Interactive Workshops

Please note: Some workshops are online and some are in person. We aim for a balance between in-person and online events so that we can best accommodate as many people as possible. All our programs are free!

Click here for general information about in-person workshops.

If your workshop is being held online via Google Meet, you will receive a direct link by email. Having trouble accessing a Google Meet workshop? Click here for tips.

Workshops start right on time–you will not be able to access them until a few minutes before the designated start time, and please don’t be late.

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For family and friends of someone living with mental illness only

These are interactive workshops and space is limited, even online–this gives our facilitators the chance to personally address your questions and concerns. They are not recorded and you must register in advance. If you register and do not attend, you may be taking a spot away from someone in need.

How to Make a Zine

Join us to learn how to create your own Zine! Zines are self-published collections of text and/or images on a theme. This workshop is open to all young family and friends of people with disabilities, chronic illness, or mental health challenges.

March 21 (Teens aged 12-17) Cancelled
6-8pm

With Oliver Fitzpatrick
At the AMI office
5800 Decarie, Montreal

Anger and Caregiving Relationships

Anger is an important emotion to explore and understand within the caregiving relationship. This workshop will help you build a greater understanding of anger and your relationship to the emotion and to your loved one. 

March 26
6-8pm

With Victoria Jonas
In person at the AMI office
5800 Decarie, Montreal

Mindful Art: Watercolour

It can be stressful caring for a loved one who is living with mental illness. In this Mindful Art workshop you will learn a fun and easy way to create colourful watercolour artwork that promotes relaxation, mindfulness and self-care. All levels and abilities welcome; no art experience required.

March 28
6-7:30pm

With Joyce Cohen
In person at the AMI office
5800 Decarie, Montreal

Regulating Emotions

Do you care about someone who has Borderline Personality Disorder or difficulty regulating their emotions? In this workshop, you will learn a few strategies to help manage strong emotions in challenging situations. These tools will come in handy when your loved one is having a tough time regulating their emotions, and they can also help you find a better emotional balance.

April 7
10am-12pm

With Sylvie Bouchard
In person at the AMI office
5800 Decarie, Montreal

Meditation

How do we gain the strength to work with life situations that are difficult and stressful? This workshop will use meditation to help family caregivers get in touch with their unknown strengths and develop their resilience.

Starts April 24 and runs for 10 sessions on Wednesdays
10:30-11:30am

With Bill Byers
Online via Google Meet

Introduction to Borderline Personality Disorder

This introductory session will provide basic knowledge on Borderline Personality Disorder: what it is, what are some of the challenges, and what can be done to reduce conflicts. You will gain a better understanding of the condition and how to cope.

April 24
6-8pm

With Sylvie Bouchard
Online via Google Meet

Write From Your Heart

Write From Your Heart is an eight session writing workshop. It provides a safe and welcoming space that promotes healing, support and empowerment through writing, reading our words, and deep listening. It’s about self-expression, not being a good writer.

Starts May 2 and runs for 8 sessions on Thursdays
10:30am-12pm

With Joyce Cohen
Online via Google Meet

Boundaries & Setting Limits

Caregiving relationships challenge everyone involved in discovering what’s acceptable and what’s not acceptable within the unique dynamic. The aim of this workshop is to identify these limits and learn to communicate the boundaries necessary to protect both the relationship and the caregiver.

May 7
6-8pm

With Victoria Jonas
Online via Google Meet

Exploring YOUR Contributions in Challenging Relationships

Would you like to explore YOUR contributions to your relationship with your loved one who lives with mental illness? Would you like to explore HOW these contributions impact your relationship? Register now for our newest workshop.

May 14, 21, and 28
6-8pm

With Sylvie Bouchard
In person at the AMI office
5800 Decarie, Montreal

Stress Management

Caring about someone who lives with mental illness can take a toll on your physical and mental well-being. Join us for some tips and resources and an interactive discussion that will help ease your stress level.

May 22
6-8pm

With Victoria Jonas
In person at the AMI office
5800 Decarie, Montreal

De-escalating Conflict

This workshop explores de-escalation techniques and how to engage mindfully in conflictual situations. It will encourage self-awareness and you will develop insight into effective communication techniques in conflict situations. 

June 4
6-8pm

With Victoria Jonas
In person at the AMI office
5800 Decarie, Montreal

Hands On Practice for Challenging Situations

If you have a loved one (family, partner, friend, etc.) who lives with mental illness and has difficulty managing their emotions, this group is for you! This is a practice group where we will practice Validation, using examples from real life. We will also introduce the practice of boundaries and limit setting.

June 18
6-8pm

With Sylvie Bouchard
In person at the AMI office
5800 Decarie, Montreal

Caregiver Group

This online group offers an opportunity to explore how caring for a loved one with mental health challenges affects the caregiver’s experience and wellbeing. Held over several sessions, it can alleviate some of the isolation and other difficulties that are often associated with family caregiving.

For people living with mental illness only

Living with mental illness? You can find help at our support groups. Click here for details.

Aging Well With Mental Illness

Aging while living with mental health struggles or illness can present certain difficulties. We will explore ways to cope with challenges and how to manage difficult emotions. People living with mental illness aged 55 years and over are welcome.

March 19, 26 & April 2
10am-12pm

With Melanie Hughes
Online via Google Meet

We are constantly evaluating and updating our programs. If you don’t see a program on this page that suits your needs, you can always find help at our regularly scheduled support groups or our counselling for family and friends. We also offer online learning.

Coming Soon

The programs below will likely be offered again next season. Don’t miss our program announcements: click HERE to sign up for our emails.

Acceptance & Letting Go

Loss is an inevitable and painful part of life. In the relationship between a family and their loved one with mental illness, experiencing loss can be complicated. In this workshop, we will identify and name losses, situate participants within their own grieving processes in relation to loss, and learn about acceptance which leads to healing opportunities.

Caregivers 55+

Getting older while still having to take care of a loved one with mental health challenges can be difficult. This 3 part online workshop can help. If you missed the first two sessions, you can still attend the last one.

Caring Kids: Expressing Big Feelings about Home

This workshop is for kids aged 5 to 12 who have a loved one who has a disability, mental health challenges, or chronic illness. We will use creative expression to explore what care means in different families, to talk about healthy coping skills and self-care, and to build confidence.

Coping Skills

We cope all the time. Awareness of how we cope can increase our ability to notice when we engage in defensive patterns and move towards practicing new skills that will provide us with more safety, peace, and general wellbeing.

Creative Expression

It can be difficult to care for a loved one who is living with mental illness. With SoulCollage, you will use your intuition to create small collage cards and then learn how to “read” your cards to discover what personal and hidden meanings your card reveals to you.

Types of Mental Illness

There is a wide spectrum of mental illnesses, including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and more. Facilitated by doctors in McGill University’s Psychiatry Postgraduate Program, this workshop series went over the various diagnoses and characteristics of each mental illness and we answered your questions.

Use Your Strengths!

Research has shown that identifying your character strengths (like perseverance, kindness, and leadership) can help you manage stress, boost relationships, find purpose, and increase well-being. We will explore how our strengths can help us during tough times.

Sign up for our emails to stay in touch
Please also follow us on:

We are constantly evaluating and updating our programs. If you don’t see a program on this page that suits your needs, you can always find help at our regularly scheduled support groups or our counselling for family and friends. We also offer online learning.