These groups are 7-week professionally facilitated, peer-driven support groups for individuals and partners. These groups meet every week during this time and registration is closed after week two. These groups provide a space to connect, validate your experience, and hold space to process your grief as you navigate your journey
Initial Grief: Early Pregnancy Loss
This is a 7-week professionally facilitated, peer-driven support group for individuals and partners who have experienced early miscarriage, missed miscarriage, chemical pregnancy, molar pregnancy, blighted ovum, ectopic pregnancy, loss of a multiple, or missed adoption. This group provides an affirming space to connect, validate your experience, and hold space to process your grief as you navigate your journey.
Who is this group for? Individuals and partners who have recently experienced early miscarriage/pregnancy loss who are seeking more support in moving through their grief. This group is intended to be a starting point in connecting with our other groups.
Initial Grief: Late Pregnancy & Infant Loss
This is a 7-week professionally facilitated, peer-driven support group for individuals and partners who have experienced late miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal loss, loss of a multiple or missed adoption. This group provides an affirming space to connect, validate your experience, and and hold space to process your grief as you navigate your journey.
Who is this group for? Individuals and partners who have recently experienced late miscarriage/pregnancy or infant loss who are seeking more support in moving through their grief. This group is intended to be a starting point in connecting with our other groups.
Initial Grief: TFMR
This is a 7-week professionally facilitated, peer-driven support group for individuals and partners who are deciding to, or have had to make, the difficult decision to terminate their wanted pregnancy for medical reasons. This group provides an affirming and non-judgmental space to discuss the unique grief that surrounds TFMR loss.
Who is this group for? Individuals and partners who are navigating a TFMR loss at any stage of the journey.
Pregnant After Loss Weekly Series
This is a 7-week professionally facilitated, peer driven support group for individuals and partners who are currently pregnant again after miscarriage, stillbirth, TFMR, neonatal loss, or SIDS/SUDC. This group provides an affirming, non-judgmental space to connect with others who can relate to the unique challenges of navigating pregnancy after loss.
Who is this group for? Partners, couples and individuals 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.
Couples Group
This is a 4-week, professionally facilitated and peer driven support group for couples who have experienced loss at any stage of the journey. This group provides an affirming, non-judgmental space to connect with others who can relate to the unique challenges of navigating loss within a partnership. Please note this group is held IN PERSON and EACH partner must complete an INDIVIDUAL registration.
Facilitators: Helen (she/her) and Jessica (she/her)
Who is this group for? For couples who have experienced loss at any stage of the journey
Breathe, Believe, Bloom: A Prenatal Circle for the Heart & Mind
This free 6-session program is a compassionate space for expectant parents (18-30 weeks pregnant) who want to prepare for the emotional and mental transitions that can surround the birth of a new baby. Facilitated by trained peers with topics including: coping with anxiety, building support systems, communicating needs, navigating trauma, finding grounding during overwhelm & building resilience. The journey into parenthood – through fertility, pregnancy, birth and the early days postpartum – is often more layered than we are told. There is no right way to feel during this journey. We are here to walk beside you as you prepare for this time.
Who is this group for? Expectant parents and their support person who want to prepare for the emotional and mental transitions that can surround the birth of a new baby.
This group is in partnership with
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.