Indigenous Talking Circle

Every Friday at 12pm, John hosts an Indigenous Talking Circle for First Nations, Inuit, and Metis people, and their families.

Culture as therapy is practiced in this group. Through this group we have opportunities to do many things including make drums, smudge, and harvest medicines.

Food and beverages are also provided.

For more information or to join call John at:

604-803-9261

or email him at: john@watari.ca 

Vietnamese Group

This group is for Vietnamese people in the community. Although running a little differently due to COVID-19, the group meets to socialize with other members of the community. Together we share culturally appropriate food, socialize, and celebrate Vietnamese Tết.

For more information, or to join please call Veronica at:

604-356-0424

or email her at: veronica@watari.ca

“At a Once Upon a Time, At a Once Upon a Place”

*POST PONED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE*

The Storytelling Group for adults, takes place every Thursday at 10:30am at Watari or via Zoom. Each week features a new story with a new message. After reading the story to the group, we all discuss things such as: what we got from the story, what it makes us think about, and what it means to us.

It’s a group counselling session with a fairytale twist!

For more information, or to join call:

778-980-6765

or email Amen at: amen@watari.ca

Art Therapy

We offer art therapy as an alternative to traditional counselling. While it is offered to everyone, priority is given to youth under the age of 24.

Art therapy is a proven method of counselling. It engages all the senses to relax the nervous system. It helps people in many ways including: reducing anxiety and agitation, psychosocial support, behavioral issues, decreasing loneliness and social isolation, and allowing you to feel more in control. As well, using imagery, colours, and shapes, allow thoughts and feelings to be expressed that would otherwise be hard to articulate.

Prior art experience is not necessary. 

For more information call Angela at:

604-254-6995 Ext. 223

or email Angela at: angela@watari.ca

Expressive Arts Therapy

Watari provides Expressive Arts Therapy to youths under 25 years old.

Expressive Arts Therapy is a multi-modal approach to therapy, which allows people to choose between different modalities of art to create art works and to explore their responses, reactions, and insights. it is in the process of art making, in a safe and secure space, that allows people to awaken their imagination and creativity, and discover how to engage their senses, externalize their difficult emotions and behaviors, and how to regulate them. Expressive Arts Therapy provides a full expression of the imagination and emotional voice through playful activities without judgement or interruption.

Prior art experience is not necessary. 

For more information call Ahmad at:

604-773-0112 

or email Ahmad at: ahmad@watari.ca

Community Peer Support

As part of the Peer Support Program, Angelo supports peers that work in, or attend the following Organizations: H.A.V.E. Culinary Society, SRO-Collaborative, Dudes Club, WePress, DTES Neighbourhood House, Aboriginal Front Door, Vancouver Aboriginal Community Policing Centre, Overdose Prevention Society, Raise the Rates, PACE Society, WAHRS, and Watari.

Apart from individual counselling support – addiction, grief/loss, anxiety/stress, etc. – Angelo offers his support to each organization to explore conflict resolution strategies using Theatre of the Oppressed, a form of ‘social theatre’ he’s been practicing for almost 20 years. Something crucial to Angelo when working with these organizations is listening, and learning from them, understanding their dynamic and what works best for each, in order to see how he can compliment their working systems to give the best positive results.

For more information call Angelo at:

236-833-1429

or email Angelo at: angelo@watari.ca