Local social worker launches community mental health events in Paris
- 22 hours ago
- 3 min read
Rubyyy Jones
Cultural Correspondent
Paris is known for its peaceful scenery and strong sense of community — qualities that make it an ideal setting for reflection and personal growth. This March, local entrepreneur Kathleen Foldvari, founder of A Minute for Mental Health, is offering two community events this month focused on reflection, creative expression and supporting mental well-being.
A Minute for Mental Health was created to make trauma-informed mental wellness support more accessible through education, assessment and practical planning. The organization helps individuals and teams pause, reflect and build resilience within the realities of everyday life.
Foldvari, a trained social worker, moved to the area about five years ago and began working with the Prima Care Family Health Team. Over time, her focus shifted toward mental health support, with a particular emphasis on suicide prevention and helping individuals navigate periods of crisis and emotional strain.
“My passion has always been mental health, especially supporting those who support others in different ways,” said Foldvari. She’s experienced the tremendous impact of grief, losing her father to ALS in 2020, after losing her brother to suicide.
“All of those were very impactful experiences and led me to a place where I was struggling with my mental health because of everything; it all felt like it was happening at once,” she recalled. From that personal experience, the concept for the events was born simply because she didn’t want anybody else to feel alone in prolonged grief.
“My brother died by suicide in 2017, so it's been very important for me to be able to contribute to the community and doing the prevention work to make it a safer community for others as well.”
Foldvari’s first event is being offered in collaboration with Stephanie Cuachon of OnCue Executive Solutions. Titled “The Pause: Beyond the Hustle,” the session will take place at the Paris Branch of the Brant Public Library on March 17 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The event is designed for those who support others or carry significant leadership responsibilities, including mental health and health-care professionals, educators, founders, caregivers and others in helping roles.
“Stephanie and I are both first-generation Canadians and racialized women who are ambitious in our fields and have lived experience with burnout, depression, and ADHD,” she said.
The format of The Pause is practical and conversational, less lecture, more guided application; you can expect short teaching segments, guided reflection prompts, simple assessment tools, immediate-use worksheets and frameworks and more practical and sustainable suggestions.
The second event is in collaboration with a few folks, including Eirinn Todd founder of Peers & Poets, who is training as a peer support worker and wanted to create a positive impact by pairing mental health awareness, community support, and poetry. Popping up at the Dog-Eared Cafe on Saturday, March 28th from 7 pm to 10 pm, this event is free, thanks to the support of the Dog-Eared. Any donations clocked at the door or on the ticket link on Eventbrite, will be donated to The Canadian Mental Health Association and HOPE Brant.
The event will feature speakers, activities and poetry. CMHA representative Lill Patrella and her team will be on hand to support the evening, while Sandy Van Bergen, along with HOPE Brant volunteers, will lead an interactive activity highlighting the power of peer support in mental health.
“We’re passionate about bringing this event to Brant. Not just as a one-time experience, but as part of a larger culture shift around burnout, especially among high-achieving people where it's not often talked about,” said Foldvari. “Being passionate and ambitious, and successful, and taking care of your well-being, there's a way that you can balance those things by being a little bit more mindful or being very mindful about what your nervous system and your brain's needs are.”
You can find out more information about A Minute For Mental Health, find event registration links and discover further details online at www.aminuteformentalhealth.ca or by searching The Pause: Beyond the Hustle or Peers & Poets on EventBrite.
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