Our Drop-In Groups are casual peer support drop-in groups for individuals, partners and couples who are looking to connect through their loss experience at any stage of the journey. These groups provide an affirming space to share in a more casual setting, usually either bi-weekly or monthly.
Partners in Loss Support Group
This is a casual peer support group that acknowledges the unique and often disenfranchised grief that men experience in their journey of infertility and/or of losing a baby or child.
Who is this group for? This group is for men who want an affirming space to connect with others who can relate.
Pregnant After Loss Support Group
This is a casual peer support group that provides an affirming, non-judgmental space for individuals and partners who are pregnant again after a previous loss to connect with others who can relate to the unique challenges of pregnancy after loss.
Who is this group for? Individuals and partners who are currently pregnant again after miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal loss, or SIDS/SUDC who want to connect with others who are in a similar phase of the journey.
Parenting Baby After Loss
This is a welcoming, casual drop-in group for parents who are navigating parenting and life with a baby, after experiencing loss. Partners and support people are also warmly invited. We understand that parenting after loss can bring a mix of complex emotions, touching every part of life. This group offers a space to connect with others who understand this unique journey, to be in a supportive environment while bonding with their baby and learning from a variety of experts from the community
Who is this group for? This group is for parents who have previously experienced loss to attend with their babies. It is open to both birthing and non-birthing parents.
Family Building (Fertility) Drop-In Group
This is a casual peer support drop-in group that is designed to connect with others as we walk with each other through our fertility experiences and all the different avenues that families navigate to grow and build their families. Individuals, partners, and supports are welcome to join. We know there is no one way to build a family whether you are trying to conceive naturally or through assisted fertility, pursuing adoption or surrogacy etc. This group can offer peer connection with others who can relate. You do not need to have been previously pregnant or experienced pregnancy or infant loss to attend.
Who is this group for? Any individuals, partners, and support people who are navigating an alternative path to parenthood. This includes everything from assisted fertility, adoption, surrogacy, guardianship, and more. You do not need to have been previously pregnant or have experienced a previous loss.
TFMR Drop-in Group
This is a casual peer support drop-in group that is designed to connect with others as we navigate the journey through a Termination For Medical Reasons (TFMR) loss together.
Who is this group for? Individuals and partners who have made the difficult decision to terminate their wanted pregnancy for medical reasons and are seeking peer connection at any stage of the journey.
Post-Abortion Support Group
This group is a monthly drop-in peer support group that allows individuals who have had one or more abortion(s) to connect in a non-judgmental setting. This group is focused on finding ways to cope during the post-abortion experience and is inclusive of all experiences because there is no right or wrong way to feel about this decision. We are here to support whatever you are feeling or coping with as part of the post-abortion experience.
We are affirming, trauma-informed, and non-judgmental of all choices. We are fully supportive of access to all choices including parenting, abortion, and adoption.
Who is this group for? For individuals who have had one or more abortion(s) only
This group is in partnership with
Beyond Trying Support Group
This is an in-person casual peer support drop-in group for individuals and partners (and/or support people) without living children, who are coming to terms with not trying again and creating, perhaps, a different future for themselves than they had originally planned. You do not need to have been previously pregnant or experienced pregnancy or infant loss to attend. We acknowledge that finding yourself without children, when that wasn’t your plan, can touch every part of life. This group is a space to meet others walking a similar road, to feel seen and understood, and to gently explore what this season brings for you.
Please note: This group is not suited for pregnant people.
Who is this group for? This group is for individuals and partners without living children who are not trying again, offering connection, understanding, and gentle reflection. (Not suited for pregnant individuals.)
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 7-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. Some of our groups that meet in person will have a hybrid option so you can 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 7-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 7-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.