Webinar Wednesdays
Join us each week for AVA’s Webinar Wednesdays, featuring expert-led discussions on gender-based violence, health equity, trauma-informed practices, and more. Hear from researchers, practitioners, and community voices as they share insights, spark dialogue, and inspire change.
This is a welcoming space to learn and grow. Our webinars are open to all and full of meaningful discussion. Register below and be part of it!
Sign up to become an AVA member, get notified about upcoming webinars, or express interest in being a speaker by sharing your name, proposed topic, and theme. Access these forms below!
Past Webinars
Check out our past webinars, organized by theme, and dive into topics that spark your interest. Click below to find what speaks to you!
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
Empowering Student Trainees, Academics, and Community Agency Leaders to Address Gender-Based Violence and Adverse Childhood Experiences: Evaluating AVA’s Mentorship and Internship Programs
November 19, 2025
The Alliance against Violence and Adversity (AVA) unites students, academics, and community-based agencies to help bridge the knowledge-to-practice gap regarding two major public health concerns: gender-based violence (GBV) and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). To address GBV and ACEs, AVA has developed various programs to support collaboration and learning. Of the programs, two are closely link but still distinct, the: (1) Triadic Mentorship Program (TMP) and (2) Community Agency Internship Program (CAIP). The TMP is a flexible mentorship collaboration involving at least one graduate student (mentee), one academic mentor, and one community agency mentor, encouraging transdisciplinary discussions focused on GBV and ACEs. The TMP aims to equip mentees with greater comfort to engage in research or work around GBV and ACEs while helping mentors develop bridge the often-siloed nature of academic versus community-based work. On the other hand, the CAIP offers mentees the opportunity to engage in an internship with a community-based agency, allowing them to gain experience working outside of an academic setting and to foster greater capacity to work alongside, or in, community-based settings. In this webinar, I will provide an in-depth description about the TMP and CAIP and use pilot data and my own personal experiences to describe their development and impacts on initial cohorts along with next steps. Overall, the TMP and CAIP can be used as frameworks for programs addressing similar public health concerns.
Featured Speakers: Stefan Kurbatfinski
Click here to access a recording of this webinar
Resilience
This webinar provides a brief history of the study of resilience, an overview of current key definitions of resilience, present relevant evidence on the individual and ecological factors and processes that promote people’s resilience. A brief summary of the strategies that can be implemented to build people’s capacity to cope with adversity are also presented.
Featured Speakers: Caroline Piotrowski & Margherita Cameranesi
Click here to access a recording of this webinar
Coercive Control
Intervening with Perpetrators Who Choose to Use Coercive Control Towards Their Families
Presented by RESOLVE Manitoba, AVA and From Awareness to Action (A2A), this webinar will focus on approaches to working with perpetrators of intimate partner violence (IPV). Participants will learn to recognize and respond to controlling and manipulative tactics used by perpetrators, along with strategies for engaging with perpetrators. The session will also highlight the importance of maintaining safety when working with participants, addressing the physical and emotional aspects of worker safety and wellbeing.
Featured Speakers: Rhonda Dagg
Click here to access a recording of this webinar
Cybersecurity and Safety
Technology Facilitated Sexual Violence: What You Need to Know
October 22, 2025
This webinar will introduce the topic of technology facilitated sexual violence (TFSV), explain why we are moving to this language and away from older terms like cyberbullying when it comes to practices like non-consensual intimate image sharing, creating deepfake nudes, and cyberflashing. The webinar will also cover some key laws (civil and criminal) that relate to TFSV, go over some key technological supports, and share some do’s and don’ts when talking to and supporting youth experiencing TFSV.
Featured Speakers: Kaitlynn Mendes
Click here to access a recording of this webinar
Digital Storytelling (DST)
“If No One Tells the Story, Nothing Will Ever Change”: Creating and Sharing Stories about Adolescent and Young Adult Health
December 3, 2025
In this presentation, Dr. Mike Lang, Teddy Kyomuhangi, & Robens Mutatina, will share about utilizing Digital Storytelling (DST) to support Adolescent and Young Adult Health in South Western Uganda. Mike will provide a brief overview of the DST before sharing the short documentary film “A Shared Dream: Digital Storytelling to Support Gender Equality in East Africa” that will illustrate the process and product. Following this Teddy & Robens will give practical examples of how DST has been utilized to support the Healthy Adolescents and Young People (HAY!) program and share one example of a GBV digital story that has stimulated significant change in the HAY! program engagements. Throughout these examples the ethical issues of DST with vulnerable populations will be addressed with overarching principles and specific actions provided to minimize the potential for harm to both the storyteller and the audience when sharing these challenging stories. Attendees will leave with both a deeper understanding of the ethical issues that can arise when sharing stories about adolescent and young adult health, and the importance of creating and sharing these difficult stories.
Featured Speakers: Dr. Michael Lang, Teddy Kyomuhangi, Robins Mutatina
Click here to access a recording of this webinar
Early Childhood & Parenting
Mothers in Mind: Strengthening the Mother-Child Relationship After Trauma
October 29, 2025
Experiences of relational trauma, including childhood abuse, neglect, and intimate partner violence, can influence a mother’s parenting, her relationship with her young child, and her sense of herself as a parent. Developed by CDI in response to a recognized gap in service, Mothers in Mind® (MIM) is a trauma-informed, therapeutic mother-child group program designed for mothers* of infants and toddlers who have experienced relational trauma.
This webinar will introduce MIM’s early intervention, child-centred approach, demonstrating how the program builds on parenting strengths, fosters healthy mother-child connections, and supports mothers in practicing self-compassion while developing strategies for sensitive and responsive caregiving. Adaptations of the model and findings from program evaluation will also be discussed.
Featured Speakers: Lisa Sura and Sarah Woods
Click here to access a recording of this webinar
Engaging Men and Boys
“I Know A Guy”: Abuse Thrives in Silence and Has No Boundaries
July 30, 2025
The “I Know A Guy” webinar is an interactive session that will focus on men’s experiences with various forms of abuse. As abuse has no boundaries, this webinar will discuss empirical work and national data that may provide a more comprehensive understanding of abuse. Everyone has the right to a safe environment with supportive people around them. Let’s find ways to synergize our efforts, maximize each other’s expertise and knowledge to combat abuse.
Featured Speakers: Susan Chuang
Click here to access a recording of this webinar
Lessons from WiseGuyz: Engaging Men and Boys across the Spectrum of Harm
July 9, 2025
This session explores how to engage men and boys in conversations about harm in a way that fosters both empathy and accountability. Attendees will learn about the approaches that have supported the impact of the WiseGuyz program in working with young men for over a decade. Additionally, we will focus on strategies for addressing sensitive topics with boys without vilifying them, creating a space where they can learn and grow. Participants will leave with practical tools for engaging men and boys across the spectrum of harm in a constructive and compassionate way.
Featured Speakers: Stafford Perry
Click here to access a recording of this webinar
Family Violence/Intimate Partner Violence (IPV)
Innovations in Intimate Partner Violence Research: Centering Lived Experience in Capacity-Building and Large-Scale Projects
November 5, 2025
This webinar, hosted by the Waypoint Research Institute, will highlight innovative research and capacity-building initiatives addressing intimate partner violence (IPV) in mental health contexts. Presenters will share findings from recent and ongoing projects that partnered with people with lived experience, including the IPV Service Study, the RESPECT study (Research framework for Engaging intimate partner violence Survivors as Partners in Empowering Collaborative Transformation), arts- and design-based approaches to knowledge mobilization, and the Government of Ontario–funded MHAV-HEARTS (Mental Health Anti-Violence Hub for Empowerment, Advocacy, Resilience, and Trauma Support) project. Together, these initiatives reflect a commitment to participatory research, collaboration across disciplines, and the development of tools and practices that support professionals, empower communities, and improve outcomes for those affected by IPV.
Featured Speakers: Dr. N. Zoe Hilton, Dr. Elnaz Moghimi, Elke Ham, Sevil Deljavan, Jaden Chong, Nikoo Aghaei
Click here to access a recording of this webinar
The Atlas Institute’s Co-Designed Resources on Intimate Partner Violence for Veterans and Veteran Family Members
October 8, 2025
This presentation will introduce the work of the Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families (atlasveterans.ca), a national non-profit that collaborates with Veterans, Families, service providers, and researchers to improve mental health care and supports for Canadian Armed Forces and Royal Canadian Mounted Police Veterans and their Families. It will provide an overview of the Institute’s mission and key activities, then focus on its intimate partner violence (IPV) resources, highlighting the co-design process involving Veterans, Family members, and service providers; summarizing the content and use of each resource with insights from contributors; and briefly outlining other related resources. The session will close with ways to stay informed about ongoing work and a short Q&A.
Featured Speakers: Petra Babic, Victoria Carmichael, Robin Dziekan, Kaitlyn LaRiviere and Ashlee Mulligan
Click here to access a recording of this webinar
Public’s Health Role in Preventing and Addressing Violence: Insights from the Brazilian Unified Health System
September 17, 2025
Violence is a major public health concern with far-reaching consequences for individuals, families, and communities. In Brazil, the public health system plays a central role in both responding to and preventing violence. Through a combination of surveillance, care, intersectoral collaboration, and public policies, Brazil has developed unique approaches and lessons that can inform broader global efforts in addressing violence as a public health issue. During the webinar, we will explore: 1) understanding violence as a public health issue, 2) epidemiological data and surveillance systems, 3) the role of the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS), 4) intersectoral strategies and policies, 5) challenges and gaps, and 6) lessons learned and international relevance.
Featured Speakers: Mayara Alves Luis
Click here to access a recording of this webinar
Rethinking Help-Seeking and Community Responsibility: Canadian Women’s Experiences of Intimate Partner Stalking
September 3, 2025
This webinar presents findings from a Canadian research study on intimate partner stalking (IPS), centering women’s experiences of victimization and help-seeking. It explores how women conceptualize stalking, risk, and responsibility, offering insight into the lived realities of IPS. This presentation aims to spark thoughtful discussion about the future of IPS responses, including legal definitions, risk assessment practices, and the role of community supports.
Featured Speakers: Olivia Peters
Click here to access a recording of this webinar
Shame-To-Guilt and Stalking: Exploring Two Forms of Intimate Partner Violence among Sexual and Gender Minorities and Women Living Rurally
August 2o, 2025
Intimate partner abusers often use shaming tactics to guilt their partner(s), a dynamic this team terms “shame-to-guilt”. Abused individuals who are made to feel ashamed or guilty may be less likely to disclose their experiences of violence, leave the abusive relationship, or prioritize their personal health, thereby sustaining the abusive bond. On the other hand, stalking, which is related to some degree of surveillance and monitoring, is a form of proximity-seeking intimate partner violence (IPV) that is equally detrimental to one’s quality of life and allows the abusive partner to maintain connection to their partner(s). Both shame-to-guilt and stalking are subtle yet harmful forms of IPV that warrant closer attention. For sexual and gender minorities and women living rurally, groups that face unique vulnerabilities such as homophobia and geographic isolation, respectively, shame-to-guilt and stalking can manifest uniquely. This webinar will (1) examine how these forms of IPV can manifest in these groups through the voices of those with lived experiences and relevant service providers and (2) offer practical strategies to improve support and service delivery.
Featured Speakers: Stefan Kurbatfinski
Click here to access a recording of this webinar
Myths and Misconceptions About Intimate Partner Violence among Sexual and Gender Minorities
July 2, 2025
Intimate partner violence (IPV), referring to different forms of violence or abuse between two or more intimate partners, negatively impacts physical and mental health, performance in various settings, and familial functioning, all of which can lead to long-term adverse outcomes. Sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals tend to experience similar or greater frequencies of IPV compared to their cisheterosexual counterparts. Stigma and discrimination toward sexual and gender diversity can lead to myths and misconceptions about relationship dynamics among SGM individuals, which can contribute to IPV occurrence within the community. In this webinar, we will (1) discuss the intersections between traditional ways of perceiving intimate partner relationships and sexual and gender diversity, (2) use qualitative data drawn from SGM individuals with lived experience of IPV and relevant service providers to identify harmful myths and misconceptions, and (3) provide tangible recommendations to reduce myths and misconceptions so that SGM individuals are more optimally supported when experiencing IPV.
Featured Speakers: Stefan Kurbatfinski
Click here to access a recording of this webinar
A Brain Injury Informed Approach to Working with Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence
June 11, 2025
Each year, an estimated 200,000 Canadian women experience a brain injury due to IPV—most remain undiagnosed and unsupported. The Cridge Centre leads in providing brain injury services tailored to the needs of women affected by IPV, helping them rebuild their lives through daily living support and life skills rehabilitation. Grounded in trauma- and brain injury-informed care, their approach emphasizes safety, adaptability, creativity, and patience.
This webinar shares IPV-BI statistics, lessons from our direct service program, the challenges of integrating brain injury supports into IPV services, ongoing barriers for survivors, and practical tools for frontline workers supporting women with IPV-related brain injuries.
Featured Speakers: Candace Stretch & Tori Dach
Click here to access a recording of this webinar
Intimate Partner Violence-Caused Brain Injury: Putting Knowledge into Practice
May 28, 2025
This session explores the intersection of brain injury and intimate partner violence (IPV-BI), highlighting the latest research, and exposing how it affects survivors. After attending this presentation, participants will be able to: 1. Describe the prevalence of brain injury from both concussion and strangulation in women survivors of intimate partner violence, including how it happens, and common signs and symptoms; 2. Explain how brain injury from intimate partner violence affects neurocognitive function and how to support survivors; and 3. Advocate for a trauma and brain-injury informed approach to care in order to ensure fewer survivors go undiagnosed and untreated.
Featured Speakers: Karen Mason & Paul van Donkelaar
Click here to access a recording of this webinar
Sexual Violence in Intimate Partner Violence – Legal Frameworks and Support Strategies
May 7, 2025
Sexual violence is a critical but often overlooked aspect of intimate partner violence (IPV). This session explores the evolution of sexual assault laws in Canada, consent within committed relationships, and the intersection of domestic and sexual violence. Participants will also learn how to recognize and support individuals experiencing intimate partner sexual violence with trauma-informed approaches.
Featured Speakers: Kira Snodgrass and Mary Valenzuela
Click here to access a recording of this webinar
Intervening with Perpetrators Who Choose to Use Coercive Control Towards Their Families
Presented by RESOLVE Manitoba, AVA and From Awareness to Action (A2A), this webinar will focus on approaches to working with perpetrators of intimate partner violence (IPV). Participants will learn to recognize and respond to controlling and manipulative tactics used by perpetrators, along with strategies for engaging with perpetrators. The session will also highlight the importance of maintaining safety when working with participants, addressing the physical and emotional aspects of worker safety and well-being.
Featured Speakers: Rhonda Dagg
Click here to access a recording of this webinar
How Paramedics Can Care For and Support Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence
In this webinar, Rory A. Marshall provides engaging insights into the state of the intersection of Canadian paramedicine and intimate partner violence. He explores the opportunity for paramedics to act as an expert resource!
Featured Speakers: Rory A. Marshall
Click here to access a recording of this webinar
Implementation Science
Research Readiness
November 12, 2025
This webinar will explore how organizations such as Sagesse, LOFT, and St. Mary’s Home use research evidence in their work and why it is important for strengthening programs and services. It will also highlight how these organizations collaborate with academics and researchers outside their networks, the barriers they face in applying evidence, and the strategies they have developed to overcome these challenges and ensure that research effectively informs practice
Featured Speakers: Carrie McManus and Connie Cheung
Click here to access a recording of this webinar
An Introduction to AVA Resources for Atlantic Canadian Partners
In this webinar, Cathy Holtmann and Nicole Letourneau introduce the partnership between the Alliance against Violence and Adversity (AVA) and its partnership with the Muriel McQueen Fergusson Centre for Family Violence Research. This webinar features additional discussions with partners in the Atlantic region to identify regional needs, finding the most effective ways to leverage AVA’s resources, shaping the strategies on how AVA can support our Canadian Atlantic Partners.
Featured Speakers: Cathy Holtmann & Nicole Letourneau
Click here to access a recording of this webinar
Indigenous Knowledge and Perspectives
Reclaiming a Sovereign Imagination: Meaningful Assessment in Higher Education from a Blackfoot Perspective
June 18, 2025
This talk is situated within the terrain of the transformative. Through a critical exploration of how cultural paradigms shape knowledge, our outlook on reality and the ways we relate to our knowledge, each other and the world around, Dr. Weasel Head aims to inspire a vision for diversifying our thinking around how assessment in higher education can be imagined and embodied.
Featured Speakers: Gabrielle Weasel Head
Click here to access a recording of this webinar
Exploring Intersections Between Adversity, Socioeconomic and Health Inequities Among Indigenous Women and Gender-Diverse People, and the Complexities of Strength and Resilience
June 4, 2025
This webinar explores the often-overlooked theme of adversity and its connection to violence and injustice. Focusing on Indigenous women and gender-diverse people, it highlights how social, economic, and health inequities intersect with adversity. Strengths-based, resilience-based, and distinctions-based approaches are used to illustrate the complexity of these relationships. Dr. Malcolm King, a First Nation, white-passing, cis-gender male, reflects on his position of privilege and approaches the topic with humility.
Featured Speakers: Malcolm King
Click here to access a recording of this webinar
Innovative Practices and Programs
Innovations in Intimate Partner Violence Research: Centering Lived Experience in Capacity-Building and Large-Scale Projects
November 5, 2025
This webinar, hosted by the Waypoint Research Institute, will highlight innovative research and capacity-building initiatives addressing intimate partner violence (IPV) in mental health contexts. Presenters will share findings from recent and ongoing projects that partnered with people with lived experience, including the IPV Service Study, the RESPECT study (Research framework for Engaging intimate partner violence Survivors as Partners in Empowering Collaborative Transformation), arts- and design-based approaches to knowledge mobilization, and the Government of Ontario–funded MHAV-HEARTS (Mental Health Anti-Violence Hub for Empowerment, Advocacy, Resilience, and Trauma Support) project. Together, these initiatives reflect a commitment to participatory research, collaboration across disciplines, and the development of tools and practices that support professionals, empower communities, and improve outcomes for those affected by IPV.
Featured Speakers: Dr. N. Zoe Hilton, Dr. Elnaz Moghimi, Elke Ham, Sevil Deljavan, Jaden Chong, Nikoo Aghaei
Click here to access a recording of this webinar
Digital Innovation & Intersectional Approaches to Addressing Gender-Based Violence and Its Impact
May 21, 2025
This engaging session explored how digital innovation can transform responses to gender-based violence (GBV). It showcased findings from VESTA’s five-year project, which led to the creation of the VESTA Community web-based app—a trauma-informed tool designed to support survivors and strengthen community partnerships.
The session highlighted the app’s impact and outlined next steps focused on addressing the unique challenges faced by immigrant, refugee, and non-status women experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV). By integrating intersectional, community-based approaches, VESTA is advancing culturally responsive, scalable solutions.This event offered valuable insights into how technology, research, and collaboration can foster safer, more inclusive communities.
Featured Speakers: Lucrezia Spagnolo
Click here to access a recording of this webinar
Innovation at the Back of the Bus
April 16, 2025
As our world changes, change must follow. Without adaptation, organizations struggle to fulfill their mandates or make the difference they aim to achieve. This webinar shows why shifting to an innovation framework is the path to defending and adapting the civil society sector to meet today’s increasingly complex and growing needs.
Featured Speakers: Andrea Silverstone & Carrie McManus
Click here to access a recording of this webinar
Panel Discussions
AVA EDIA Panel
November 24, 2025
AVA is excited to announce the upcoming Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (EDIA) Champions Panel, the first in a new bimonthly series exploring key issues surrounding gender-based violence, trauma, equity, and inclusion. This session will bring together EDIA leaders and community voices to share insights, experiences, and strategies for building inclusive and equitable spaces across sectors.
Respect and Well-Being
Respect for Self, Others, and Place:
A Parsimonious Framework to Promote Health and Well-Being
July 23, 2025
The ongoing reports of emotional exhaustion in caring professionals provide compelling evidence that innovative preventive efforts to foster well-being are needed now more than ever. The “Tri-Respect Framework” that promotes respect for self, others, and place provides a simple and instrumental tool for health of individuals, relationships, and communities in general. In this webinar, we will review the origin of the “Tri-Respect Framework” and highlight the findings of a recent pilot study with nursing faculty that explored the practicality of this tool, in particular, the component of “respect for self” to increase commitment to self-care in nursing students and faculty. Findings illustrate enthusiasm for the utility of the “Tri-Respect Framework” not only on an individual level but as a framework for examining systems-level factors that impact the well-being of caring professionals.
Featured Speakers: Christine Divin & Steven Crow
Click here to access a recording of this
Sexual and Gender-Based Violence
Empowering Student Trainees, Academics, and Community Agency Leaders to Address Gender-Based Violence and Adverse Childhood Experiences: Evaluating AVA’s Mentorship and Internship Programs
November 19, 2025
The Alliance against Violence and Adversity (AVA) unites students, academics, and community-based agencies to help bridge the knowledge-to-practice gap regarding two major public health concerns: gender-based violence (GBV) and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). To address GBV and ACEs, AVA has developed various programs to support collaboration and learning. Of the programs, two are closely link but still distinct, the: (1) Triadic Mentorship Program (TMP) and (2) Community Agency Internship Program (CAIP). The TMP is a flexible mentorship collaboration involving at least one graduate student (mentee), one academic mentor, and one community agency mentor, encouraging transdisciplinary discussions focused on GBV and ACEs. The TMP aims to equip mentees with greater comfort to engage in research or work around GBV and ACEs while helping mentors develop bridge the often-siloed nature of academic versus community-based work. On the other hand, the CAIP offers mentees the opportunity to engage in an internship with a community-based agency, allowing them to gain experience working outside of an academic setting and to foster greater capacity to work alongside, or in, community-based settings. In this webinar, I will provide an in-depth description about the TMP and CAIP and use pilot data and my own personal experiences to describe their development and impacts on initial cohorts along with next steps. Overall, the TMP and CAIP can be used as frameworks for programs addressing similar public health concerns.
Featured Speakers: Stefan Kurbatfinski
Click here to access a recording of this webinar
End Violence Everywhere – Path to Justice
November 4, 2025
Join End Violence Everywhere (EVE) for a powerful and engaging webinar featuring survivor and advocate Cait Alexander. Cait will share her story, experiences, and insights on resilience, justice, and the urgent need to end gender-based violence in Canada. This session will highlight the systemic barriers survivors face and explore pathways to meaningful reform in Canada.
Featured Speakers: Cait Alexander
Click here to access a recording of this webinar
Creating a Culture of Consent: Being an Engaged Bystander
July 16, 2025
This engaging webinar explored the root causes of sexual violence and factors that may have prevented people from intervening, while introducing strategies to address harassment in ways that empowered the person experiencing harm. Participants left the webinar with practical tools for creating safer environments for colleagues and clients, along with a deeper understanding of the role an engaged bystander can play in fostering a culture of consent and anti-violence.
Featured Speakers: Nolan Hill
Sexual Violence and Trauma-Informed Care – A Public Health Approach
May 14, 2025
This session introduces a trauma-informed, public health approach to addressing sexual violence. Participants will explore the impacts of trauma on survivors, key principles of trauma-informed care, and best practices for service providers and professionals. The discussion will emphasize systemic responses, prevention frameworks, and strategies for fostering survivor-centered, equitable support systems.
Featured Speakers: Femi Akinsanya
Click here to access a recording of this webinar
Sexual Violence in Intimate Partner Violence – Legal Frameworks and Support Strategies
May 7, 2025
Sexual violence is a critical but often overlooked aspect of intimate partner violence (IPV). This session explores the evolution of sexual assault laws in Canada, consent within committed relationships, and the intersection of domestic and sexual violence. Participants will also learn how to recognize and support individuals experiencing intimate partner sexual violence with trauma-informed approaches.
Featured Speakers: Kira Snodgrass & Mary Valenzuela
Click here to access a recording of this webinar
Rethinking Prevention–The Roots of Sexual Violence and Intersectionality
April 30, 2025
This session examines the root causes of sexual violence, challenging harmful societal narratives and reframing prevention beyond victim responsibility. Participants will explore intersectionality’s role in shaping responses and access to support while unpacking primary prevention strategies and systemic solutions that foster safety and equity in diverse communities.
Featured Speakers: Kira Snodgrass & Mary Valenzuela
Click here to access a recording of this webinar
Understanding Sexual Assault, Child Sexual Abuse, and Responding to Disclosures
April 23, 2025
This session provides an overview of sexual assault (SA) and child sexual abuse (CSA), exploring definitions, impacts, and trauma-informed approaches to supporting those impacted by sexual violence. Participants will gain insight into effective disclosure responses, emphasizing empathy, and accountability.
Featured Speakers: Kira Snodgrass & Mary Valenzuela
Click here to access a recording of this webinar
Everyday Challenges Deaf Women Face in the Context of Gender-Based Violence
This webinar, co-hosted by AVA and the Centre for Research & Education on Violence Against Women & Children (CREVAWC) will broaden participants’ knowledge regarding deafness and the reality of deaf women in the context of gender-based violence. It will explain universal accessibility concepts related to deafness, and identify the challenges that deaf women have in accessing essential services. Finally, the webinar will impart the positive impact of inclusion on the lives of deaf women.
Featured Speakers: Marie-Hélène Couture
This webinar is presented in English, French/LSQ and ASL. View the recording here.
Responding to Disclosures of SGBV in Newcomers and Refugees Communities
Newcomers and refugees face numerous challenges as they adapt to their new environment. In addition to the stress of displacement, a history of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) can make them particularly vulnerable, often discouraging survivors and victims from seeking help. This webinar aims to help you understand the challenges and provide you with the tools to respond to disclosures within these communities.
Featured Speakers: Souheir Jamil
Click here to access a recording of this webinar
Global and Local Perspectives on Sexual & Gender-Based Violence Programming and Research
In this interactive session, CanWaCH will talk about the gaps and opportunities in SGBV related programming, research, and funding, drawing on examples from both the Canadian and international context. As the host of the Coordinating Centre for the Pan-Canadian Women’s Health Coalition, and as a network of domestic and global experts working at the intersection of health and gender equality, CanWaCH will share examples of exceptional SGBV-related knowledge mobilization and stakeholder engagement efforts that have made big impact, explore what has made them successful, and invite attendees to share examples from their own experiences.
Featured Speakers: Jessica Ferne
Click here to access a recording of this webinar
2SLGBTQ+ Knowledge and Awareness
Queer Epistemologies of Violence: Ecological and Liberatory Perspectives
October 15, 2025
In this session, Dr. Garvey will reframe violence prevention through the lens of queer epistemologies and ecological perspectives, highlighting how violence operates across individual, interpersonal, institutional, and societal levels. Drawing on stories, research insights, and community-driven strategies Jay will explore liberatory approaches that dismantle silos, center minoritized voices, and foster systemic change. Designed for educators, researchers, advocates, and community members, the session offers intersectional perspectives and practical tools to strengthen gender-based and interpersonal violence prevention.
Featured Speakers: Jason C. Garvey
Click here to access a recording of this webinar
Myths and Misconceptions About Intimate Partner Violence among Sexual and Gender Minorities
July 2, 2025
Intimate partner violence (IPV), referring to different forms of violence or abuse between two or more intimate partners, negatively impacts physical and mental health, performance in various settings, and familial functioning, all of which can lead to long-term adverse outcomes. Sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals tend to experience similar or greater frequencies of IPV compared to their cisheterosexual counterparts. Stigma and discrimination toward sexual and gender diversity can lead to myths and misconceptions about relationship dynamics among SGM individuals, which can contribute to IPV occurrence within the community. In this webinar, we will (1) discuss the intersections between traditional ways of perceiving intimate partner relationships and sexual and gender diversity, (2) use qualitative data drawn from SGM individuals with lived experience of IPV and relevant service providers to identify harmful myths and misconceptions, and (3) provide tangible recommendations to reduce myths and misconceptions so that SGM individuals are more optimally supported when experiencing IPV.
Featured Speakers: Stefan Kurbatfinski
Click here to access a recording of this webinar
Foundations of 2SLGBTQIA+ Inclusivity
June 25, 2025
Join us for an engaging and interactive webinar that explores the foundations Queer inclusivity and an introduction to QMUNITY’s Legal Clinic. This session covers essential topics for understanding sexuality and gender such as terminology, identities, pronouns and gendered language, and best practices for fostering inclusive spaces for 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. We will also examine the impacts of marginalization, intersectionality, and the lived experiences of 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals. Participants will gain practical tools for allyship, helping to create safer, more affirming spaces, and will learn about QMUNITY’s Legal Clinic, which offers low-barrier legal services tailored to the unique needs of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities.
Featured Speakers: Keitu Malatsi
Click here to access a recording of this webinar
The Brain
Implementing Transdiagnostic Cognitive Behavioral Therapies for Youth in Specialized Settings
October 1, 2025
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has the strongest evidence base among psychotherapy programs and is a first-line treatment for many mental health conditions across the lifespan. Accordingly, CBT is commonly used with youth in the child welfare system even though there is little research conducted on CBT in the child welfare system. This talk will highlight the adaptation, implementation and evaluation of transdiagnostic CBT for youth at Hull Services, a non-profit youth mental health provider in Calgary that works with many families in the child welfare system. We discuss modifications made for CBT delivery at Hull Services in: therapeutic campus-based care (aka, residential treatment), a school for students with exceptional needs, and a family-based program for Indigenous peoples.
Featured Speakers: David Lindenbach
Click here to access a recording of this webinar
A Brain Injury Informed Approach to Working with Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence
June 11, 2025
Each year, an estimated 200,000 Canadian women experience a brain injury due to IPV—most remain undiagnosed and unsupported. The Cridge Centre leads in providing brain injury services tailored to the needs of women affected by IPV, helping them rebuild their lives through daily living support and life skills rehabilitation. Grounded in trauma- and brain injury-informed care, their approach emphasizes safety, adaptability, creativity, and patience.
This webinar shares IPV-BI statistics, lessons from our direct service program, the challenges of integrating brain injury supports into IPV services, ongoing barriers for survivors, and practical tools for frontline workers supporting women with IPV-related brain injuries.
Featured Speakers: Candace Stretch & Tori Dach
Click here to access a recording of this webinar
Intimate Partner Violence-Caused Brain Injury: Putting Knowledge into Practice
May 28, 2025
This session explores the intersection of brain injury and intimate partner violence (IPV-BI), highlighting the latest research, and exposing how it affects survivors. After attending this presentation, participants will be able to: 1. Describe the prevalence of brain injury from both concussion and strangulation in women survivors of intimate partner violence, including how it happens, and common signs and symptoms; 2. Explain how brain injury from intimate partner violence affects neurocognitive function and how to support survivors; and 3. Advocate for a trauma and brain-injury informed approach to care in order to ensure fewer survivors go undiagnosed and untreated.
Featured Speakers: Karen Mason & Paul van Donkelaar
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Nutrition is the Foundation of Our Brain and Mental Health
March 12, 2025
Topics covered will include sources of micronutrients (minerals and vitamins), their contribution to brain function, and the evidence base proving their importance in mental health. Recommendations will be provided for how to incorporate this information into clinical practice. Other related topics will be touched upon, such as the evidence that nutrients can prevent dementia, and the role of a healthy gut microbiome. Finally, very recent evidence will be presented that shows increased prenatal supplementation reduces perinatal mood and anxiety as well as preterm births.
Featured Speakers: Bonnie J. Kaplan
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Resilience Scale Masterclass
Resilience can be defined as the ability to respond positively in the face of adversity. The Resilience Scale metaphor depicts how adversities, positive supports, and acquired skills and abilities interact to influence resilience. The 2.5-hour Resilience Scale Masterclass educates policy makers, educators, practitioners, and the public about brain development and its impact on health, mental health, and overall well being throughout the lifespan. It provides foundational knowledge and a common language that are accessible across populations and disciplines to communicate key concepts around resilience, track and monitor individual outcomes, and identify areas of support for children, adults, families, and communities.
Featured Speakers: Nancy Mannix
This webinar will be offered annually. Please check back again soon to register for this webinar!
Biological Adaptions to Adversity: Evidence from Our Genes and Brains
In this presentation, Dr. Sarah Merrill and Dr. Tayler Eaton delve into the biological adaptations to life’s difficulties, exploring evidence from the fields of epigenetics and cognitive neuroscience. Together, these disciplines unveil the remarkable ways our biology copes with adversity, offering a deeper understanding of human resilience, a discussion of transgenerational effects of trauma, and the potential for interventions that promote well-being.
Featured Speakers: Sarah Merrill & Tayler Eaton
For access to this webinar, join the AVA Online Training Modules and enroll in the following course: Intergenerational Trauma
Violence and the Legal System
Suing for Silence: Sexual Violence and Defamation Law in Canada
August 6, 2025
Mandi Gray’s book Suing for Silence critically examines how abusive men can use defamation lawsuits as a weapon against anyone who attempts to hold them accountable. In Canada, formal reports to the police or other institutions such as universities are not protected from lawsuits for defamation or malicious prosecution. Advocates and lawyers who specialize in sexual violence have noted a rise in the use of civil legal action by men accused of sexual violence within the last decade. In this talk, Dr. Gray will use examine critical feminist perspective to explain how the failure for institutions such as police and the courts to respond to reports of sexual violence can make survivors and their supporters vulnerable to retaliatory lawsuits. She argues that if these lawsuits are to continue, we will risk witnessing the disappearance of sexual violence discourse and is yet another barrier to consider before making a formal report.
Featured Speakers: Mandi Gray
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Family Law Protection Orders and Peace Bonds: Do These Legal Mechanisms Ensure the Safety of Survivors of Gender-Based Violence?
April 2, 2025
This webinar presents the findings of recent research on the operation of family law protection orders and peace bonds in British Columbia. This session will explore key issues including widespread misconceptions about these legal protections, the challenges of obtaining and enforcing them, and the role of police. The discussion will cover the importance of ongoing safety planning and share policy recommendations to improve the effectiveness of these mechanisms in ensuring the safety of survivors of gender-based violence.
Featured Speakers: Hannah Ellison
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Criminalization of Gender-Based Violence Survivors
March 26, 2025
This webinar, presented by the Barbra Schlifer Clinic, will discuss various ways in which survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) can be criminalized, including through mandatory charging policies, coercive control, and litigation abuse. It will also introduce the clinic’s Criminalization & Survivorship project, which aims to identify and expand effective interventions and practices in addressing the criminalization of GBV survivors.
Featured Speakers: Rosa Jeyapalan & Callandra Cochrane
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