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Background

Counselling Programs & Services

Substance Use Counselling

Watari’s Community Addictions Counselling Team (CACT) works with individuals, couples, and families in the Strathcona/ Downtown Eastside area and surrounding communities around issues related to problem substance misuse. We provide free confidential counselling, education, referrals, and other preventative programs. Referrals to the program can come from anyone including: family, social workers or any medical/mental health professional workers and self. Available Mondays to Fridays, our counselling team is committed to serving people from a harm reduction philosophy and will assist the people we support in identifying the areas of their lives that are working and those that are a struggle.
We recognize that substance use is often connected to other issues such as: poverty, abuse, isolation, or mental illness. So whether it’s your struggle or that of a loved one, Watari’s highly trained and compassionate counsellors can bridge you with new options, choices, and opportunities. Our team of counsellors come with different backgrounds and approaches, allowing us to find a match for anyone walking through our doors.

THE PROCESS:

Everyone must have an intake appointment completed before or on their first visit to Watari. Intakes take approximately 30-45 minutes. When the intake is completed, the counsellor assigned to you afterward will contact you directly for your first counselling session appointment. Sometimes there is a waitlist, however we do our absolute best to support you as soon as possible!
For more information, or to set up an intake meeting with one of our counsellors, please call us at: 604-254-6995

Other Counselling Programs

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

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