Connecting with Care: Essential Communication Skills for Mental Health Caregivers
Supporting a loved one with depression can be challenging, especially when it comes to communication. You may be met with resistance, heightened emotions, or difficulty discussing sensitive topics. Instead of giving up or pushing too hard, family caregivers need effective strategies to maintain open, supportive dialogue.
In this webinar, Dr. Chris Segrin will guide you through four real-world scenarios caregivers often face supporting loved ones through depression. You’ll learn practical communication techniques for discussing depression symptoms, navigating conversations about professional help, using de-escalation strategies, and addressing trauma-related challenges with sensitivity.
By developing these essential communication skills, family caregivers can better connect with their loved ones and provide more effective support on their mental health journey.
This program is supported by
Lundbeck
Takeda
Massachusetts Department of Public Health Suicide Prevention Program
Corporate Members
Takeda
Alkermes
Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine
Neurocrine Biosciences
Presenters
Chris Segrin, PhD
Chris Segrin (Ph.D. 1990, University of Wisconsin) is a behavioral scientist whose specialty is interpersonal relationships and mental health. His research focuses on social skills, relationship development and satisfaction, and such problems as depression, anxiety, loneliness, and marital distress. This research can be found in journals such as Human Communication Research, Communication Monographs, Journal of Abnormal Psychology, Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, Communication Research, and Journal of Social and Personal Relationships. He is author of the books Interpersonal Processes in Psychological Problems (2001, Guilford Press) and Family Communication (2005, Lawrence Erlbaum Publishers). Professor Segrin was also the editor of the journal Communication Theory from 2003-2005. In addition to his appointment in the Department of Communication, Professor Segrin is an Adjunct Professor of Psychology and Family Studies. Prior to joining the faculty at the University of Arizona, Professor Segrin was on the faculty of the University of Kansas and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He teaches classes in interpersonal communication, nonverbal communication, persuasion, marriage and family, and research methods. Professor Segrin has been the recipient of six teaching awards from the University of Wisconsin, University of Kansas, and University of Arizona. Recently he has been conducting research studies on the intergenerational transmission of divorce, how social skills deficits make people vulnerable to depression, and why lonely people have more health problems.
In addition, Professor Segrin has recently conducted a number of studies with colleagues at the U of A College of Nursing to develop methods for improving quality of life (e.g., depression, anxiety, relationship satisfaction, social support) for women undergoing treatment for breast cancer and their partners, as well as for men with prostate cancer and their partners. This research has been funded by the National Cancer Institute, Lance Armstrong Foundation, Oncology Nursing Foundation, and the American Cancer Society.
Susan Weinstein, JD, Moderator
Susan Weinstein, JD, Executive Director, has been primarily responsible for programs and finances at Families for Depression Awareness since 2012. Susan was diagnosed with depression in her teens and has drawn from her personal experiences to inform FFDA’s curriculum. She has worked in nonprofits and local government throughout her career, generally in a non-legal capacity. She holds several volunteer positions, including serving on the Executive Committee of the Massachusetts Coalition for Suicide Prevention and holding a variety of elected and appointed seats in her town government since 1992. A native of South Florida, Susan is a graduate of Wellesley College and the Boston University School of Law.
