Monthly Family Seminars

*NOTE: The Monthly Family Seminars are currently on hold. We apologize for any inconvenience and we appreciate your patience and understanding during this time.

We invite you to participate in the Caregivers Connections family support group by reaching out to Elyse at ecathrea@cmha-edmonton.ab.ca. The Thursday family support group convenes online from 6:30 to 8:30 PM.

FAMI Seminars – For Families of Adults with Mental Illness

Second Tuesday of each month; 6:30-8:00 PM Via Zoom

If you’re a family member who supports a person living with a mental illness or addictions concern please join the Canadian Mental Health Association – Edmonton Region, Monthly Family Seminar. We encourage you to join the conversation with your story of lived and living experience.

These monthly seminars are intended to support the ‘supporters’ of those living with serious mental illnesses.  A combination of elements will be incorporated into each session to;

• provide appropriate and helpful content to enrich the participants knowledge;
• opportunities for personal reflection on their role as a supporter as one part of their life journey;
• to support participants emotional well-being and;
• to encourage meaningful conversation with others who walk similar journeys with loved ones living with serious mental illnesses.

These 90-minute seminars include; education, input, personal reflection, and group discussion. These seminars draw from the wealth of experience, wisdom and insight from those with lived experience – name US!! 
Important note about joining these sessions:
The Monthly Family Seminars are intended to be educational and also include participation both in large and small group settings. 

Confidentiality is essential to these seminars, and so we ask that you come prepared with your cameras on, ready to participate. Attendees who don’t wish to participate may attend for the education portion of the session but will be asked to log off prior to group discussions in small break out rooms. If having your camera on is not possible, we do ask that you are able to unmute and participate. This is all to encourage a safe, and supportive learning and connection environment.

Facilitated by:
Glenda Sartore (she/her)
Counselling Therapist who supports a loved one with SMI and addiction.
Elyse Cathrea (she/her)
Family Services Lead, and a certified Peer Support Facilitator with CMHA who has lived experience supporting a loved one with mental illness and addictions.

Upcoming Sessions:

October 17th
Getting on the Same Team with special guest, Dr. David Ross, Psychiatrist
It can often feel we are at odds with the professionals working with our loves one with serious mental illness (SMI). Doctors, mental health professionals, social workers, housing specialists, addictions counsellors…the severity and intensity of our loved one’s illness often necessitates a team of people, a team we want to be on!!!
The best chance we have is to work together for the benefit of our loved ones – but how?
This seminar offers the opportunity to talk with a local psychiatrist who is passionate about his patients and his field of expertise.
Although this is NOT a time for personal medical advice, it is a time to be heard, to ask questions, and to explore how to an advocate with a collaborative approach.

November 21st
How to Best Communicate with Mental Health Professionals
Mental Health Professionals have huge case loads and often work under severe and stressful circumstances. As family members of those with SMI, we know too well what that is like.
Explore together how we may hone and enhance our communication tools to best serve our loved ones and reduce our own personal stress.

December 19th
Hope and Wise Hope
Hope is not wishing for a desired outcome – this kind of conventional hope too often comes up short. There are wars, people get sick and die, others leave, people are hurt by bullying, domestic violence, and so many struggle getting the necessities of life. In this time of long dark nights, we take a few moments to look at how to hope in the midst of some of life’s most challenging situations; in our case, of loving someone who has a serious mental illness. We can ease our burden and find more light over the holidays by taking some time to revisit hope and take steps towards hoping wisely.

2025 Fami-Seminar Dates – topics TBA
January 9th
February 20th
March 20th
April 17th
May 15th
June 19th

Please fill out the form below to register.