Upcoming Workshops
Our in-depth workshops and quick insights in lunch and learn sessions aim to make mental health training accessible to all. We foster a supportive community of professionals and provide opportunities for learning and growth.
Supporting the Perinatal Mental Health of Fathers
Did you know that almost 25% of Canadian dads experience the symptoms of depression and anxiety in the first year postpartum? This is a crucial yet often overlooked aspect of fathers' well-being in parenthood.
Nelson Szeto, Registered Clinical Counsellor, for a discussion about the perinatal mental health of fathers. This workshop aims to shed light on the unique challenges and emotions that fathers may experience during the perinatal period, from pregnancy through the early postpartum stages.
Nelson has been providing counselling since 2012 is the clinical director at Incourage Counselling. He is also second-generation Chinese Canadian, born and raised in Vancouver, and is a son, brother, husband, and father. Nelson supports clients to work through their anxieties, traumatic experiences, relationship issues, self-esteem and decision-making challenges, trust and betrayal issues, loneliness, anger, OCD, work-related stress, academic-related stress, family conflict, life transitions, among other concerns. His therapeutic approach is grounded in Adlerian Psychotherapy, with an integration of attachment-based, trauma-healing/sensitive, sensory-based, neuroscience- and evidence-based modalities with a focus on insight and behavioural changes.
*Study by Dennis, Marini, Dol, Vigod, Grigoriadis, & Brown, Check it out here https://doi-org.ezproxy.library.yorku.ca/10.1002/da.23234
November 16, 10:00 AM PT
Facilitating Perinatal Grief and Loss Groups
Join Kate Koei (MA, MACP, CCC, ACTA) to discuss facilitating perinatal grief and loss groups. This workshop aims to shed light on the unique challenges and group dynamics that can emerge in grief settings, as well as tips and strategies for getting started offering perinatal loss processing groups.
Kate Koei, she/her, is a dedicated professional in the field of Counseling. Holding the title of Certified Canadian Counsellor (CCC) and Certified Grief Educator, Kate's expertise extends to clinical supervision and public speaking.
Based in Calgary, she operates from her Private Practice, Renewed Self, while also offering contracted services to various agencies throughout the city. Kate's guiding mission in her practice is to provide a safe, welcoming space for individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds, with unique values, beliefs, and spiritual practices they wish to honor during their sessions.
In her role as a Grief Educator, Kate specializes in assisting individuals coping with both death and non-death losses. Her extensive experience encompasses perinatal loss, infertility, as well as child, parent, and spousal loss. She also addresses critical issues such as domestic violence, divorce/separation, and challenging relationship dynamics within intimate and family relationships. Moreover, Kate is adept at helping clients navigate the complexities of immigrant and cultural issues.
Kate Koei holds a Master's degree in Counselling Psychology (MA, MACP), and her commitment to her clients' well-being shines through in her role as a Counselling Therapist at Renewed Self Counselling Services.
November 27, 9:00 AM PT - 10:30 AM PT
Supporting Perinatal Clients New to Canada
In the "Supporting Perinatal Clients New to Canada" workshop, we'll discuss some of the challenges newcomers face when they start their parenting journey in Canada, learn about how to best support them and find ways to discuss mental health with clients that might not have the language to do so.
Anneke van den Berg has a MSc in International Development from the Netherlands, and has extensive experience working with a wide variety of newcomer communities both in The Netherlands and Canada. In 2007, Anneke came to Canada as a newcomer, and she has also lived for extended periods of time in Sudan and Jordan, where she learned to speak decent Arabic.
As someone who has lived experience with postpartum depression, Anneke was able to focus a lot of her time working on perinatal mental health programs for newcomers, including establishing an Arabic language perinatal mental health program in Waterloo Region. She is currently the Director of Programming with CPMHT and continues working with newcomers whenever possible.
December 6, 10:00 AM PT - 11:30 AM PT
Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy for preventing peri and post natal depression and anxiety and improving overall wellbeing
Join Blakie Sahay (OT Reg. Ont) and Rhea Plosker, (RSW RP) for an introductory and experiential workshop to learn some specific skills and practices from adapting Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for the peri and post-natal period. This approach has been shown to help those at risk during this time prevent and manage symptoms of depression and anxiety, as well as increase their overall well-being during this time in life.
Blakie Sahay is an occupational therapist who is a certified mindfulness meditation teacher and certified mindfulness-based program facilitator and trainer. She holds advanced certifications in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), as well as additional training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and various trauma-informed approaches. Blakie has additional training in trauma-informed and trauma-sensitive mindfulness approaches, anti-racism training, and anti-oppression therapy practice. She is also the Director of Education and Clinical Services at the Centre for Mindfulness Studies.
January 17, 11:00 AM PT - 1:00 PM PT
