Western Family Forum Program

Facilitator: Thomas Marsh, Family Support Coordinator, Threads of Life

Grief is a deeply personal journey, and it comes in many forms. Whether you are mourning the loss of a loved one or navigating the profound changes that come with a life-altering injury or occupational disease. Often, the hidden losses—such as a shift in identity, psychological turmoil, or a changed future—are the hardest to carry.

In this session, we will explore grief and loss, both visible and invisible. Together, we will create a space to honor your unique experience, share coping strategies to learn from others what has worked, and discover practical ways to take the next step forward.

Facilitator: Dianne Shannon, Art Therapist

In this workshop, we will discuss the impact of grief and loss that can come through many lenses of differing faith and cultural backgrounds. We will explore questions like “is grief different for other people with various religious or cultural experiences?” and “what parts of grief are universal for everyone, even across differing faith and cultural experiences?”. Lastly, with audience feedback, we will share the ways in which for you faith and culture have impacted and supported your faith journey.

Facilitator: Simon Lasair, Certified Spiritual Care Practitioner

All people are spiritual, yet few know how spirituality can help us move through grief and loss. This workshop will give participants an opportunity to reflect on their own spiritualities and to learn how they can use their spiritualities to support them through times of change, transition, and loss.

Facilitator: Dwayne Cameron, Counsellor/Trainer

This workshop will cover areas impacted by pain from a holistic perspective. We will also discuss a variety of ways to manage pain and improve your quality of life.

Facilitator: Lisa Houtkooper, Occupational Health Nurse

When workplace injury or illness occurs, its impact extends beyond the individual to families, friends, and the broader community. This interactive workshop creates a supportive space to explore both giving and receiving care. Through reflection, discussion, and shared experience, participants will explore challenges such as changes in independence, shifting family roles, emotional strain, communication difficulties, and the uncertainty that can come with both giving and receiving care. Participants will also be introduced to gentle strategies for managing stress, setting boundaries, and supporting well-being in ways that feel meaningful to them.

Facilitator: Jeremy Gauthier, Workshop Facilitator

This session explores how intentional action can reshape your life—without waiting for the “perfect time.” Change doesn’t have to be a massive overhaul. By taking small, manageable steps in a positive direction, you build momentum that lasts. Not all inputs are created equal. When you prioritize yourself, you increase your capacity for what truly matters: clarity, connection, and sustainable growth.

Facilitator: Alecia Iwanchuk, Trauma informed Yoga Teacher and coach

This workshop helps people to understand how grief is held in the body and how they can intentionally move their body to help navigate through the grieving process.  It will include guided connection to self through somatic movements, meditation and self inquiry.  Attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of how grief affects their energy.  You will learn practices that will help you feel more grounded and connected as you move through heavy emotions. Participants can use a yoga mat or a chair.

Facilitator: Vera Decena, Grief-Informed Nutrition Counsellor & Health and Wellness Coach

What happens in the body when grief arrives? This session unpacks the science behind why grief is so exhausting — tracing the nervous system through three phases: a regulated baseline, the shock of dysregulation, and the gradual path toward a new equilibrium. Along the way, we explore how loss disrupts energy across five domains: food and nutrition, physical health, mental and emotional well-being, sleep, and life components — and what it looks like to move forward with loss included, rather than left behind.