Mentally ill people and their families often experience frustration as they negotiate relationships with well-intentioned but sometimes clueless professionals, who simply don't appreciate the difficulty of their daily lives. In this workshop, we'll use photographs and first-person family stories to offer a close-up look at families as they try to get through days and years of unpredictable moods and behaviors, periodic crises, and chronic worry with as much grace, courage, and good spirits as they can. You'll learn how to genuinely hear what these families are telling you, base your interventions on a deeper understanding of their predicament, and use practical strategies that make engagement with them more effective.