MOSAIC has launched a unique new project for immigrant, refugee and visible minority couples who would like to make their relationship stronger and build a future together in Canada.
The project, ‘Enhancing Healthy Relationships,’ is free to participate for couples and is funded by the BC Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General. It focuses on building and improving stronger family relationships and helping couples create change within their relationship. By providing newcomer couples with the right knowledge and skills, the project aims to help couples improve and strengthen their relationship.
“To the best of our knowledge, BC has a lack of prevention programs that place emphasis on improving family relationships and how to face the stressors associated with migration for newcomers,” said Pooja Tuli, Coordinator of MOSAIC’s Relationship Violence Prevention Program.
According to Tuli, newcomers are at high risk of facing stressors related to finances, loneliness, changing power dynamics between men and women, loss of professional and social status due to a lack of recognition for their education and professional experience in Canada, and other cultural and religious stressors of adapting to Canadian society. COVID-19 has added another layer of stress for newcomers.
“We hope that this project will help couples to not feel so alone in their journey of migrating to Canada and support their sense of belonging in Canadian society as a family unit.”
In addition to being free of charge, couples participating in sessions will be guaranteed high levels of confidentiality and culturally sensitive services. Translation services are available for those who need it.
Delivered virtually over the course of seven sessions to couples and an additional follow-up session, the Enhancing Healthy Relationships project helps participants to:
- Learn positive ways to deal with disagreements
- Identify personal triggers
- Improve ways of communicating with each other
- Have increased emotional regulation skills
- Develop stress management skills and strategies
- Learn how to control own emotions
For more information about the ‘Enhancing Healthy Relationships’ project, click here.
