Everyone has their own ideas, often negative, about what Palliative care entails. It is confusing. Is it just drugs and death? Why wouldn’t I do EVERYTHING?

Did you know that some studies have demonstrated that not only does a palliative approach increase quality of life but sometimes length of life.  In this 2 hour presentation we will explore and discuss many issues that you may face on this journey, such as feeding, palliative treatments, extraordinary measures; the pros and cons of each will be discussed.

Please bring your questions and your fears

This will be a creative class for expression and exploration. There will be a simple project or craft. It is for respite, relief and release. There will be a framework provided but discussion, sharing and questions are encouraged. Bring your heavy hearts and exhausted self.   

This 2-hour seminar is directed to those working in the health care field. The seminar provides an in-depth focus on the process of MAID, with an opportunity to share your experiences in a safe environment.

This 2 hour seminar is a resource based seminar rich with anecdotal stories. You will learn what resources are available in Calgary for those diagnosed with a palliative illness, those who are journeying with them and resources for support after the death of a loved one. This knowledge can be used for yourself or for a loved one or friend; now or in the future.

You will receive an emailed resource list with resources available in Calgary, Alberta and an updated list will be sent to you twice a year.

Stories from the bedside will be interspersed with “Top Ten” lists related to communication for friends and family during and after the illness and death of a loved one. Resources for managing the death of a family pet, understanding funerals, the value of a “death binder” will be some of the topics covered from a resource based perspective.

And ultimately, finding the joy in living our best life.

As human beings transitioned into a new life from hunter gatherers to settled communities, new roles emerged which changed the nature of our relationships.  A former and ancient way of life died then and many people feel the loss still today.  Recognition of deep and painful loss is the key to a healthy resolution of life’s grief journey in the aftermath of death.  The focus of this seminar is on grief and bereavement following the death of a loved one and will confront the question of whether healing is truly possible in light of the big place in life that person who is gone once held.  We will differentiate the terms often used to describe the types of grief such as “complicated grief”, “disenfranchised grief”, “bereavement”, as well as “pandemic grief”.  The key theme in this seminar will be healing in the context of painful grief.

This two-hour seminar is provided by Laurel Wilson, Palliative Health Care Aide and Alison Potter, R.N.

Learn what resources are available in Calgary for those diagnosed with a palliative illness and for those who are grieving their loved ones.

During these two hours learn the practicalities of caring for your loved one as their condition changes. Get hands-on experience with managing mouth care, emptying catheter bags, turning a patient in bed, advice on keeping track of appointments, medications, managing support from family and friends.

Join me to explore the book “Being with Dying” written by Roshi Joan Halifax.

Each bi-weekly session will be a guided meditation/discussion experience on each chapter of the book.

Each session reflects on one chapter, so you can sign up for as many as you like and don’t need to attend each week if that is your preference.

There are nineteen chapters in this book.  If you haven’t read the weekly chapter you are still welcome to attend as it will unfold as we share our thoughts and breaths together.

No meditation experience is necessary.

Please join me for 2 hours that will help you explore new and old ideas and also serve as a true form of self-care for you.

The book “Being With Dying” is available for purchase for $25 at Expected Outcome supporting our local bookstore Shelf Life Books.

We are good at this. Not perfect but pretty darn good. Could not have worked 20 years in this field if we weren’t.

What does it look like? What are our options? What can the family do?

We will cover:

1. Pain management
2. Nausea
3. Shortness of breath 
4. Indignity and embarrassment
5. Spiritual suffering

Please bring your questions and your fears.

For the overwhelming majority of human existence human beings have belonged to small groups of people or “tribes”.  These tribes were nomadic in nature and life revolved around surviving by gathering, fishing, and hunting.  Everyone had a valued and occupied a needed place and felt a true sense of belonging out of which they experienced the joys, successes, failures, and deaths of members of the tribe together.  The focus of this seminar will be an exploration of anticipatory grief as people diagnosed with a life limiting illness and their “tribe” walk the painful trail of loss and tears leading up to the death.  The focus will be on supporting not only a patient but the entire group of their people individually and as a “tribe”.

Virtual Event!

This 2 hour online seminar is a resource based seminar rich with anecdotal stories. You will learn what resources are available in Calgary for those diagnosed with a palliative illness, those who are journeying with them and resources for support after the death of a loved one. This knowledge can be used for yourself or for a loved one or friend; now or in the future.

You will receive an emailed resource list with resources available in Calgary, Alberta and an updated list will be sent to you twice a year.

Stories from the bedside will be interspersed with “Top Ten” lists related to communication for friends and family during and after the illness and death of a loved one. Resources for managing the death of a family pet, understanding funerals, the value of a “death binder” will be some of the topics covered from a resource based perspective.

And ultimately, finding the joy in living our best life.

This two-hour seminar is presented by Chelsey Mah (a certified death doula) and Alison Potter RN.

Chelsey will share ways in which you can be present for your loved ones as their condition changes. Chelsey will discuss ways in which you can enrich the experience of dying for your loved one and yourself. Alison will speak to challenges that may impede a rich patient environment for this work to unfold (such as physical discomfort, symptom management needs)

This will be a creative class for expression and exploration. There will be a simple project or craft. It is for respite, relief and release. There will be a framework provided but discussion, sharing and questions are encouraged. Bring your heavy hearts and exhausted self.   

Coffee Morning for the Bereaved.

Join me for this 90 minute gently guided time where you can freely express your thoughts and your grief and hopes with others who have experienced the death of a loved one in a safe and non-judgemental environment.

This is a free drop in event.

Refreshments provided.

This two-hour seminar is provided by Laurel Wilson, Palliative Health Care Aide and Alison Potter, R.N.

Learn what resources are available in Calgary for those diagnosed with a palliative illness and for those who are grieving their loved ones.

During these two hours learn the practicalities of caring for your loved one as their condition changes. Get hands-on experience with managing mouth care, emptying catheter bags, turning a patient in bed, advice on keeping track of appointments, medications, managing support from family and friends.

As western society re-examines its death-denying attitudes towards death and the subsequent care of the dying, a new role has started to emerge.  This emergence of “Death Gurus”, “Death Doulas”, or “Death Midwives”, presents both obstacles and opportunities in the support given to the dying as well as to the health care system.  The focus of this seminar will be on the role and personalities of the traditional care-givers such as Physicians, Nurses, Health Care Aides, Chaplains, and Grief Counsellors as well as the emerging roles of the Death Whisperers and how these two approaches work together.  We will explore the changing definitions and relationships between Religion and Spirituality in our society and explore together whether the ancient “Shaman” is still present with us today and if so, then how is the Shaman present as we care for and help the dying through their transition.

Blair’s experience in theatre, religious and shamanic traditions has reinforced his belief in the importance and necessity of having rituals in our lives.  They often play a major role in larger life moments, but they can also assist us in navigating the complicated and often stressful waters surrounding all of us today. 

In this presentation, Blair will present a variety of ways that anyone can create their own personal, family or group rituals for self-care, celebration, significant moments/dates, grief and loss.

This 2 hour seminar is a resource based seminar rich with anecdotal stories. You will learn what resources are available in Calgary for those diagnosed with a palliative illness, those who are journeying with them and resources for support after the death of a loved one. This knowledge can be used for yourself or for a loved one or friend; now or in the future.

You will receive an emailed resource list with resources available in Calgary, Alberta and an updated list will be sent to you twice a year.

Stories from the bedside will be interspersed with “Top Ten” lists related to communication for friends and family during and after the illness and death of a loved one. Resources for managing the death of a family pet, understanding funerals, the value of a “death binder” will be some of the topics covered from a resource based perspective.

And ultimately, finding the joy in living our best life.

These 2 hour seminars will discuss Medical Assistance in Dying in Canada, the history of the legalization of medical assistance in dying (MAID), and allow for questions and discussion of moral, social, and ethical issues surrounding MAID.

Join with like minded people who enjoy watching movies that explore death and dying.

After the movie there will be time to discuss the movie with the group.

Light refreshments included.

Join me to explore the book “Being with Dying” written by Roshi Joan Halifax.

Each bi-weekly session will be a guided meditation/discussion experience on each chapter of the book.

Each session reflects on one chapter, so you can sign up for as many as you like and don’t need to attend each week if that is your preference.

There are nineteen chapters in this book.  If you haven’t read the weekly chapter you are still welcome to attend as it will unfold as we share our thoughts and breaths together.

No meditation experience is necessary.

Please join me for 2 hours that will help you explore new and old ideas and also serve as a true form of self-care for you.

The book “Being With Dying” is available for purchase for $25 at Expected Outcome supporting our local bookstore Shelf Life Books.

Virtual Event!

In this two hour seminar Blair will facilitate rituals that have been missing during Covid and helping people come to term with loss of friends, clients, patients, livelihoods.

We have, and continue to live in a time like no other in recent history.  This workshop will examine how this pandemic had affected our ability to journey will individuals and the end of life, as well as acknowledging the additional layers of grief that need to be addressed as well.  Caregivers will be offered a variety of “survival tools” to assist them in dealing with a number of issues caregivers continue to deal with.

Coffee Morning for the Bereaved.

Join me for this 90 minute gently guided time where you can freely express your thoughts and your grief and hopes with others who have experienced the death of a loved one in a safe and non-judgemental environment.

This is a free drop in event.

Refreshments provided.

This 2 hour seminar is a resource based seminar rich with anecdotal stories. You will learn what resources are available in Calgary for those diagnosed with a palliative illness, those who are journeying with them and resources for support after the death of a loved one. This knowledge can be used for yourself or for a loved one or friend; now or in the future.

You will receive an emailed resource list with resources available in Calgary, Alberta and an updated list will be sent to you twice a year.

Stories from the bedside will be interspersed with “Top Ten” lists related to communication for friends and family during and after the illness and death of a loved one. Resources for managing the death of a family pet, understanding funerals, the value of a “death binder” will be some of the topics covered from a resource based perspective.

And ultimately, finding the joy in living our best life.

As human beings transitioned into a new life from hunter gatherers to settled communities, new roles emerged which changed the nature of our relationships.  A former and ancient way of life died then and many people feel the loss still today.  Recognition of deep and painful loss is the key to a healthy resolution of life’s grief journey in the aftermath of death.  The focus of this seminar is on grief and bereavement following the death of a loved one and will confront the question of whether healing is truly possible in light of the big place in life that person who is gone once held.  We will differentiate the terms often used to describe the types of grief such as “complicated grief”, “disenfranchised grief”, “bereavement”, as well as “pandemic grief”.  The key theme in this seminar will be healing in the context of painful grief.