Skip to content

Workshops

Free monthly workshops
for couples & individuals.

Online, open to anyone, led by our California telehealth clinicians. Practical tools you can bring back to your relationship the same week. No pressure, no upsell, we use these as a way to teach, connect, and give back.

Online via Zoom Monthly cadence Free & open to all
Christina Mathieson, LMFT, in the My Mental Climb practice space
CouplesAttachmentCommunicationConflictTrauma responsesConnection ritualsRepair
Round mirror reflecting soft light
Stack of well-worn books
A quiet, warm therapy space
Laptop set up for a telehealth session

What's next

A steaming mug of coffee in soft window light
Free
Wednesday, October 28, 2026· 8:00 PM PT· Zoom

Also held Sunday, November 15, 2026 at 4:00 PM PT.

Grief Doesn't Stop the Clock: Healing While Life Goes On

Grief rarely follows the tidy stages we are told to expect, and most people are carrying a loss while still showing up for work, family, and everything the day asks of them. In this free, roughly 60-minute psychoeducational workshop, Angelique St. Jean walks through what grief is and how it differs from mourning and bereavement, the many kinds of loss (not only death, but the end of a relationship, a shift in identity, addiction and sobriety, and the transitions that reshape a life), why grief does not run on a timeline, and how loss shows up in the brain, body, emotions, and relationships. It includes an optional, voluntary reflection activity, "What I Carry, What I Can Release," and you never have to disclose anything personal. This is educational and supportive, not therapy or a substitute for it.

What we'll cover

  • What grief is, and how it differs from mourning and bereavement
  • The many kinds of loss: death, relationships, identity, addiction, sobriety, and life transitions
  • Why grief does not follow a timeline
  • How loss shows up in the brain, body, emotions, and relationships
  • Practical ways to cope while life keeps moving
  • An optional reflection activity: "What I Carry, What I Can Release"

Good fit for

  • Anyone living with a loss of any kind, recent or long past
  • People carrying grief while juggling everyday responsibilities
  • Those supporting a grieving partner, friend, or family member

Led by Angelique St. Jean, Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT) #138223 & Associate Professional Clinical Counselor (APCC) #13549 · Supervised by Christina Mathieson, LMFT #115093 at My Mental Climb.

RSVP on Zoom

Want to be notified about future workshops? Follow the Meetup group.

We hold each topic twice, usually about a month apart, before rotating to a new topic. The next one is shaped by what attendees ask for. Suggest a topic on Meetup.

About the series

Why we host these.

Therapy is not always the first step, for a lot of couples and individuals, coming to a free workshop is. You get a sense of how we teach, what we care about, and whether we're the kind of clinicians you'd want in a room with your relationship.

Each workshop is 60 minutes. We lead with a specific topic (trauma responses, conflict escalation, connection rituals, attachment patterns), walk through the clinical framework, and give you practical tools you can use that week. Questions are welcome.

We hold each workshop topic twice, roughly a month apart, before rotating to a new topic. The next topic is shaped by what attendees are asking about. If there's something you'd like us to cover, tell us on the Meetup group or on your consult.

Workshops are hosted through the Get Connected for Couples Workshop Meetup group. Joining the group is the best way to be notified about new workshops, we announce new topics there first.

Free to attend. Open to couples, individuals, clinicians, and anyone wanting to understand their relationships more deeply.

My Mental Climb, Marriage + Family Therapy

Past workshops

Where we've been.

Friday, September 18, 2026

Also held Friday, August 28, 2026.

Borrowing Each Other's Calm: How Couples Steady the Nervous System

Led by Jalyse Stewart

When you have been together a while, a partner's tense jaw or warm tone can settle you or set you off before a word is spoken. Jalyse walks through what co-regulation is, how partners calm or escalate each other, and how to become the steadier presence in a tense moment.

Topics covered
  • —Co-regulation: how partners steady or unsettle each other's nervous systems
  • —The three nervous-system states, and why connection needs the settled one
  • —Neuroception: how the body reads safety or danger before the mind catches up
  • —The safety cues you send without realizing it, through tone, eyes, and posture
  • —Why "just calm down" backfires, and what helps instead
  • —Levine's reframe: a big reaction to a small trigger is often old survival energy
Tuesday, July 28, 2026

Also held Friday, June 19, 2026.

Underneath the Resentment: Attachment Wounds, Blame, and the Way Back to Each Other

Led by Michelle Cortez

Resentment isn't really about the fight you had on Tuesday. It's what builds when attachment wounds get triggered enough times, emotional labor stays unequal, and defensiveness replaces vulnerability. Michelle walks through what's actually underneath chronic resentment, and how to move toward repair without rewriting your history or pretending the wound wasn't real.

Topics covered
  • —Unequal emotional labor and how it builds resentment over time
  • —Attachment wounds and what triggers them in long-term partnership
  • —Chronic defensiveness, and why vulnerability stops feeling safe
  • —Moving from blame to vulnerability: owning your own role in the cycle
  • —The "you caused this, you fix it" stance, and why it keeps couples stuck
  • —Shelving resentment without forgetting, suppressing, or letting it thrive
  • —Triggers don't rewrite history: one moment vs. the long story of the relationship
Sunday, May 17, 2026

Also held Thursday, April 30, 2026.

It's Not Just the Fight: How Trauma Shows Up in Your Relationship

Led by Jalyse Stewart

The four trauma responses (fight, flight, freeze, fawn) and how they drive conflict cycles between partners. Practical tools for emotional safety, regulation, and repair.

Topics covered
  • —Why your biggest fights are rarely about the surface issue
  • —The four trauma responses (fight, flight, freeze, fawn) between partners
  • —Attachment patterns and recurring conflict cycles
  • —Emotional safety in conflict
  • —Practical regulation and repair strategies
Thursday, March 19, 2026

Also held Wednesday, February 25, 2026.

Managing Conflict Without Losing Each Other

Led by Michelle Cortez

A skills-based workshop on conflict escalation, nervous system regulation, and post-disagreement repair. Not about avoiding conflict, about moving through it without harming the relationship.

Topics covered
  • —Recognizing escalation signs early
  • —Understanding anger and reactivity cycles
  • —De-escalation tools for nervous system regulation
  • —Disrupting recurring conflict patterns
  • —Setting realistic conflict expectations
  • —Post-disagreement repair techniques
Sunday, January 11, 2026

Also held Sunday, December 14, 2025.

Connected Conversations for Couples

Led by Christina Mathieson

Practical tools, guided exercises, and a shared roadmap for staying connected, even when life gets messy or busy.

Topics covered
  • —Communication patterns and clarity
  • —Conflict navigation and resolution
  • —Shared emotional language
  • —Connection rituals and intentional planning
  • —Emotional safety and mutual support

Stay in the loop

Two ways to stay connected.

Join the Meetup group

Get notified when new workshops are scheduled. Free to join, no commitment.

Join on Meetup

Want 1:1 work?

If a workshop topic resonated and you want to go deeper, a free 15-minute consult is a no-pressure next step.

Book free consult