Programs & Workshops
Connect with people who can relate to your experiences, and move forward in your recovery.
- Overcome barriers that are limiting your recovery from trauma.
- Get support and connect with your community in a safe space.
- Get insights from experienced trauma-recovery experts.
- Create a plan to feel strong, emotionally and physically.
To reserve your spot in an upcoming group program, call Julie at (902) 472-2972 or send a message to info@landingstrong.com.
Available Programs
Strengthening Connection: Building Trust and Stronger Relationships Following Trauma
This group is a five-week group workshop for men who are military members, veterans, and first responders in romantic relationships. The program explores how trauma exposure and the demands of service can affect relationships, intimacy, and connection.
Through guided discussion, practical exercises, reflection, and relationship-focused skills, participants will explore ways to strengthen communication and deepen connection with themselves and the people who matter to them the most. The program is grounded in awareness, courage, curiosity and compassion as the foundation on which we re-author meaningful connections.
Upcoming 2026 Dates:
November 4, 18, and 25; December 2 and 9. Facilitator will be Charisma (others to be confirmed).
Emerge: From Isolation to Connection
Addictions of every kind begin with disconnection. This is a group about finding the way back.
Emerge is an ongoing weekly discussion group for members of the Landing Strong community (military members, veterans, and first responders) affected by substance use or other addictive patterns. It is a space free of judgment and stigma, where hopes, successes, and struggles can all be shared. We recognize that recovery cannot always be measured by strict abstinence, and you are fully welcome wherever you are on your journey.
Each week, the group explores one of Emerge’s Eight Principles: Acceptance, Reflection, Compassion, Trust, Belonging, Authenticity, Accountability, and Contribution. You are always welcome to simply listen. Your attendance is more than enough.
Each week, there are two group meetings, one in-person and one online. Landing Strong community members are welcome to attend one or both.
Upcoming 2026/2027 Dates:
In-person: Wednesdays, 10 – 11:30am
Online: Fridays, 10 – 11:30am
Facilitators are Brett R., Charisma, and Charlie.
Making Strides Toward Substance Use Recovery: An Equine Enhanced Addictions Recovery Program
Making Strides Toward Substance Use Recovery is an eight-part group series that draws upon Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to help participants recover from substance use. Participants will learn how addictions are developed, develop skills to overcome craving and urges, learn alternative strategies to cope with negative emotions, and explore the beliefs that sustain addictive behaviours. Horses are integrated into sessions through experiential exercises and herd observation. Other traditional group therapy techniques, such as group discussions and pair n’ share activities are also included.
It is expected that by the end of this program, participants will experience the following:
- Reduced isolation and increased social engagement
- Increased trust of others
- Increased insight into their substance use and addictive behaviours
- Acquisition of tools to help manage triggers and cravings
- Increased recognition of maladaptive coping skills, learning to replace with healthier alternatives
- Increased emotional awareness and regulation
The program will have a maximum of 9 participants and is open to women and men. male and female.
Upcoming 2026 Dates:
Tuesdays: October 27, November 3, 10, 17, 24
Facilitators are Sonia and Kate S.

Maintaining Health: Staying Strong
This program runs on the third Thursday of each month. Registration is open year-round to anyone who has previously completed a Landing Strong group program.
Stay connected with your community, and stay healthy long-term, with this year-round resilience building group.
Upcoming 2026/2027 Dates:
Thursdays: Nov 19, Dec 17, Jan 14, Feb 11, March 11, Apr 22, May 27, June 24, July 22, Aug 26, Sept 23, Oct 14, Nov 25, Dec 9

Community Connection: Finding your place in community
This program offers a unique blend of the familiar Landing Strong team, with an off-site element to encourage community involvement, socialization, and an opportunity to push past your comfort zone.
This half-day program runs one or two days each month on Monday mornings. Sign up for one date, or several – depending on your interest and availability.
Connect with your peers, challenge your limiting beliefs, and explore what our great community has to offer.
Our 2026 Schedule (Mondays 9am – 12pm):
Nov 9 Remembrance Day craft
Nov 23 Christmas Craft
Dec 7 Volunteer at Food Bank
2027 Dates (Mondays 9am – 12pm):
Jan 11 & 25, Feb 8 & 22, Mar 8 & 22, Apr 5 & 19, May 3 & 31, June 21, July 5 & 19, Aug 9 & 23, Sept 20, Oct 4 & 25, Nov 8 & 22, Dec 6
*Please note, sessions dates and times are subject to change*
Landing Strong Women’s Wellness Circle
This group is a space for women, female identifying and non-binary members of the community to come together, reconnect with themselves, and strengthen the inner and collective resources that help us navigate life with greater confidence, authenticity, and intention.
Women move through many seasons of life. Our bodies change. Our roles and relationships evolve. We care for others, encounter transitions, and continually negotiate what it means to care for ourselves within full and complicated lives.
Meeting one full day each month, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., women are invited to spend meaningful time connecting with others, themselves, and their bodies. This will be an opportunity to explore topics that are specifically relevant to women on their recovery journey and what matters most to them.
New topics will be explored each month, related to different dimension of women’s health and psychological well-being. The following topics will be covered in Fall 2026 series:
Upcoming 2026 Dates:
Thursday, November 26 (Self-Esteem): Strengthening self-worth, confidence, and connection to self.
Thursday, December 10 (Hormonal Health & Nutrition): Understanding and supporting the body through different stages of a woman’s life, with subject-matter expert Naturopath Dr. Adrienne Wood.
Facilitators are Jenny, Charisma, and Catharine.
Fabulous Food on a Budget
Fabulous Food on a Budget is a monthly cooking program for members of the Landing Strong community. It brings people together to learn practical cooking skills, prepare affordable, nutritious meals, and connect with one another. No previous cooking experience is necessary.
Led by Veteran Randi Yeates, with support from the Landing Strong team, participants work together to plan and prepare a meal. Learning takes place through hands-on cooking, with practical tips for making the most of affordable ingredients and preparing meals at home.
Each session includes time to sit down and enjoy the food the group has made, with extra portions for participants to take home for themselves, family, or friends. The emphasis is on building comfort and confidence in the kitchen, contributing to a shared meal, and enjoying time together.
Upcoming 2026 dates
Mondays, 9 am–12 pm: October 26, November 16, December 14
Facilitators are Victoria, Brett B., and Jonah.
The Warrior Within: Uncovering Strength Beneath the Armor
This 5-day retreat offers male-identifying military members, veterans, and first responders a confidential, supportive space to explore the impact of sexual trauma, a term we understand to encompass a wide range of experiences including workplace sexual misconduct.
Many carry these experiences in silence, shaped by cultural myths that tell men in uniform they shouldn’t struggle or don’t deserve support—myths that only deepen shame and isolation. However, healing does not need to be undertaken alone. Together, in community with others who have had similar experience, we will challenge these inherited stories and create room to voice our own narratives. We will learn to make sense of the mental and physical impacts of trauma and explore practices for reconnecting with the body as a source of safety rather than threat.
Through this shared work, participants will discover that vulnerability is not weakness but a form of strength, rebuild trust and intimacy with themselves and others, and find the armor they’ve carried can be set down, if only for a while, in the company of fellow warriors.
Upcoming Session:
November 29 – December 4.
Facilitators are Jenny, Brett, and Laslo.

From Surviving to Thriving
From Surviving to Thriving is an intensive program created to support women impacted by military and work-related sexual misconduct. Structured as a five-day retreat, the program is designed to create a safe and supportive environment that allows participants to work collaboratively to build emotional resilience, deepen self-awareness, recognize strengths, build resources, and reclaim personal power.
Participants engage in daily therapeutic programming, shared meals, and recreational evening activities that support connection, growth and healing. Topics explored include emotional regulation, trust building, sharing personal stories, body-based healing, and the cultivation of joy and meaning in life after trauma.
The primary goals of the program are to:
- Decrease the psychological impact of military sexual trauma (MST) on mental health and wellbeing.
- Decrease isolation and promote a sense of community.
- Increase confidence and feelings of empowerment
- Improve emotional safety and interpersonal connection
- Enhance capacity to build and maintain trust
- Reduce symptoms of shame, anxiety, anger and guilt.
- Foster the ability to experience and sustain positive emotions
- Support emotional regulation and reduce dissociative tendencies.
The retreat will take place from October 25 to 30.
Facilitators are Jenny, Charisma, Kate P, and Miranda.
Advanced Skills in Trauma Recovery:
This group program explores various barriers impeding recovery from operational stress injuries. Participants will learn how operational stress injuries are developed, contributing factors that maintain injury, and how their identities shape their understanding of injury.
Together, participants learn valuable skills and develop powerful strategies to support them in their journey toward their best health.
Upcoming 2026 Dates:
November 3, 17, 24, December 1, 8
Facilitators are Belinda and Terry.
There are limited spaces for this special program.
Call today to avoid disappointment.
Emotions Management: Stop faking good & start feeling good
Build confidence. Reconnect with yourself. Discover your true potential.
Break away from negative thinking patterns, understand how your emotions affect your behaviour, and learn how to gain control. develop healthy lifestyle habits and improve the relationships that are important to you.
Upcoming 2027 Dates:
Tuesdays: January 12, 19, 26, February 2, 9
Overcoming Trauma: Your past is not your future
This group helps to calm an overtaxed central nervous system.
Avoiding traumatic memories and situations that trigger PTSD symptoms prolongs injury and limits recovery from these experiences. Working together as a supportive group, we will reprocess traumatic events, allowing natural recovery to happen.
The peer support offered in this group approach is particularly helpful in addressing moral injuries.
Upcoming 2027 Dates:
Tuesdays: March 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
Creating Confidence & Clarifying Strengths
This program helps participants build confidence, connection, and a sense of purpose in a supportive group environment. Participants explore community involvement through volunteer or employment opportunities while fostering safety, trust, and personal growth. Participants will develop self-awareness, clarify their values, uncover personal strengths, and build confidence, all while creating meaningful social connections.
Upcoming 2027 Dates:
Tuesdays: April 20, 27, May 4, 11, 18

Mind/Body Health & Recovery: Make simple, natural changes to optimize your health.
Learn strategies to lower stress, improve digestion, sleep better, and enhance physical and emotional health. This five-part series tackles topics essential to recovery:
- Trust your gut: the secret messages your body is giving you
- Using food as fuel to feel better: know what foods your body needs to feel good
- Natural strategies for pain management
- Increase your energy during the day & sleep better at night
- Sex, hormones, and health: what you can do about it
Upcoming 2026 Dates:
Fridays: November 6, 13, 20, 27, December 4
Facilitators are Petra and Stephanie.
Program is full. Contact Julie to be placed on a waitlist and notified if a spot opens.
Reclaiming Connection: Rebuilding Intimacy and Trust Following Trauma
This group is a warm and supportive five-week group workshop for women military members, veterans, and first responders in romantic relationships.
It focuses on participants who want to better understand how trauma can affect relationships, intimacy, and connection. Through guided discussion, reflection, and practical relationship skills, participants will have an opportunity to deepen self-awareness and strengthen connection. Our approach will privilege compassion, curiosity and courage to explore and author a new way of connecting.
Stay Tuned for 2027 Dates:
Facilitator will be Charisma (others to be confirmed).
Healthy Living: Live a life that reflects who you are
This new program is designed for veterans, first responders, and those who were exposed to trauma in their work who are feeling the effects of these experiences.
Bring your authentic self back into your life in a natural and real way. Reconnect with your values and integrate them in all areas of your life. When we find balance on the inside, the rest will come together.
Stay Tuned for 2027 Dates:
If you are interested in this program, please contact Julie to save your seat.
Identity & Transition: Build a life beyond the uniform
You know how to be strong on the job. You’re an expert at helping others. Now, it’s time to care for yourself.
Many years of personal sacrifice take a toll. Knowing who you are outside of work can become a challenge. Reclaim parts of yourself that may have been lost and discover what’s really important to you.
Open to veterans, military members and first responders who are currently working, transitioning to something new, are off work but plan to return, or who have retired.
Stay Tuned for 2027 Dates:
Facilitators are Laso and Miranda.
Care for the Caregiver: A program for those in supporting roles
Rediscover your strength with this workshop series. Find out how you can use self-care practices to become more resilient as you support someone who has PTSD or other Operational Stress Injuries. Gain insight about how these injuries affect those we care about. Learn how to communicate in a way that allows you to reconnect in a meaningful way. This program is designed to provide support and community to partners, family members, and close friends of people who are recovering from traumatic exposure.
If you are interested, please contact Julie.
We will run the program if enough people are interested.





