An ONLINE Workshop for Family Members, Friends & Anyone Who CARES ABOUT folks who live with BRAIN INJURY
Saturday, May 11th, 10 AM – 1:15 PM
BIST Caregiver Workshop
AGENDA
10 AM – Welcome and Introductions
Laura Bellon, CEO; Brain Injury Society of Toronto
10:10 AM – Session 1: Caregiving After Brain Injury
A presentation of the Ontario Brian Injury Association (OBIA)’s resource: https://caregiverinfo.ca.
SPEAKER: Lekshmi Jayakrishnan, RSW; Brain Injury Care Coordinator, Ontario Brain Injury Association
10:45 – 10:55 – 5 Minute Break
11 AM – Session 2: Ambiguous Grief
Grief is a natural part of the human experience. However, although we will all face loss at some point in our lives, because we live in a “grief-illiterate” and death-phobic culture many of us feel alone in our grief and are unsure of how to process it. This is even more so when we are dealing with ambiguous and disenfranchised losses. In this workshop, you will learn about why and how we grieve, factors that impact our grieving process, and ways to care for yourself.
SPEAKER: Andrea Kwan, RSW, MSW; Andrea Kwan Counselling
Andrea Kwan is a Registered Social Worker and Psychotherapist who specialises in grief counselling and education. She supports individuals coping with grief, loss, and life transitions and focuses on supporting those who have experienced sudden, unexpected, and out-of-order loss. She works from a trauma-informed, Intersectional, Feminist, Anti-Racist, Anti-Oppressive, and LGBTQ2S-Positive perspective. Andrea works with clients in-person in Toronto and virtually throughout Ontario.
11:45 – 11:55 AM – 10 Minute Break
11:55 – 12:30 PM – Session 3: Break-out rooms for Caregivers
Facilitator: Julie Notto; BIST Caregiver Group Facilitator
Julie Notto is a an HBA/ MA Candidate and an ABI Thriver/Survivor. She’s been developing and facilitating pscycho-educational programs for caregivers, youth and adults for over 10 years. She draws on the best practices from Dialectical Behaviour and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Mindfulness and Attachment Theory – mixing practical tips and tools with compassion and humour to empower caregivers.
12:30 – 1:15 PM Session 4: It’s Okay To Be Okay
In this talk, Ian Keeling speaks of his own personal and professional experience with mental health at home and in the workplace. He reveals three simple yet powerful concepts that can help anyone overcome unproductive, self-sabotaging, and even destructive mindsets, putting us in a position to take care of ourselves and those we value in times of conflict and even the most extreme trauma.
SPEAKER: Ian Keeling is a professional improvisor, author, and executive level speaking coach. His first novel, The Skids, was nominated for the Sunburst Award for Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic. He’s been on the faculty of The Second City for over twenty years and was a founding member of the Bad Dog Theatre. He’s the creator of ProfessionalImprovisor.com, which specializes in professional development workshops and The Quick Laugh, a virtual team-building platform. He is passionate about mental health and all forms of cheese.
Thank you to our Platinum Corporate Sponsors
