The "Living Healthy" Workshops
The "Living Healthy" North East Program offers FREE workshops for people with chronic health conditions (and their caregivers) to better manage their symptoms and their daily life. All program materials are free for the participant – no cost.
- 1 session per week (2 1/2 hours per session) for 6 weeks
- Small group workshop (5-16 people)
- Led by 2 trained leaders, one or both of whom are non-health professionals with a chronic condition themselves.
- Each participant will get a reference book and a relaxation CD.
The “Living Healthy” workshops are licensed programs developed and researched at Stanford University. It follows a standardized format that is proven to help people learn to better manage the symptoms of chronic conditions. It is considered a best practice in chronic disease self-management and is offered in over across Ontario and 25+ countries around the world.
6-Week Workshops
- Chronic Disease Self Management (available in French - Vivre En Sante)
- Chronic Pain Self Management (available in French)
- Diabetes Self Management
- Cancer Thriving and Surviving
- Online Chronic Disease Self-Management Program
1) Chronic Disease Self Management Program (CDSMP)
The workshop teaches skills for living a healthy life including:
- The mind-body connection/distraction
- Getting a good night's sleep
- Making action plans
- Problem solving
- Dealing with difficult emotions
- Preventing falls and improving balance
- Better breathing
- Muscle relaxation
- Pain management
- Fatigue management
- Healthy eating
- Communication skills
- Making healthy food choices
- Making informed treatment decisions
- Depression management
- Working with your health care professional and the health care system
- Looking back and planning for the future
2) Chronic Pain Self Management Program (CPSMP)
The Living Healthy CPSMP is a 6-week workshop similar to the CDSMP described above, but with a focus on self management tools for people that have chronic pain. Some causes of chronic pain: arthritis and accidents. All people with chronic pain, as well as their family members or caregivers are welcome to participate.
The workshop teaches skills for living a healthy life with chronic pain including:
- Differences between acute and chronic pain
- Introduction to pain and the symptom cycle
- Making action plans
- Better breathing
- Introduction to physical activity
- Muscle relaxation
- Dealing with difficult emotions
- Moving Easy Program
- Fatigue management
- Use of the mind
- Healthy eating
- Communication
- Problem solving
- Medication management
- Visualization
- Depression management
- Positive thinking
- Guided Imagery
- Working with your health care professional
- Communicating about pain
- Looking back and planning for the future
3) Diabetes Self Management Program (DSMP)
The Living Healthy DSMP is a 6-week workshop similar to the CDSMP described above, but with a focus on self management tools for people that have diabetes. All people with diabetes as well as their family members or caregivers are welcome to participate.
The workshop teaches skills for living a healthy life with diabetes including:
- What is diabetes
- Monitoring diabetes
- Healthy eating
- Making action plans
- Problem solving
- Preventing low blood sugar: hypoglycemia
- Preventing complications
- Introduction to physical activity
- Dealing with stress
- ​Muscle relaxation
- Dealing with difficult emotions
- Nutrition labels
- Endurance activities
- Guided imagery
- Depression management
- Positive thinking
- Communication skills
- Medication management
- Strategies for sick days
- Foot care
- Working with your health care professional
- Looking back and planning for the future
4) Cancer Thriving and Surviving (CTS)
The Living Healthy CTS is a 6-week workshop similar to the CDSMP described above, but with a focus on self management tools for people that have or had cancer. Family members or caregivers are welcome to participate.
The workshop teaches skills for living a healthy life with cancer including:
- The mind-body connection
- Fatigue management and getting help
- Making action plans
- Problem solving
- Dealing with difficult emotions
- Getting a good night's sleep
- Fitness during and after cancer treatment
- Pain management
- Living with uncertainty
- Decision making
- Cancer and changes to your body
- Healthy eating
- Communication skills
- Making Healthy Food choices
- Making informed treatment decisions
- Depression management
- Positive thinking
- Cancer and relationships
- Working with your health care professional and the health care system
- Looking back and planning for the future
5) Better Choices, Better Health
Online Chronic Disease Self-Management Program
Not able to attend a workshop in-person? The Chronic Disease Self-Management 6-Week program is now available online.
Reconnect & Refresh | Peer Support Group
Have you completed one of our 6-Week Living Healthy Workshops in-person or online?
We offer a monthly peer support group to reconnect and revisit the skills and tools you learned in the 6-week workshops, as well as explore some new ideas and skills.
- No cost to attend.
- Participants must register.
- Free Parking
- 1st Tuesday of the month from 1:30-3:00pm at the Sudbury Outpatient Centre (old Memorial)