During and after stressful events, even more so if events are cumulative such as in a pandemic, it is important to recognize that self-care can sometimes be more complex and changeable than simply attending to bubble baths and bedtimes. Our hope is that this webinar taken from material designed primarily by Alberta Health Services will provide ideas and resources for your personal self-care during and after the pandemic to support your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health.

Facilitators:

Katharine Heimbigner-Tenor has a bachelor in Psychology and is pursuing a MA in Psychology Counseling degree.  She's a long-time member of the Alliance and is presently volunteering on the Alliance's Mental Health Research Action Team. She also acts as the liaison for the Alliance with the Trauma Informed Care Collective advocating for the Alberta government to adopt trauma informed care practices across all agencies.  With a background  in the faith community and completion of her first basic unit in Clinical Pastoral Education last year Katharine continues to deepen her knowledge of how faith and psychology contribute to wellness.

Xun (John) Wang is a Psychologist-in-training who is finalizing his last year of graduate study specializing in School and Child Psychology at the University of Calgary. John has a well rounded understanding of mental health and early intervention programming, as well as the unique needs and barriers to services encountered by marginalized populations.  Currently, he is working full-time as the Mental Health Counsellor at The Immigrant Education Society, where he designs academic, behavioural, and social-emotional interventions to enhance the quality of life of newcomer students with diverse ethnocultural backgrounds. 

Bess Yang is a first-year Masters of Social Work student specializing in Clinical Social Work at the University of Calgary. Growing up in an immigrant family, Bess has a good understanding of the challenges and barriers to services encountered by marginalized populations. Bess was previously working as a Community Helpers Program Coordinator, teaching individuals how to support others when faced with mental health challenges and how to connect them with community resources. She currently volunteers with the Calgary Alliance for the Common Good Mental Health Research Action team.