Groups

Trades and construction are among the industries with the highest rates of alcohol consumption and drug use. Substance use disorder is roughly twice as common in the trades than in the general population.  Given this disparity in prevalence, it is unsurprising that the trades show very high rate of overdose deaths, and concurrent mental health issues.  At the same time, the culture of construction and trades has not fostered open discussion of these problems. For this reason, many who struggle with substances in the trades feel discouraged in their pursuit of recovery, and unaware of the supports available to them.

Hammer Time addresses this issue by providing those in the trades with an opportunity for connection, support, and education.  Facilitated by an Umbrella staff member with extensive construction experience, Hammer Time offers a safe space to openly discuss substance use and recovery.  Further, participants are directed toward helpful supports and resources.

Hammer Time is held online via Zoom on Thursdays from 7-8pm.  No registration is required.  To access this group, please click here.

Umbrella is pleased to host a weekday Narcotics Anonymous meeting from 12:00-1:00pm Monday through Friday at our office.

The Just For Today nooner has been a long time meeting in our community and Umbrella is excited to provide a home for this important, and incredibly helpful resource.

Umbrella plays no role in this meeting except for providing the space. We are pleased to support everyone accessing help for the substance use issues regardless of their preferred path.

Welcome NA!

Facilitated by two female Umbrella staff in recovery, the Women’s Recovery Group focuses on those who identify as women, and are seeking a safe space to give and receive support as they progress toward their personal recovery goals.  Eight weeks in length, the program is intended to empower women in early recovery by introducing them to topics like forgiveness, mindfulness, gratitude, and boundary-setting, among others.  By fostering a warm and caring environment that is conducive to honesty and vulnerability, the facilitators strive to promote healing while also building a sense of community and connection.

To register for this in-person group, please contact Umbrella at 250-380-0595 or wecanhelp@umbrellasociety.ca.

Umbrella hosts two weekly SMART Recovery meetings.

On Thursday from 6-7:30pm two Umbrella certified SMART facilitator host in person meeting at the Umbrella office on 2675 Bridge St. Everyone is welcome, no registration necessary.

Every Wednesday, Umbrella offers SMART Recovery meeting via Zoom  from 12noon to 1:30pm.
Please use the following link:

Umbrella has SMART handbooks for sale at our head office.

Please join us weekly to explore and express All Things Gratitude.

In All Things Gratitude, participants share, explore and discover new ways to practice Gratitude, making thankfulness comfortable and fun.  Hosted by a skilled Umbrella facilitator, All Things Gratitude allows participants to practice gratitude and experience its countless benefits.  A few of these include the experience of more positive emotions, the release of toxic thoughts and feelings, deeper sleep, better immunity to sickness, greater empathy, reduced depression, and many other markers of well-being and life satisfaction.  For many in recovery, the most valuable result of daily gratitude practice is sobriety!  Whether our practices are internal, external, personal or social, we learn in All Things Gratitude to make Gratitude a natural and habitual state, bringing a steady flow of its rewards into our lives.

All Things Gratitude is held online via Zoom on Tuesdays from 7-8pm.  No registration is required.  To access this group, please click here.

Gratitude group is on hiatus until January.

Established in September 2020, Comfortably UN-Numb was intended to meet a desperate need: the notable lack of adequate local outpatient programming for those with substance use issues. Many addicted have too many responsibilities to attend residential treatment, but need to develop recovery tools than cannot easily be gained at a daily recovery meeting.

Designed to meet this need, Comfortably UN-Numb is a four-week intensive outpatient recovery group hosted weekdays at Umbrella from 9:30-noon, with lunch provided one day per week.  Intended for about 15-20 participants, Comfortably UN-Numb covers topics that are critical to progress in early recovery.  These include gratitude, forgiveness, relapse prevention, and trigger management, among others.  As they progress through the four week program, participants develop tools of recovery while building connection and a sense of community.  Most find Comfortably UN-Numb so valuable and enjoyable that they wish it were longer!

Those wishing to attend must pre-register by calling 250-380-0595 or emailing wecanhelp@umbrellasociety.ca.

Launched in 2021, the Parents Group was established by a registered clinical counselor to address an urgent need – to provide support specific to the needs of those with children in active addiction.  Originally, the group consisted of Umbrella counseling clients; however, since then, it has expanded membership to include anyone with a child suffering from substance use disorder.  The group’s intention was to foster a space in which parents could freely share their experiences, exchange wisdom on how to cope, and support one another.  The original members found the group highly compelling and, enjoying the ongoing companionship it affords, have formed a core group of consistent participants.  Others with more specific needs and goals have come and gone as these have been attained.

Participants are encouraged to maintain each other’s anonymity and confidentiality.  This, coupled with the atmosphere of kindness, warmth, and acceptance that prevails in Parents’ Group, tends to produce open and honest disclosure.  Members testify to the therapeutic power of ‘getting things out’ to those who have gone through similar trials, and can therefore empathize.  Due to the participants’ candour and the sensitive nature of the information shared, this is a closed group.  To register, call 250-380-0595.

Umbrella is excited to offer a Codependency Group.

This weekly group, facilitated by Valerie MacNeil, a masters degree counsellor, will focus specifically on the needs of people who struggle with issues related to codependent behaviours. These in-person groups will create space to learn new strategies and healthier communication styles. This small, in person, weekly group is a great place for anyone who wants to learn healthy ways to move forward in any relationship. This group is by registration only.

To learn more and to register please contact our office at 250-380-0595.

Umbrella is pleased to share that the Intensive Journaling Group hosted by Bill Israel is being offered on Monday evenings, in person.

This 6 week group will help participants explore what journaling means and how it can help process emotions and regulate reactions.

This group is very popular and registration is required.

Please call or text Umbrella at 250-380-0595 for more information or to register.