Groups and Workshops
Kickstand Connect offers a range of groups and workshops – all you have to do is find the one that interests you. Our groups often have two leaders who cover a wide range of topics and focus on learning, practising new skills, or both. Since these programs are designed for interaction with fellow participants, they might not be ideal for one-on-one support.
Groups & Workshop Schedule
Learn more about our groups!
Upcoming Dates: to be announced soon
Trained family peers with lived experience have intentionally created these interactive workshops to respond to parents’ feelings of frustration and confusion while supporting loved ones (age 12-25) who struggle with their mental health. Based in science and delivered in a non-clinical way, this group walks through how the facilitators themselves learned to think differently about their family situations and introduce you to the skills that can help to feel less stressed and manage more effectively.
Workshops are designed for adults (18+) supporting young adults (12-25) who struggle with their mental health. They are not suitable for young adults who are themselves struggling. For young people, we recommend signing up for a youth-focused workshop or a 1:1 appointment with one of our service providers.
Click here to learn more about Lifeboat Family Skills & other frequently asked questions.
Upcoming Dates:
Introductory Level - Single Workshops
Intro-M1 Why Does Everything Have to Be So Dramatic?
Monday, Sep 9th, 7 to 9 PM (Registration closes Sep 7th at 7 PM) - SIGN UP HERE
Intro-M2 I Thought I Taught You Better Than That!
Monday, Sep 23rd, 7 to 9 PM (Registration closes Sep 21st at 7 PM) - SIGN UP HERE
Intro-M3 Can You Just Calm Down?
Monday, Oct 7th, 7 to 9 PM (Registration closes Oct 5th at 7PM) - SIGN UP HERE
Intro-M4 How am I Supposed to Think Straight When Life is So Chaotic?
Monday, Oct 21st, 7 to 9 PM (Registration closes Oct 19th at 7PM) - SIGN UP HERE
Intro-M5 I Don't Think I Can Take Much More of This!
Monday, Nov 4th, 7 to 9 PM (Registration closes Nov 2nd at 7PM) - SIGN UP HERE
Introductory Level – 5-week Closed Group Series of Workshops
Thursdays, Sep 12th, 19th, 26th, Oct 3rd & Oct 10th from 7 to 9 PM
Registration FOR ALL SESSIONS IN THE SERIES Closes Sep 10th at 7:00 PM - SIGN UP HERE
Thursdays, Nov 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th & Dec 5th from 7 to 9 PM
Registration FOR ALL SESSIONS IN THE SERIES Closes Nov 5th at 7:00 PM - SIGN UP HERE
About the Group/Workshop Facilitator(s):
Lifeboat Family Skills is an organization of trained family peers with lived experience supporting young adults who struggle with their mental health.
Next Session: Coming Soon!
Literacy: The Tricky Case of Misinformation and Disinformation Online
Facilitator: Tiffany Efird
Description: For the last several years, the online world has been in a “golden age” of misinformation and disinformation online. With the increase in things like artificial intelligence, complex algorithms, and content farms, it’s essential that all Canadians gain a greater understanding of how misinformation and disinformation manifest and spread online. In this session, participants will examine examples of mis/disinformation in the style of a detective investigation.
This session is for individuals who provide care to a youth who has been impacted by the stress and stigma of a parent's substance use including, siblings, Grandparents, Elders, Aunties, Uncles, kinship caregivers, and foster parents. This session is facilitated by a peer with lived experience of a parent's substance use. The goal of this session is to equip caregivers with knowledge and tools to decrease shame in impact youth, increase the sense of safety, and increase the capacity for youth to move forward with hope and healing. The session will include:
lived experience of youth
strategies to decrease shame in youth
strategies to understand and cope with caregiver stress
access to resources to provide youth
Next session: To be announced!
Sign-up for a free, virtual 1:1 mental health counselling or peer support session in the meantime. Click to check out Kickstand Connect!
About the Group/Workshop Facilitator(s):
The Family Advocacy Support Centre strives to strengthen a family’s ecosystem of support by increasing access to safer resources that promote health, healing and familial well-being.
by the Canadian Mental Health Association - Edmonton Region
This 12-week group provides youth who are grieving a loss of someone to suicide with a chance to learn and process their grief together with their peers in a safe and supportive space. The sessions are also co-lead by a youth who has experienced a loss to suicide.
Each module content is covered within a 4-week period making a total of 12 sessions. Participants are encouraged to attend the full 12 weeks to get the whole experience of exploring the grieving process with the support of others.
The first invitation is to attend an information session – these are held every 5 weeks, with the first info session happening a week before the start of a module. The info session is exploratory, where you’ll get more information about group topics and format to help you decide if the group is right for you. After the info session, the module will be closed for registration.
3 modules are covered:
- Understanding and coping with your emotions
- In this module, you will learn about emotional regulation, and how to feel new emotions in a healthy way. The emotions you experience are natural, and no emotion is good or bad. We will explore how being aware of what you are feeling can help, and why the nervous system responds like this to the experience of loss. We will also cover how reminders of your loss affect you, learn strategies to cope, and talk as a group about our experiences and strategies moving forward.
- The role of self-compassion
- In this module, you will explore how important self-compassion is in the grieving process. We will talk about the difficult feelings that loss may bring. You may be feeling shame, guilt, anger, relief, anxiety, responsibility, or others. The group will share and try to resolve any unfinished parts of their stories because of their loss. You will learn about the importance of being kind to yourself during your recovery and how you are deserving of healing. We will provide a safe space for you to express yourself and to try looking at things from another perspective.
- How has loss affected my perspective?
- In this module, you will explore how your experience has changed your view of yourself, others, and the world around you. A major loss can also impact our beliefs and values, which are key parts of who we are. We will help you to look at your identity now and figure out who you are, who you want to be, and how we can help you get there. As a part of this, we will talk about changes to your day-to-day life, what your worries are, and what you want from life now.
Do you have more questions? Read the FAQ here.
Next session: TBD
Sign-up for a free, virtual 1:1 mental health counselling or peer support session in the meantime. Click to check out Kickstand Connect!
About the Group/Workshop Leader(s):
CMHA Edmonton offers a variety of programs and services that assist individuals 16 years of age and older, with reaching their short and long-term mental health goals.
by the Canadian Mental Health Association - Edmonton Region
This 12-week group provides youth who are grieving a loss of someone to suicide with a chance to learn and process their grief together with their peers in a safe and supportive space. The sessions are also co-lead by a youth who has experienced a loss to suicide.
Each module content is covered within a 4-week period making a total of 12 sessions. Participants are encouraged to attend the full 12 weeks to get the whole experience of exploring the grieving process with the support of others.
The first invitation is to attend an information session – these are held every 5 weeks, with the first info session happening a week before the start of a module. The info session is exploratory, where you’ll get more information about group topics and format to help you decide if the group is right for you. After the info session, the module will be closed for registration.
3 modules are covered:
- Understanding and coping with your emotions
- In this module, you will learn about emotional regulation, and how to feel new emotions in a healthy way. The emotions you experience are natural, and no emotion is good or bad. We will explore how being aware of what you are feeling can help, and why the nervous system responds like this to the experience of loss. We will also cover how reminders of your loss affect you, learn strategies to cope, and talk as a group about our experiences and strategies moving forward.
- The role of self-compassion
- In this module, you will explore how important self-compassion is in the grieving process. We will talk about the difficult feelings that loss may bring. You may be feeling shame, guilt, anger, relief, anxiety, responsibility, or others. The group will share and try to resolve any unfinished parts of their stories because of their loss. You will learn about the importance of being kind to yourself during your recovery and how you are deserving of healing. We will provide a safe space for you to express yourself and to try looking at things from another perspective.
- How has loss affected my perspective?
- In this module, you will explore how your experience has changed your view of yourself, others, and the world around you. A major loss can also impact our beliefs and values, which are key parts of who we are. We will help you to look at your identity now and figure out who you are, who you want to be, and how we can help you get there. As a part of this, we will talk about changes to your day-to-day life, what your worries are, and what you want from life now.
Do you have more questions? Read the FAQ here.
Next session: TBD
Sign-up for a free, virtual 1:1 mental health counselling or peer support session while waiting!
Click to check out Kickstand Connect!
About the Group/Workshop Leader(s):
CMHA Edmonton offers a variety of programs and services that assist individuals 16 years of age and older, with reaching their short and long-term mental health goals.
by the Canadian Mental Health Association - Edmonton Region
This 12-week group provides youth who are grieving a loss of someone to suicide with a chance to learn and process their grief together with their peers in a safe and supportive space. The sessions are also co-lead by a youth who has experienced a loss to suicide.
Each module content is covered within a 4-week period making a total of 12 sessions. Participants are encouraged to attend the full 12 weeks to get the whole experience of exploring the grieving process with the support of others.
The first invitation is to attend an information session – these are held every 5 weeks, with the first info session happening a week before the start of a module. The info session is exploratory, where you’ll get more information about group topics and format to help you decide if the group is right for you. After the info session, the module will be closed for registration.
3 modules are covered:
- Understanding and coping with your emotions
- In this module, you will learn about emotional regulation, and how to feel new emotions in a healthy way. The emotions you experience are natural, and no emotion is good or bad. We will explore how being aware of what you are feeling can help, and why the nervous system responds like this to the experience of loss. We will also cover how reminders of your loss affect you, learn strategies to cope, and talk as a group about our experiences and strategies moving forward.
- The role of self-compassion
- In this module, you will explore how important self-compassion is in the grieving process. We will talk about the difficult feelings that loss may bring. You may be feeling shame, guilt, anger, relief, anxiety, responsibility, or others. The group will share and try to resolve any unfinished parts of their stories because of their loss. You will learn about the importance of being kind to yourself during your recovery and how you are deserving of healing. We will provide a safe space for you to express yourself and to try looking at things from another perspective.
- How has loss affected my perspective?
- In this module, you will explore how your experience has changed your view of yourself, others, and the world around you. A major loss can also impact our beliefs and values, which are key parts of who we are. We will help you to look at your identity now and figure out who you are, who you want to be, and how we can help you get there. As a part of this, we will talk about changes to your day-to-day life, what your worries are, and what you want from life now.
Do you have more questions? Read the FAQ here.
Next session: To be announced!
Sign-up for a free, virtual 1:1 mental health counselling or peer support session in the meantime. Click to check out Kickstand Connect!
About the Group/Workshop Leader(s):
CMHA Edmonton offers a variety of programs and services that assist individuals 16 years of age and older, with reaching their short and long-term mental health goals.
This workshop can help you recognize and talk about violence that may be occurring in the relationships around you. Young people are, at times, witness to or involved in relationship problems. This session can help you learn tools and tips to start a conversation about it.
Sign-up for a free, virtual 1:1 mental health counselling or peer support session in the meantime.
Click to check out Kickstand Connect!
About the Group/Workshop Facilitator(s):
Sagesse is uniquely positioned to disrupt the structure of domestic abuse in Alberta. They work each day to support individuals who have experienced abuse while also challenging societal norms and advocating for large-scale societal changes that will eradicate abuse in Alberta.
offered by Kickstand
Drawing from DBT skills, this group is a wonderful introduction to understanding your emotions and helping those who struggle to manage stress, understand and express their emotions, and those who have behaviours or habits that interfere with their goals.
Next workshop: Coming soon!
Sign-up for a free, virtual 1:1 mental health counselling or peer support session in the meantime. Click to check out Kickstand Connect!
Module Name | Description | Upcoming Date | Registration Link |
Series 1: Mindfulness and Your Emotions (two sessions) |
| TBD | TBD |
Series 2: The Emotional Owner's Manual: For the Care and Maintenance of an Emotional You (four sessions) |
| TBD | TBD |
Series 3: I'm Freaking Out! What to do when emotions get intense (three sessions) |
| TBD | TBD |
Series 4: Not Another Assertiveness Workshop (two sessions) |
| TBD | TBD |
Each series will be a closed group, but new people can join at the start of each series. There are no pre-requisites, though it will be an advantage to take the series in order.
offered by Eating Disorder Support Network of Alberta
Discuss disordered eating, eating disorders, and find support in this 90 minute session. Workshop will discuss aspects of diet culture, navigating social media, and finding support for yourself and/or a loved one. Bring your questions or just come listen- we welcome both individuals navigating recovery and caregivers supporting them!
TRIGGER WARNING. While every effort is made to offer this information in a safe, accessible way, due to the nature of the subject matter some folks may still find conversations or information triggering. If you are unsure of your ability to participate, send an email to info@edsna.ca and we would be happy to discuss alternate ways to share information and/or provide you with resources.
Note: this is group is for 18-25 year olds and caregivers supporting people navigating recovery.
Next workshop: TBD
In the meantime, sign-up for our waitlist!
About the Group/Workshop Facilitator(s):
The Eating Disorder Support Network of Alberta offers professionally-facilitated support groups to people over the age of 18. Groups serve those affected by eating disorders/disordered eating plus their families/caregivers.
offered by YMCA Northern Alberta
YMIND Teen is a free seven-week group mental wellness program delivered to youth 18-30 who experience anxiety. There is also a group for people age 18-30, called YMIND Youth!
Through this program, young people will learn how to cope with symptoms of anxiety and how to ask for mental wellness support in a safe space that connects others who have similar experiences. Participants can expect to finish the program with the tools needed to approach mental health in a positive way. These skills and strategies can be used in their lives moving forward!
Next group date: Coming soon!
Sign-up for a free, virtual 1:1 mental health counselling or peer support session while waiting. Click to check out Kickstand Connect!
About the Group/Workshop Leader:
YMCA of Northern Alberta offers child care, child and youth recreation programs, youth, family, employment, immigrant and housing services across northern and central Alberta.
offered by YMCA Northern Alberta
YMIND Youth is a free seven-week group mental wellness program delivered to youth 18-30 who experience anxiety. There is also a group for people age 13-18, called YMIND Teen!
Through this program, young people will learn how to cope with symptoms of anxiety and how to ask for mental wellness support in a safe space that connects others who have similar experiences. Participants can expect to finish the program with the tools needed to approach mental health in a positive way. These skills and strategies be used in their lives moving forward!
Next group date: Coming soon!
Sign-up for a free, virtual 1:1 mental health counselling or peer support session while waiting. Click to check out Kickstand Connect!
About the Group/Workshop Facilitator:
YMCA of Northern Alberta offers child care, child and youth recreation programs, youth, family, employment, immigrant and housing services across northern and central Alberta.
offered by Converse and Cook
Converse & Cook and Kickstand are excited to invite youth across Alberta to join us for Harvesting Connections: The Bowl'd and the Beautiful! This online program was created to help youth across the province build skills and confidence in the kitchen while also building connections to their communities. Join our team of volunteers to create a balanced, nourishing bowl of foods and flavours that express who you are. We'll share some helpful kitchen tips, guide you through the steps to build a cold or hot bowl and explore foods from around the world through a "Quizine" activity. No cooking experience or special kitchen tools are required—all youth living in Alberta are welcome!
Next workshop: Coming soon!
Sign-up for a free, virtual 1:1 mental health counselling or peer support session in the meantime. Click to check out Kickstand Connect!
This workshop will explore where our understanding of boundaries originates from, the different types of boundaries, what boundaries might look like and how to communicate them, as well as barriers. Additionally, this workshop will explore consent – what it means, how to communicate it, and how to recognize consent (or lack thereof) in others.
Next workshop: Coming soon!
Sign-up for a free, virtual 1:1 mental health counselling or peer support session in the meantime. Click to check out Kickstand Connect!
