In this category you will find professionally facilitated groups such as Art and Equine therapy.
Social Connection (Adult Only) Group
May 29th – Memory Lantern Craft & Chat (Adults Only)
Who is this group for? This group is for adults only (partners are welcome). Pregnant people are also welcome. Please no babes in arms or children in attendance.
Lanterns provide light, illuminating the path before us and leading the way forward through surrounding darkness. Lanterns magnify the light of fire, the element of regeneration and renewal. Join us for an evening of connection where we gather to create a memory lantern to accompany us on our own individual journey’s through loss. This workshop is free to attend, all materials are included. Supplies and snacks will be provided.
June 12th – Art Journaling with Elena (Adults Only)
An art journal is the same as a written journal, except that it incorporates colors, images, patterns, and other craft supplies and materials. Some art journals have a lot of writing, while others are purely filled with images. It is, in its purest form, a type of creative self-care. It is as unique of an experience as you are one of a kind in this world!
Come join us, in creating a magical spread just for you.
Art journaling has helped me immensely in my grief journey and has helped me process some of these heavy feelings that come with life.
In July 2020, my youngest son Archie passed away suddenly and unexpectedly from SIDS. My heart feels forever broken. Creative expressiveness has helped me take every day under my belt and has helped me feel more fulfilled.
Let me show you how I use the pain and heaviness to make something creative and beautiful. This workshop is FREE to attend and supplies will be provided.
June 26th – Neurographic Art Craft & Chat (Adults Only)
Who is this group for? This group is for adults only (partners are welcome).
Pregnant people are also welcome. Please no babes in arms or children in attendance.
Join us for an evening to quiet the mind and open space for creative flow. We will be creating Neurographic Art. Also known as doodling, neurographic art is a technique, which comprises drawing freeform lines or ‘neuro lines’. This form of art has been used to calm stress and anxiety and support the journey of healing through grief. It is meant to enable the connection between the conscious and unconscious, gaining access to the inner self. This workshop is free to attend, all materials are included. Supplies and snacks will be provided.
July 10th – String Art Flower Vases Craft & Chat
Invoke the energy of summer at full bloom with the beauty and scent of flowers to honor our journeys through loss. Join us for an evening of crafting where we will be repurposing jars and using string to create simple flower vases. This workshop is free to attend, all materials are included. Supplies and snacks will be provided.
July 24th – Labyrinth Walk at Botanical Gardens of Silver Springs
Walking the Labyrinth can help lead you to your center. It can help you find your strength when life and loss has overwhelmed you. We walk into the Labyrinth reflecting on our journey and as we approach the stillness in the center, we enter into a sacred place.We leave and walk out of the Labyrinth with a new awareness and perspective, as we call in hope for the future.
Join us for a gathering at the Labyrinth where we will sit under the trees and share in a simple picnic together before entering the Labyrinth. Please feel free to bring blankets to sit on, a snack to share and warm clothing as this event will be held outdoors for the entire evening.
Social Connection (Family Friendly) Group
This group is not a support group but a chance for families with living children to connect with others who have experienced miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal loss, SIDS or infertility.
Who is this group for: Parents with living children who have experienced the loss of a pregnancy or infant who would like to connect with others in a casual and social environment. Please note that children are welcome and will be in attendance.
FAQ
What to expect at a PILSC peer support group
A hybrid group is a peer support group that gives you the option of attending in person at the PILSC office in downtown Calgary or attending virtually on Zoom for those living outside of Calgary and for anyone who prefers to attend virtually.
Your hybrid group will have a designated facilitator for those who attend in person and the second facilitator will be supporting the group on Zoom. We have technology called Meeting Owl that allows for a seamless interaction experience between those attending in person and those who attend virtually.
(PILSC hybrid group using Meeting Owl technology with in-person and virtual attendees)
To see a video of a Hybrid group, see this video
For our 8 Week Groups, we require that all participants attend either the first or second session and as many sessions as possible to allow for a safe and consistent group environment. That being said, life happens and let us know if you are unable to attend a session by emailing info@pilsc.org.
As with all of our services at PILSC, we believe in the importance of removing barriers to accessing services. All of our groups are offered at no cost to participants. For those who have the means and ability to help support the centre and our groups programming, we graciously accept donations: https://pilsc.org/donate-to-pilsc
All of our online groups are open for anyone to attend anywhere in the world. Our groups that meet in person will always have a hybrid option so you can always attend any group virtually, regardless of your physical location.
You will receive a confirmation email from the Jane booking system and the day before your group you will receive an email welcoming you to your group. For 8 week groups, there are forms to fill out in the Jane booking system so please fill those out as we require your mailing information to send you materials for your group.
Yes, you are welcome to attend a group more than once. Every time you attend will be different because so much is determined by the people in a group with you. We also have various monthly groups that you can try after an 8-week group to meet others who have experienced.
We are dedicated to supporting individuals of all faiths, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and gender identities. In the spirit of reconciliation, we acknowledge that we live, work and play on the traditional territories of the Blackfoot Confederacy (Siksika, Kainai, Piikani), the Tsuut’ina, the Îyâxe Nakoda Nations, the Métis Nation (Region 3), and all people who make their homes in the Treaty 7 region of Southern Alberta.