma, sudden loss, He provides frontline support for private, government and community organizations which have experienced an unexpected death, tragedy or workplace disaster. He is a Certified Spiritual Care Practitioner (CSCP) with The Canadian Association for Spiritual Care, and received a Masters of Divinity from Queen’s University and a Masters of Education in Counselling Psychology from Acadia University. Roy has worked extensively with many organizations including Threads of Life, facilitating sessions at family forums, volunteer training, and contributing articles. Learn more at royfellis.com.
Do you have a grief season? with Karen - Jun 26
June 26, 2024 at 7pm Atlantic, 6pm Eastern, 3pm Pacific (convert for my time zone)
Do you have a grief season? Nature is constantly shifting — for now the snow has melted & flowers are blooming. Our grief can change throughout the seasons too. As the calendar flips you may find certain times of the year more difficult. While others are looking forward to relaxing or socializing more over the summer, you may be struggling with the pressure of last-minute gatherings, taking vacation time, or attending a celebration of some kind. Each season holds its own ups and downs. You are not alone. Join us to explore ways to counteract your summer grief.
Karen has been part of Threads of Life for many years and is currently the organisation’s Family Support Manager working directly with families. Her passion to help others living with the outcome of work-related injuries, illnesses and deaths is rooted in her own personal experience when her family was forever changed by a workplace fatality.
What do you do for your own self-care? with Donna - Jul 24
July 24, 2024 at 7pm Atlantic, 6pm Eastern, 3pm Pacific (convert for my time zone)
What do you think of when you hear the words “self-care”? What words immediately pop into your mind? Do you hear and think any of these words: Self-care, selfless care, selfish care, self-sacrificing care, self-indulgent care. Or does your mind wonder, “What exactly is self-care?”
Join us in this interactive session as we discuss what “self-care” is, and the need for good self-care, and share our experiences of what works for us and how we practice taking good care of ourselves. For example, Self-care could be talking to ourselves like we would to someone we love. It’s understanding that self-care is not self-indulgence. It is self-preservation.
We’ll learn from each other and build each other up during this self-care session.
Karen has been part of Threads of Life for many years and is currently the organisation’s Family Support Manager working directly with families. Her passion to help others living with the outcome of work-related injuries, illnesses and deaths is rooted in her own personal experience when her family was forever changed by a workplace fatality.
