A mom helps her young children build a birdhouse in this 2018 Family Day file photo. Medicine Hat Family Service has added a number of programming options for the month of March aimed at improved wellness, among other topics.--NEWS FILE PHOTO
asmith@medicinehatnews.com
Looking into March, Medicine Hat Family Service is launching new opportunities for wellness alongside the reliable classics.
Brand new to programming is the upcoming Understanding Estrangement, which will be hosted at the MHFS office on Mar. 6 and 20. The program, says recovery college co-ordinator Angela Dunn, aims to take an unbiased approach to handling both sides of an estranged relationship.
“It’s for families who are experiencing separation for whatever reason,” said Dunn. “We’re trying to be non-biased and balanced, because it is difficult both for the person who leaves and the person who is left.”
Dunn adds she believes it might be helpful for some to hear from both those going through the same experience as well as those on the other side of the equation who are not the specific family member they are estranged from. The program will cover some of the reasons estrangement can happen, as well as strategies for situations where reconciliation is possible and how to emotionally move forward when it is not.
Other programs this month include Budgeting Basics, which will help people understand their financial mindset and work to find a budgeting system which works best for them, as well as Navigating Narcissism, where participants will gain tools to understand and deal with the presence of narcissistic behaviours in their lives.
One program Dunn also expects to be popular this month is simply titled, “Why Am I So Tired?”
“The time change is coming up here, people will be feeling it a little bit more at that point,” said Dunn. “So we thought this is a good time to plug that in and talk about some good practices that you can put in place to help with fatigue, setting some good routines, talking about some other things that might be affecting rest.”
Dunn also invited residents out to the ongoing Wellbeing Workshop series at the Veiner Centre, which is open to anyone over the age of 16. For the month of March, the series will cover the establishment and protection of boundaries.
These programs are offered alongside ongoing regular programming, such as the Caregiver Connection support group and Next Gen Connections for new adults.
A full calendar of programs for the month is available online at mhfamilyservice.com, and residents are encouraged to call 403-504-8026 for more information on individual programs or to register where applicable.
