Upcoming Workshops
Spiritual Suffering: Dark Night Perspectives
Dr. Zinia Pritchard
October 2025
“Spiritual Suffering: Dark Night Perspectives” is an interactive workshop drawing upon the power of images, spiritual practices, story and song to shine a light on transformative spiritual suffering. It offers the spiritual theology of the Dark Night of the Soul to invite participants’ exploration of personal, shared and clinical experiences of spiritual suffering. Building upon learners’ personal and professional wisdom, the shared experience of global pandemic, and clinical scenarios within the palliative and end of life contexts, the workshop will equip learners to recognize the signs of Dark Night spiritual suffering, understand its transformative aspects, identify contemplative approaches to accompany the spiritual sufferer, experience spiritual practices in support of client and self-care, and be introduced to the similarities and differences between Dark Night spiritual suffering and clinical depression. Recommended pre-reading: May, Gerald G. 2005. The Dark Night of the Soul: A Psychiatrist Explores the Connection Between Darkness and Spiritual Growth.
Zinia Pritchard (D.Min), Associate O.P. is a Contemplative Practical Theologian and Dark Night scholar. She has presented on the Dark Night at local, provincial, national, and international venues within clinical, public, spiritual formation, retreat and leadership contexts. Zinia is a certified spiritual care practitioner, (CASC), registered counselling therapist (ACTA), St. Stephen’s College Associate Faculty member and guest lecturer at the Margaret Beaufort Institute of Theology, Cambridge, England.
Date/Time: October 11-12, 2025 (Sat-Sun 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. MST)
Cost: $350
Location: Online via Zoom
Registration deadline: Oct. 6, 2025 (Enroll min 6, max 20)
Cultural Awareness Building Through Art Therapy
Tayler Schenkeveld, MACP, CCC, RCAT
November 2025
In this workshop, participants will deepen their understanding of cultural identities and their intersections. Throughout the weekend, participants will embark on a journey to:
- Gain an in-depth understanding of their own intersectional cultural identities.
- Explore the complexities of social location, recognizing how it can encompass both privilege and marginalization simultaneously.
- Acknowledge the fundamental principle that all therapy is cultural (Collins, 2018).
- Develop culturally responsive and socially just awareness and art therapy counselling skills.
This workshop invites participants to engage in meaningful discussions, reflective exercises, and practical applications aimed at fostering a more inclusive and responsive approach to art therapy. Whether you are a seasoned practitioner or new to the field, this workshop offers valuable insights and tools to enhance your art therapy practice.
Tayler Schenkeveld is a member of the Manitoba Métis and the Bear Clan. She was born and raised on Treaty 1 territory in Win-Nipi (Winnipeg) and is grateful to now live, work, and play on Treaty 7 territory in Mohkinstsis (Calgary). Tayler is a Canadian Certified Counsellor and Registered Canadian Art Therapist specializing in Indigenous cultural re/connection, identity formation, and complex and intergenerational trauma healing.
Date/Time: November 15-16, 2025 (Sat-Sun 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. MST)
Cost: $350
Location: online via Zoom
Registration deadline: Nov. 10, 2025 (Enroll min 6, max 20)
Art Therapy and ADHD
Stephanie Godel, MPS-AT
February 2026
Many art therapists work with at least one client who lives with ADHD, but very few art therapy resources describe best practices for supporting this population. Come learn about art therapy for individuals with ADHD from two art therapists who have lived experience with ADHD! This workshop will provide you with foundational knowledge about life with ADHD, key themes to consider when making your art therapy practice more affirming for neurodivergent people of all ages, and concrete strategies for supporting people with ADHD at every step of the therapy process.
Stephanie N. Godel, BEd/BSc, MPS-AT is an art therapist, psychotherapist, and former K-12 teacher. As a person with ADHD, she uses her firsthand experience to bring a compassionate, relational approach to therapeutic and scholarly work in the field of art therapy. She lives in amiskwaciy-wâskahikan (Edmonton), where she enjoys hand-mending well-loved things and spending time in nature.
Date/Time: February 21, 2026 (Sat. 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. MST)
Cost: $175
Location: online via Zoom
Registration deadline: Feb. 16, 2026 (Enroll min 6, max 20)
Developing a Nervous System Aware, Trauma Informed, Art Therapy Practice
Katrina Grabner, MPS-AT
March 2026
Deepen your understanding of our incredible, adaptive nervous system and its various survival responses through experiential learning (arts based and somatic) creative storytelling, case studies and handouts that you can take with you into your future practice. During our time together, we will reframe various nervous system adaptations and integrate within the practice of art therapy key concepts such as: Polyvagal Theory, interoception, proprioception, titration, pendulation, tracking, boundary development and an internal felt sense of safety. This two-day workshop is rooted in the teachings of pioneer trauma therapists Peter Levine, Janina Fisher, Diane Pool Heller, Jan Winhall, Cornelia Elbrecht and Cathy Malchiodi. This will be a highly experiential workshop where we will practice a variety of different interventions and be curious with how our own nervous systems show up in sessions with clients and what supports our own felt sense of safety in the work we do. Throughout the workshop an introduction to working with a variety of clients through a trauma informed approach will be explored such as working with children and youth who have been impacted by adverse experiences and their caregivers, teachers and social workers. We will also discuss addiction through a polyvagal lens as well as important considerations when supporting clients who have experienced sexual violence. Furthermore, we will explore what it means to do assessments in a trauma informed way with clients. This is an introductory workshop and a variety of resources will be provided to students who wish to go deeper in working with a particular clientele in a trauma informed way. Day one of our workshop will focus on building a foundational understanding of the nervous system and day two will go deeper into applying key concepts in the practice of art therapy with various client populations. Students are encouraged to bring in questions regarding their current client work or future practicum placements. Students are also encouraged to join the workshop in a way that honours and considers their various needs. This workshop will be held in a contained and gentle way and, since we will be exploring the impacts of trauma and accompanying our own nervous systems, it will be important for students to be aware of what supports may be important for them to have in place throughout our time together.
Katrina is a Registered Canadian Art Therapist, Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, visual artist, PhD student, and professor of art therapy at Concordia University in the Creative Arts Therapies Department. Her practice integrates trauma-informed, nervous system aware, arts-based approaches to supporting both individuals and groups. With over a decade of experience working in low-barrier/harm reduction-oriented non-profits, walking alongside both adults and children who lived through adverse-experiences, Katrina brings a relational, anti-oppressive lens to her work. Most recently Katrina worked for five years as a trauma therapist in both the Stopping the Violence Program and the Peace program in BC. Katrina has specialized training in Somatic Experiencing, a body-oriented approach to healing trauma developed by Peter Levine, Trauma Informed Stabilization Treatment (TIST), a nervous system aware approach to parts work developed by Janina Fisher, a certificate in eco-arts therapy and is currently training with sexual trauma therapist Ariel Giarretto in her Somatic Sexuality Healing Practitioner program. Katrina grew up in Treaty 6 Territory and lived and worked for twenty years on unceded Coast Salish Territory. She recently moved to the unceded lands of the Kanien’kehá:ka Nation, also known as Montreal. Katrina is committed to the daily work of being a co-conspirator and ally in decolonization and works towards fostering belonging, creative expression, play and nervous-system awareness in therapeutic and educational spaces.
Date/Time: Mar. 21-22, 2026 (Sat-Sun 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. MST)
Cost: $350
Location: online via Zoom
Registration deadline: March 16, 2026 (Enroll min 6, max 20)
Couples Counselling Skills
Kayla Cardinal, DTATI, MSW, RSW, RCAT
April 2026
This workshop aims to provide the skills and tools for psychotherapists to support couples in achieving and maintaining a healthy relationship and resolve conflict. It is based in Gottman’s principles of effective couples therapy, relational therapy, and narrative approaches. Students can expect to gain theoretical, practical, and experiential knowledge through this online workshop.
Kayla Cardinal is a Métis woman and scholar, a registered social worker in 91ÒùĸÊÓƵ and Manitoba, as well as a registered Canadian art therapist. She has been in private practice for 13+ years and is currently an instructor of social work and art therapy at various universities and institutes across Canada. She offers instruction, advising, supervision, mentorship, thesis support, and clinical counselling and art therapy to individuals, groups, couples, and students.
Date/Time: April 18-19, 2026 (Sat-Sun 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. MST)
Cost: $350
Location: online via Zoom
Registration deadline: Apr. 13, 2026 (Enroll min 6, max 20)