Residents invited to take part in mental wellness workshops

COLD LAKE — Local residents are invited to attend a new series of mental wellness workshops designed to improve coping strategies and educate people on how to support themselves and others.

Alberta Health Services (AHS) mental health and addictions staff are leading four free workshops, which are open to everyone. Individuals, couples, friends and/or support networks are encouraged to attend.

The workshops are designed to teach participants about mental health, the causes and treatments, and how to support someone who is struggling. There are four topics covered: anxiety, maintaining healthy relationships, depression and managing difficult emotions.

The anxiety workshop offers education about identifying and managing anxiety, while providing practical approaches to dealing with the symptoms. The healthy relationships workshop helps participants improve communication skills and boundary setting. The depression workshop focuses on the basics of depression, including symptoms, and highlights practical use of coping skills. The managing difficult emotions workshop helps individuals learn basic strategies around emotional awareness and healthy expression.

Workshops are two hours long and run every two weeks, cycling through each topic. Participants are welcome to attend some or all of the workshops. Registration is required. For more information about dates and times or to register, please call 780-594-7556.

Alberta Health Services is the provincial health authority responsible for planning and delivering health supports and services for more than four million adults and children living in Alberta. Its mission is to provide a patient-focused, quality health system that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertans.