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Several months ago it became clear to us that our son was suffering from depression. Although no longer living at home he worked with his dad and we could see he was not coping well. We eventually became desperate as his episodes of depression became more obvious to others and affected his daily life. That was when we contacted Mona. She listened to our concerns but also took the time to get a good understanding of our relationships with our son. This enabled her to discuss with us how best to approach our son so we could talk about his depression and form a family plan to support him. Until that point we felt helpless with nowhere to go for help. With Mona’s guidance it also became clear to us that we would be of no help to our son if we did not take care of ourselves as well. Mona is a very effective communicator and we found her to be very knowledgeable about all aspects of this difficult issue. In addition to Mona offering concrete ways to communicate with our son, her compassion and understanding of what we were dealing with were enormously helpful. Mona is an extremely supportive person who can be counted upon to be well prepared to deal with the emotional issues and feelings dealing with depression brings up. Mona provided us with the tools to handle the ups and downs with more hope and less stress. Because we contacted Mona we were finally able to establish effective communication with our son. We are deeply thankful for the time she spent helping us. S. Port
Our son was diagnosed with bipolar disorder four years ago, at age
21. As would happen with any severe illness, our family went
into a period of shock and disorganization. In those months
following the diagnosis, my husband and I desperately needed
information and support. We wanted to meet some other families
who had learned to deal with a severe mental illness and who could be
models of hope for us. Luckily, we found the Peer Support
Program at CMHA which is lead by Mona Cooley. Mona is the mother
of a woman living with bipolar, and therefore had instant credibility
with us. She had lived through what we had lived through and had
learned how to support her daughter to full recovery. In the
group, Mona encouraged us to take care of ourselves, and we decided to
take a weekend away, something we had not done for well over a
year. It was an important step towards reclaiming our lives. In
addition to learning how to take care of ourselves, we learned how to
help our son take responsibility for his health, to support him
without enabling him, and to communicate effectively with him in
sickness and in health. It was largely through Mona’s
inspiring leadership that we were able to recover some joy and peace
in our lives. An excellent facilitator; we have watched Mona
interact with entire family groups (Mom, Dad, Brother, Sister,
Grandparents). She does this very skillfully and sensitively, so
that everyone is heard, and everyone’s needs are met. My wish
for families who are on this journey is that they meet someone like
Mona who can help them discover strengths and develop skills that
promote recovery for all members. M. Moore, Edmonton Life in Transition. What a challenge. The question, what do you really want to do with your life hovered before me. I had no idea, no courage, and little hope for real change. Newly unemployed and “no spring chicken,” I knew that I would need help to effect that change, and I knew of someone who might be willing to help me with the challenge. That person was Mona Cooley, someone I had come to know and admire through my Toastmasters journey. In a few short weeks, under Mona’s direction and encouragement, I began to sense a “shift” in my attitude. After 7 sessions, Mona provided me with a progress report that was a benchmark. It accurately captured the place I came from (self doubt, self recrimination, oh woe is me, and the blame game) to the place I’m in now (hopeful, grateful, aware of my gifts and talents, appreciative of people around me, and a new awareness of my tendency to horrible-ize – coupled with a positive trigger that I can effect when I begin to get into ‘story telling’ mode!). I am encountering a ton of ‘AHA!’ and ‘WOW’ moments. Mona’s words of encouragement, warmth and compassion, coupled with her tenacity to get the best from me, have inspired me to make changes I didn’t think possible. Working with Mona has been one of the very best gifts I have given myself. Karen Tober, January 2009 I was searching and feeling like I had not accomplished enough in my life. Was this a mid-life crisis? Mona helped me realize that we all have a purpose in life, even though I was not sure of what it was at first. Before you knew it, ten perfect strangers felt comfortable enough to open-up to each other. Through straight-forward exercises, Mona assisted us in finding our strengths and weaknesses that helped us focus on what values are important to each one of us. I found this course to be enjoyable and informative, and would highly recommend it to any individual who is looking for more meaning from their life. -Veronica Speaking In 2010 Mona was a presenter to a group of Psychiatrists working for Alberta Health Services in the Calgary Area. - submitted I have had the pleasure of knowing Mona
for 5 years as she has been an enthusiastic and reliable volunteer at
our pre-employment program for immigrant women. We invite her to share
information about Toastmasters so that the women gain exposure to
alternative means to improve their communication skills, meet new people
and gain leadership skills. Mona has an engaging style with our
participants, utilizing a blend of experiential and presentation methods
to share her considerable knowledge. Mona is thoughtful in planning her
presentations and is very responsive and adaptable to group needs.
After a couple of presentations to our program she recognized the need
to build a stronger connection with the group. She initiated
contact with an immigrant woman who was attending Toastmasters and
invited her to accompany her for the next presentation. This innovative
strategy made the prospect of joining Toastmasters a real possibility
for our participants as they now had a role model to relate to.
Encouraged by her presentation, many women have courageously joined
various Toastmasters groups and continue to participate today. In incorporating new strategies into
her presentation, Mona finds new ways to illustrate the link of
accessing Toastmaster’s to improve participant’s communication,
business and networking skills. I have observed her supportively
coaching participants and fellow presenters, providing feedback and
guidance, challenging them to improve their presentation skills and
learn from their experience. Mona is a delight to watch and listen
to as her natural warmth and gentle humour captivate the audience.
Mona’s presentations are inspirational, fun and informative, all at
the same time! Elaine Lupul, Program Coordinator, Employment
and Life Skills Program
It was an absolute pleasure to have
Mona Cooley speak at the Certified General Accountant luncheon held
at the Calgary Chamber of Commerce. Mona brought her
dynamic personality and wit to our luncheon today. She created
a poignant and professional presentation which exceeded our
expectations. Mona warmly shared personal experiences
to illustrate her points and identify with our professional
audience. Deanna McCormick, CGA Mona Cooley was our keynote speaker at
the Sustaining Projects year end Facilitating
Our organization recently required the
skills of a neutral individual to assist in facilitating an
information session on a rather controversial topic. After speaking
with one of our senior public education volunteers, who belongs to
Toastmasters, Mona was highly recommended. Our volunteer said Mona had
experience with conflict resolution and providing facilitation around
“hot button” issues.
Mona came well prepared having done
much research on the topic and making herself well aware of the
controversial issue and different views attendees may have. I found Mona possessed the skill and expertise as a facilitator that was necessary for our session. Mona was well prepared for any “what ifs” and was able to the focus on the message while still considering the feelings of the audience members. She provided a safe environment so that our guest speakers felt at ease and at the same time made sure the audience members left with having had their questions answered. These are truly qualities of a skilled facilitator. Thanks Mona. Bev Babuk - Calgary |
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