Reconnecting with your Roots: Holding Loss and Legacy
A Somatic and Expressive Arts Group for the BIPOC community
Location: 1250 - 1122 4th Street SW, Calgary, Alberta
Facilitators: Deanne Arada & Kaitlyn Domingues
Thursday May 8th 2025, 6:30pm - 8:30pm
Thursday May 15th 2025, 6:30pm - 8:30pm
Thursday May 22nd 2025, 6:30pm - 8:30pm
Thursday May 29th 2025, 6:30pm - 8:30pm
A Brief Overview
This is a four-week guided group for BIPOC community members, where we’ll explore expressive arts therapy, somatic tools, and shared reflection as a path toward healing and reconnecting with your authentic self—through exploring how grief can be stored in the body.
When we suppress grief, it can show up as tension, anxiety, emotional numbness, exhaustion, or trouble focusing. Our nervous system processes grief through survival responses like fight, flight, freeze, or fawn—so it’s no surprise that many of us carry grief without even realizing it, and not just emotionally, but physically too.
This group offers a space to gently explore how grief shows up in your body, learn how to express emotions and how to hold them, how to care for yourself with more awareness and compassion—and begin to truly heal
$85/session*Payment and Insurance options are provided below
This Group is for You if…
✔️ You struggle with emotional suppression
✔️ You’ve experienced either a physical or emotional loss
✔️ You’re unsure how to regulate your nervous system or process your emotions
✔️ You’ve navigated mental health struggles without community support or understanding.
✔️ You want to experience a healing space where BIPOC community members can process grief collectively.
✔️ You’d like to explore creative and somatic methods of processing
✔️ Practical tools to assist you with emotional regulation and grief management
✔️ Learn how to identify how grief is held in your body
✔️ Learn how to express emotions and hold them using somatic and expressive arts tools
✔️ Community of like-minded peers
✔️ The opportunity to reflect, practice coping skills and come back week to week
✔️ Learn how to care for yourself and show self-compassion
What You’ll Get:
The Details
-
Participants are limited to 8-10
-
1122 4th Street Southwest
Calgary, Alberta
-
Thursday, May 8, 2025 6:30-8:30 pm
Thursday, May 15, 2025 6:30-8:30 pm
Thursday, May 22, 2025 6:30-8:30 pm
Thursday, May 29, 2025 6:30-8:30 pm
-
$85 per session ($340 total)
***Please note some direct billing and insurance can be used. Learn more here.
-
Some insurance plans cover group therapy! We recommend calling your insurance company to confirm.
We can currently direct bill to the following:
Alberta Blue Cross
Medavie Blue Cross
Alberta School Employee Benefit Plan
Canada Life
Canada Life PSHCP
Coughlin & Associates
D.A. Townley
Desjardins
Equitable Life of Canada
First Canadian
Industrial Alliance
Johnston Group
People Corporation
Manulife
Veterans Affairs
Green Shield Canada
SSQ
Medic Construction
*Please note that if you do not see your insurance company listed, you may still be able submit receipts for reimbursement.
-
Week 1: Exploring Grief & Identity
Reflect on how grief has shaped you, challenge common myths about grief, and express grief and resilience through guided art.
-
Week 2: Holding & Grounding Emotions
Learn how grief moves through the body, create a symbolic clay vessel to hold emotions, and explore grounding practices for emotional balance.
-
Week 3: Expressing Grief Through Movement & Art
Use somatic practice and art to release emotions, experience bilateral drawing for emotional flow, and share and witness each other’s journeys in a safe space.
-
Week 4: Meaning-Making & Honouring What Remains
Reflect on what your grief has taught you, contribute to a collective art ritual of remembrance, and create a postcard to self as a final act of witnessing and care.
What Happens After I Sign Up?
Our Office Coordinator, Rebecca will reach out to you to confirm, set up a payment plan if necessary, and assist with insurance billing.
2 weeks prior to the group start date you will receive a welcome package including information about parking, transit and group logistics.
On the first day of group you will receive an email reminder from Jane App, as well as a text from Rebecca confirming transit, parking and building access.
Meet your Facilitators
Deanne Arada, MSW, RSW
Deanne is a Filipino-Canadian first-generation immigrant and a Registered Social Worker, proud to represent the BIPOC community in the mental health field. Her experience is ranging and she draws from a variety of therapeutic modalities like Visual Arts Therapy, Mindfulness and Somatic-Based Therapies, Emotion Focused Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Dialectical Behavioural Therapy, and more.
Deanne’s approach is rooted in humanistic values, anti-oppressive principles, and a critical social work perspective. She is ready to meet you where you are, armed with empathy and understanding.
Kaitlyn Domingues, Counselling Intern
Kaitlyn is a counselling intern, completing her practicum at The Cognitive Corner. Kaitlyn works with a range of clients, drawing from a variety of therapeutic modalities to best support your individual concerns, needs, and goals. This includes Narrative Therapy, Emotion-Focused Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.
Acknowledging her privilege, Kaitlyn is committed to fostering an open and affirming space for people of diverse backgrounds, identities, and cultural experiences. She approaches her work with humility and deep respect for the stories clients bring into the room.