Group Therapy in Kitchener-Waterloo
MIDTOWN OFFERS TWO GREAT GROUP THERAPY PROGRAMS YEAR-ROUND
LIFE AFTER MY ACCIDENT, a support group for car accident survivors
If you experienced complex injuries related to a motor vehicle accident (MVA), it helps to know you’re not alone, to help your system slow down, and to offer yourself safe spaces to practice recovery skills.
That’s what this group is about.
At Life After My Accident, people with lived accident experience gather to share and learn together.
Why should I join?
To explore safe ways to connect with myself and others around shared recovery experiences and strategies.
This facilitated support group helps accident survivors, like yourself, better understand their bodies and minds. It offers gentle restorative activities and a safe place to try them. Moreover, you get to meet others who are also on a complex recovery journey.
This is a monthly drop-in group. You choose your level of participation and attend as often as you like.
What will we be doing?
*Each session offers sharing time, recovery skills practice, short body calming activities, and friendly conversation.
This group treats you as a whole person. It is designed to help MVA survivors, like yourself, manage as best as possible at home, work or school, and in the community.
The group is facilitated by rehabilitation social workers and psychotherapists. They offer education and skills coaching. You and your peers are invited to talk about these and other recovery strategies, ask questions, and receive guidance.
We occasionally have special guests to help address specialist recovery topics - these events are announced in advance.
Facilitators guide participants in being sensitive to their and others’ accident trauma. This means we’re mindful about triggers and avoid discussing accident content directly.*
When and where do we meet?
This group meets on the second Tuesday of every month, from 12-1pm, in-person at the Midtown clinic.
Pre-screening and registration are required. We recommend booking at least two weeks in advance. You are welcome to attend as many sessions as you’d like, coming as your schedule allows and according to your needs.
Examples of group topics:
- Re-friending my Body
- Pain as a Part of Me
- Connecting to my Values and Identity
- Engaging with my Community
- other themes relevant to group members
Note: This group is most helpful for those who are at least two years out from their accident. It’s meant to complement, rather than replace, individual therapies.
This group is facilitated by Shelly Pavlic and Tamara Amirault. Shelly and Tamara are Registered Social Workers and Psychotherapists They firmly believe that accident survivors need caring, comprehensive support during recovery, and that everyone deserves to feel understood.
Shelly is Midtown Rehab’s clinical director. She has treated those with complex mental health injuries for over twenty years. For more about Shelly, click here.
Tamara Amirault is an Associate Therapist at Midtown. She has lived experience with several themes in this group and is passionate about trauma recovery and finding belonging in one’s community. For more about Tamara, click here.
This group is free of charge for current Midtown clients and $20/session otherwise. Services are eligible for coverage under most health benefit and auto insurance plans. However, we heavily subsidize group fees knowing some of you are paying out-of-pocket.
Email or call to find out more about this group or to register
We’re here to support your recovery.
Circle of Security © (Parenting Group)
At times all parents feel lost about what their child might need from them. Imagine what it would feel like to make sense of what your child was really asking of you.
The Circle of Security© Parenting program is based on decades of research about how best to nurture secure parent-child relationships.
The COSP© model helps parents and caregivers:
• Understand their child’s emotional world by learning to read emotional needs
• Support their child’s ability to successfully manage emotions
• Enhance their child’s self esteem
• Honour their innate wisdom and desire for their child to be secure
Join the group specific to your child’s age: 0-3, 4-8, 9-13, and 14-17
Groups run in 8-week blocks throughout the year
Sessions occur weekdays in Kitchener (in-person and hybrid)
Contact the clinic for dates Two locations for your convenience: The Family Center, 65 Hanson Avenue and 90 Blucher Street, Kitchener Registration is always open!
Fees: $155/family/session (Private sessions are available on request, in-clinic or in your home. Fees: $180 plus mileage for in-home sessions.)
Click the links below for more info:
What is Circle of Security© Parenting?
This group is facilitated by Sandra Tocitu. Sandra obtained her Circle of Security Parenting© certification through Circle of Security International in 2019, and since then has supported many caregivers, foster parents, and aunts and uncles individually and in a group settings. She is passionate about practicing from an attachment lens, and strongly believes that positive connection is one of the upmost important factors in fostering children’s safety and security. For more about Sandra, click here
Email or call to learn more about this group or to register
Let us help you care for your child.