Connect with peers in a trusted small‑group setting focused on a topic that matters to you. By joining a dedicated group, you’ll meet regularly with the same peers to share challenges, celebrate wins and explore practical strategies that support your work in family medicine.
Meet regularly, on a dependable schedule: Groups meet virtually every four to six weeks for 1.5 hours, giving you consistent connection without overwhelming your calendar.
Learn with the same group all year: You’ll join a closed group of up to twelve family physicians and/or family medicine residents, creating a trusted environment for honest conversation and real support.
Focus on what matters most: Sessions centre on practice challenges and topics related to mental health, substance use disorders, chronic pain and physician wellness.
Guided by experienced peers: Two Peer Guides co‑facilitate each session, helping spark discussion and surface practical strategies you can apply right away.
Program Benefits
Explore approaches that relate to the issues you experience when caring for people with mental health, substance use disorders and/or chronic pain.
Gain strategies to find joy in your work amidst the challenges you face in the healthcare system.
Consider ways to bring ease to supporting patients in the areas where you face difficulties.
Earn MainPro+ Credits
Important Registration Details for Small Groups
By signing up for one of the groups below, you commit to attending regularly and participating in group discussions.
These groups are open to family physicians in Ontario (practicing, on leave, retirement, etc.) and family medicine residents.
Groups are limited to 12 participants.
This program has been certified by the College of Family Physicians of Canada and the Ontario Chapter for up to 18 Mainpro+Ⓡcredits.
Join a Small Group
Explore our groups and facilitators below, and register to participate! Registration closes on March 9.
This peer support group is for family physicians who are either transitioning to or currently practicing Psychotherapy.
By the end of this year-long group, you will:
Engage in meaningful and safe discussions around incorporating psychotherapy in your practice, and/or transitioning your practice to psychotherapy. Please note: This program does not provide specific training in psychotherapeutic modalities.
Give and receive support to and from your fellow group members, share resources that you have found helpful in your personal and professional lives in working with patients with mental health concerns.
Gain empowerment and confidence as you continue your exciting and unique journey as a family physician practicing psychotherapy – recognizing, validating and navigating the unique physician-patient experiences we all encounter.
This group is for family physicians planning to retire in the next three to five years, as well as those who have recently retired and feel that they would benefit from a supportive group to discuss the myriad of concerns that come with this significant life change.
Examples of themes that may arise:
How to say goodbye to patients knowing they may not find another physician easily.
Technical issues involved in closing a practice.
Maintaining mental and physical health/self-care as we age without feeling guilty
What to do with the sudden free time and how to create a guilt free bucket list.
Relating to family and friends’ post-retirement. What changes?
This group is open to family physicians at any stage of their career who are looking for an opportunity to ask questions about diagnostic and treatment issues in psychiatry in general terms vs. consultations on specific patient care issues.
By the end of this year-long group, participants will:
Have an opportunity to engage in dialogue with psychiatrists and other family physicians.
Clarify one’s diagnostic and treatment skills in the psychiatric areas of primary care.
Gain confidence in dealing with psychiatric issues in primary care.
This group is for any family physician/family medicine trainee who identifies as having ADHD* and wants to experience more ease in practice and in life. * This group is not psychotherapy; if you’re interested in pursuing diagnosis and treatment, please consider accessing the Physician Health Program.
This group aims to:
Cultivate self-compassion and self-awareness.
Celebrate strengths and share “wins” as well as insights with one another in respectful ways.
Create community and connection with others who may have shared lived experience.
This group is open to family physicians across all career stages and practice models who are interested in a supportive space to discuss addiction, chronic pain, how to bridge gaps in practice and more.
This group is open to family physicians across all career stages and practice models who are interested in a supportive space to connect with their peers.Judy and Chase, the co-facilitators, hope to provide a place to have honest conversations about the good and the challenging aspects of our professional practices in a confidential and respectful way.
This will be a closed group of 8-10 female physicians facilitated by two femalephysicians that will run for 10 monthly meetings scheduled over the course of one year. Participants will have the opportunity to engage in meaningful, respectful conversations around the challenges and rewards of practising family medicine as female physicians. Our goal is to create a safe space where we can openly discuss the challenges of practice- both those that are unique to women and those that are related to the general practice of family medicine. Specific learning goals and topics will be further clarified in our group discussions and will be based on group interests and learning needs.
This confidential peer group is designed for family physicians seeking to navigate the complex emotional landscape of clinical practice. We focus on two core challenges: managing difficult patient interactions and establishing professional boundaries that foster a healthier work-life balance.
In a supportive, structured environment, you will connect with colleagues to share experiences, strategies, and evidence-based approaches. Sessions blend case discussion, practical theory, and peer reflection to enhance your emotional resilience and professional satisfaction.
Session Format & Focus:
Case-Based Learning: Discuss anonymized, challenging doctor-patient encounters in a strictly confidential setting.
Practical Frameworks: Learn and apply theories from communication science, boundary-setting, and Positive Psychology to manage difficult emotions and interactions.
Peer Support: Utilize the group to safely express and process the unique frustrations and anxieties inherent to family medicine.
Skill Development: Acquire concrete techniques to build emotional resilience and prevent burnout.
Learning Objectives:
Participants in this group will:
Deepen their understanding of the therapeutic alliance and its impact on clinical outcomes.
Enhance communication skills for navigating complex patient interactions.
Develop greater self-awareness to recognize and effectively utilize personal emotional responses in clinical settings.
Build a sustainable toolkit for establishing and maintaining professional boundaries.
Reflect on the emotional aspects of their work within a safe, collegial community, reducing isolation and fostering shared support.
Join us to strengthen your practice, find peer validation, and invest in your professional well-being.
This group is for any physician experiencing chronic illness and/or disability including those currently working in or on leave from clinical roles, and those in nonclinical roles.
Don’t see a group that addresses the topics you’re interested in, or looking for a more informal group for a limited period of time? Submit your request here.
Do you have a question about Small Group Learning? Contact Us.
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