Foundry Virtual BC offers free groups and workshops for youth and caregivers across BC! This webpage provides an overview of current & upcoming groups and workshops- please keep checking back as we continue to add new offers, often!
Interested in joining an in-person group at your local centre? Please check in with your local centre for more information.
Please ensure that you check your junk/spam folder once you have registered for a group! Sometimes your registration confirmation and group link will be sent there. If you have registered for a group and have not heard from us within 3 days, please email online@foundrybc.ca
Youth & Caregivers can now sign up for groups and workshops directly on the Foundry BC app! This webpage will highlight upcoming, current and past groups and workshops that are available to youth and caregivers across BC. To register for a group, please complete the following steps.
*** For referral based groups, please select “referral-based” groups and follow the steps. For youth who prefer to access services from their laptop of desktop computer, please visit https://webapp.foundrybc.ca/home
Current Group Sessions
Parenting Trans Kids in Tough Times
July 9 7:00pm-8:30pm
Presenter: Dr. Travers (SFU)
Where: Zoom link will be provided to registered attendees 3hrs prior to the session start
Target Audience: Parents, Caregivers, Families
Parents of Trans Kids have been a powerful social movement for increasing awareness about the need to support and include transgender and gender nonconforming people of all ages. In the past five years, however, a well-funded anti-trans hate movement has succeeded in creating increasingly hostile environments for trans people, most notably in the USA and United Kingdom but also in the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. Parents are understandably worried about the impact of anti-trans messaging and policies on their kids and unsure how to respond. In this workshop, Travers will place anti-trans hate in historical context, make suggestions for advocacy, and, above all, emphasize the importance of establishing family as a place of safety and belonging.
To register, please click HERE.
Questions? Email online@foundrybc.ca
EFFT Caregivers Workshop
JUNE DATES ARE NOW FULL! Please check back soon for new summer/fall dates.
** Please download the Foundry BC app, register for a “caregiver” account, and sign up for “EFFT Caregivers Workshop – Date Specific” listed under “Groups.”
Self-registration will become available via the Foundry BC app 6 weeks prior to an upcoming date. Because of demand and our participant limits, our workshops often fill up, so please “unregister” if you are not able to attend (even last minute) to allow other interested caregivers the chance to join.
Registration will close when we hit our maximum participant limit. If your schedule allows, please keep checking back on the Foundry BC app as registration can re-open due to cancellations
Questions? Please email efftworkshop@foundrybc.ca
What is EFFT? (Emotion Focused Family Therapy)
Supporting a loved one struggling with their mental health and/or wellness can be challenging. Foundry Virtual BC has adopted Emotion-Focused Family Therapy (EFFT) as one of the helping services in alignment with our model and vision. We believe that supporting caregivers with skills and tools promotes better wellness outcomes for all. Research proves that recovery rates rise dramatically when family is involved.
Don’t see a date that works for you? Please keep checking back for new workshops added.
These workshops are delivered virtually, via the Zoom platform. These workshops are offered at no cost to you the caregivers.
Please note: a caregiver must have their own Foundry Virtual BC account set up BEFORE registering. This group is open to all caregivers (ie: parent, aunt, uncle, grandparent, cousin, sibling etc – biological, adoptive, surrogate, step, foster or simply by circumstance) that would like to connect with other caregivers supporting youths (ages 12 – 24) in their lives that may be navigating mental health and/or substance use challenges.
Mindfulness 101
July 10th
July 17th
July 24th
July 31st
August 7th
August 14th
August 21st
Queer Cafe Group
Queer Cafe is a virtual-led social group for youth who identify as 2SLGBTQ+. Any young person who identifies as 2SLGBTQ+ or is questioning can join virtually and take part in activities, crafts, workshops, games and more! This space will be a safe virtual space for youth to come together and ask questions, learn, and connect with other youth living in BC.
To register, please download the Foundry BC app, register for a “youth” account, and sign up for “Queer Cafe” listed under “Groups.” Please make sure that you register for each session you would like to attend!
Questions? Email queercafe@foundrybc.ca
INFO/DATES:
COHORT 1: Ages 12-16 – 5pm-6pm
FIRST and THIRD Wednesdays of each month (July 16th, July 30th, August 13th, August 27th…etc.,)
COHORT 2: Ages 17-24 – 6:30pm-7:30pm
FIRST and THIRD Wednesdays of each month (July 16th, July 30th, August 13th, August 27th..etc.,)
To ensure that Queer Cafe is a safe, fun, and comfortable space, all youth must agree to our Community Guidelines. These guidelines will be reviewed at the beginning of each group. Please click the button below to read more.
** Please note! Queer Cafe is a group for folks who identify 2SLGBTQ+. In the future we plan to have workshops and events where allies are welcome. If you are interested in attending an allies-focused group, please email queercafe@foundrybc.ca to let us know.
Caregivers Support Group
NEW for 2025: To join the regularly occurring groups starting up again in January 2025:
Please download the Foundry BC app, register for a “caregiver” account, and sign up for “Caregiver Support Group – SPECIFIC DATE” listed under “Groups.” Please make sure that you register for each session you would like to attend!
UPCOMING DATES:
June 25th, 2025
*** July 9th, 2025 – POSTPONED TO July 15th, 2025
July 23rd, 2025
August 6th, 2025
August 20th, 2025
September 3rd, 2025
Signing up for 1 session will not register you for all sessions. You can register for as many or as few sessions as you wish. Typically, you can register as far as 6 to 8 weeks in advance. Future dates to register for will be added to the app Groups selections as the year progresses. There is no need to RSVP your attendance.
This group will be offered on Wednesdays bi-weekly from 7:00-8:30PM on an ongoing drop-in basis.
This support group is for any and all caregivers living in BC! If you are supporting a young person between the ages of 12-24 and are interested in connecting with other caregivers in a safe, inclusive, and confidential space, this is the group for you! The group will be facilitated by two caregivers with lived experience supporting their youth with various mental health and substance use challenges.
Group details:
You are welcome to turn your camera on, leave it off, stay silent and observe, use the chat feature, jump in and converse – essentially, participate at the level you are comfortable with. You are welcome to come and go whenever you please. We want to make this as accessible as possible for you!
Please note: a caregiver must have their own Foundry Virtual BC account set up BEFORE requesting registration. This group is open to all caregivers (ie: parent, aunt, uncle, grandparent, cousin, sibling etc – biological, adoptive, surrogate, step, foster or simply by circumstance) that would like to connect with other caregivers supporting youths (ages 12 – 24) in their lives that might be navigating mental health and/or substance use challenges
Topics discussed each week will vary, and will ensure ample time for open dialogue.
To register, please email online@foundrybc.ca with the email titled “caregivers support group”
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This video, explains how to set up the Foundry app
Creating your account: https://foundrybc.ca/virtual/
Link to Apple Store if you want to put app on your iPhone: https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/foundry-bc/id1542266903
Link to Android Store if you want to put app on your android device: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ca.foundrybc.foundryapp
Link if you do not want app on your phone, but would rather create an account and access through your web browser: https://webapp.foundrybc.ca/home
Brave in Your Body
May 6th – June 3rd from 4:00-5:30pm PST
Youth aged 14-24 living anywhere in BC
Join Foundry Virtual BC for for Brave in Your Body, a free 5-week body image group where youth aged 14-24 living in BC will explore their relationship with food & their body, while gaining tools and skills to manage uncomfortable feelings. This group is open to anyone who has felt the pressure to look a certain way based on society’s standards or is struggling with disordered eating, eating disorders, body image, diet culture or weight stigma.
REGISTRATION: Please download the Foundry BC app, and register for “Brave In Your Body!” Once you have filled out the registration form, one of our group facilitators will reach out directly with a screening questionnaire.
Questions? Email online@foundrybc.ca
This virtual group offered by UNYA’s 2- Spirit Collective (Urban Native Youth Association) and Foundry Virtual BC. This group is for any and all identifying LGBTQ2A+ youth ages 12-24 residing in BC, who are looking to connect virtually with others in a safe, online, environment.
Provincial Eating Disorder Awareness Week (PEDAW) is coming up February 1-7th, 2022. To kick-off the week, please join Foundry BC and Foundry Penticton for a virtual discussion led by 4 individuals with lived experience and a dietitian focusing on disordered eating, eating disorders, and body image struggles. This event is open to everyone ages 12-24 who is questioning their relationship with food, movement, or their body and/or identifies as having an eating disorder.
Calling all B.C. youth ages 12 – 24! Join Foundry virtual and Foundry Penticton for a spectacular virtual night of drag performances. Join by chat, video, or audio through Zoom! Drag/costumes are optional – but encouraged! Please register at foundrybc.ca/virtual/youth-groups or email Bronwyn at blawrence@foundrybc.ca with any questions.
Beauty of Life In Psychosis (BLIP) is a six-session art and creativity group for young people who self-identify as experiencing psychosis and/or voices, visions and unique beliefs. Sessions will be held over Zoom, and will involve guided creative exercises as well as time to talk, share, and work on your own creative projects. After the group is completed, participants will also have the option to have their work exhibited online. Gift cards to purchase art supplies will be provided!
BLIP is open to young people ages 12-24 who live anywhere in BC, and we’ll be running the group multiple times. To register, click the button below. After you complete the registration form, one of the group facilitators will contact you to follow up.
Learn more about BLIP
The BLIP youth group was born out of the idea that people who experience psychosis, hear voices, see visions, and/or have unique beliefs need a safe(r) space to socialize, get creative, and express ourselves. Our goal is to encourage participants to find beauty, hope, and community within or around these experiences. With support from Foundry Virtual BC and Vancouver Coastal Health’s Consumer Initiative Fund, that idea became a reality. Using these funds, we were able to collaborate with Paint Spot and provide free art supplies for everyone in the group.
Learn more about BLIP and view some of the artwork created with the first cohort of the BLIP youth group by reading the blog post, Discovering Beauty of Life in Psychosis.
Queer Cafe’s Halloween Night
Wednesday, October 30th, 2024
Join Foundry Virtual BC for a special Queer Cafe Halloween event on October 30th from 5-6pm! This virtual event will feature an exciting special guest appearance from Foundry Virtual’s very own Primary Care Social Worker, Jessica Walker! They will be talking about the history of Halloween becoming a staple in the 2SLGBTQ+ community and why we celebrate it the way we do.
Come and join us for a fun and spooky night! Costumes are encouraged!
To register, please download the Foundry BC app and sign up for “Queer Cafe’s Halloween Night”
This group is open to any young person (aged 12-24) who identifies as 2SLGBTQ+ or is questioning their gender.
Foundry Virtual BC: Information Session
Monday, October 7th, 12:00PM – 1:00PM
Brave in Your Body
Thursday, October 3rd – Thursday, October 31st, 4PM – 5:30PM
Ages 14-24
Join Foundry Virtual BC for a free 5-week body image group where youth will explore their relationship to their body, while gaining tools and skills to manage uncomfortable feelings. This group is open to anyone who has felt the pressure to look a certain way based on society’s standards or is struggling with disordered eating, eating disorders, body image, diet culture or weight stigma.
Questions? Email online@foundrybc.ca
Foundry Virtual BC Info Session
April 23rd from 12:00-1:00pm on Zoom
Curious to learn about Foundry’s free virtual services? Join us April 23rd from 12:00pm-1:00pm to learn about how youth aged 12-24 and their caregivers can access free mental health & wellness services anywhere across BC. This information session is open to school professionals, health care/service providers, and caregivers.
Questions? Email online@foundrybc.ca
Seeking Safety
Ages 19-24
Mondays at 4:30pm, starting May 27th 2024 for six sessions
This virtual educational group is open to youth ages 19-24 living in BC who self-identify as having experienced trauma, and are coping with the impacts of these experiences through substance use, self-harm and/or other coping responses that come with their own challenges. This group supports youth who would like to expand their toolkit with new coping strategies and resources to add to the ones they already have, and to create their own, unique path for their healing journey.
Questions? email online@foundrybc.ca
Eating Disorder Caregiver Workshop – Pathways of Support
YMIND Group
THIS GROUP IS NOW ON HOLD.
Please email online@foundrybc.ca to be put on the waitlist for a future cohort.
YMIND is back! This group is a free seven week group program for youth ages 18-24 who are experiencing symptoms of mild-moderate anxiety. Youth will be introduced to and practice evidence based approaches to coping with anxiety within a group of 8-12 people.
To register please email online@foundrybc.ca
Work & Education Workshop Series: Work Life Balance
Tuesday December 5th, 3:30-4:30pm
Struggling to manage work or school with everything else in your life? Want to get better at managing what is on your plate? Join this virtual workshop with the team at Foundry Victoria to talk about what work life balance is, why it matters, strategies for achieving and keeping things balanced. Plus – prizes and games!
Open to youth ages 12-24.(Do not have to be enrolled in the Work & Education Program).
Email us at FWEP@foundrybc.ca if you have any questions.
Work & Education Workshop Series: Goal Setting
Tuesday November 14th, 2:30pm-3:30pm
Thinking about getting a job? Feeling overwhelmed and not sure where to start? Join this virtual workshop with the team at Foundry Vancouver-Granville to learn about setting attainable goals to achieve your work and school goals! We’ll cover SMART goals, breaking down large goals, problem solving, and how to incorporate wellness into achieving your goals.
Open to youth ages 12-24.(Do not have to be enrolled in the Work & Education Program)
Email us at FWEP@foundrybc.ca if you have any questions.
Mindfulness with Caring Jar: Workshop
Thursday November 9th at 5:00pm – 6:30pm PST.
Join Foundry Virtual BC for a virtually guided meditation/visualization workshop focusing on emotional regulation. An ocean-themed calming jar will be sent in the mail directly to those who register before October 9th.
This workshop is for any young person aged 12-24 living in BC!
For questions, please email online@foundrybc.ca
Work & Education Workshop Series: Knowing Your Rights as a Worker
October 10th 2:30pm – 3:30pm
Join this virtual workshop with Alive After 5 Employment Program to learn about how to stay safe and protected in the workplace. We’ll talk about workplace discrimination, how to know if your workplace is unsafe and what you can do about it. We’ll also review BC Employment Standards and WorkSafeBC.
Open to youth ages 12-24. (Do not have to be enrolled in the Work & Education Program).
Email us at FWEP@foundrybc.ca if you have any questions.
Work & Education Workshop Series: Communication Skills for Work & School
September 29th 2:30pm – 3:30pm
It can feel intimidating to ask for help, share your opinion or deal with conflict anywhere, especially at work or in school! Join the Foundry Virtual BC team to learn about different communication styles and what gets in the way of communicating well. We’ll also introduce skills to help you to overcome communication challenges, like regulating strong emotions, considering our needs and practicing the W.I.N. statement for assertive communication.
Open to youth ages 12-24. (Do not have to be enrolled in the Work & Education Program).
Email us at FWEP@foundrybc.ca if you have any questions.
Missed the workshop? Check out the recording HERE.
Work & Education Workshop Series: Workplace Etiquette
August 8th 2:30pm – 3:30pm
You just got a new job, now what? Join the team at Foundry Prince George to learn about how to conduct yourself in your new work environment! We’ll cover punctuality, how to dress, use of personal mobile devices and email etiquette. We’ll also talk about mindfulness, communication and how to navigate relationships at work.
Open to youth ages 12-24. (Do not have to be enrolled in the Work & Education Program).
Email us at FWEP@foundrybc.ca if you have any questions.
New Youth Workshop!
August 30th 5:00pm – 6:00pm
This workshop is for youth ages 12-24. The traditional dreamcatcher is rich with symbolism. In this facilitated workshop, youth explore its origins and meaning while creating a dreamcatcher of their own! Together, we wrap a 6” hoop with white-tail deer leather, weave the artificial sinew, then attach the feathers and beads for a beautiful result. Feathers and leather are sourced locally to Makatew Workshops in Ottawa, Canada. We discuss teachings and topics like cultural appropriation versus appreciation, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, the medicine wheel, and more. Participants are invited to ask questions in a safe and welcoming space.
*Note: We will be sending out Dreamcatcher kits to the first 10 people who join this workshop. Please register before August 9th to receive a kit. You can still join without a kit or bring a project you are working on!
Questions? Email online@foundrybc.ca
Work & Education Workshop Series: Disclosure & Accommodation
June 13th 2:30pm – 3:30pm
Join the team at Foundry Terrace to take a look at how disclosure and accommodation work in the real world! They’ll discuss how and when to disclose or request accommodations at work, as well as your rights as an employee. Tools will be provided to support you in this process.
Email us at FWEP@foundrybc.ca if you have any questions.
Missed the workshop? Check out the recording HERE.
Work & Education Workshop Series: Post-secondary Programs and education supports
July 11th 2:30pm – 3:30pm
Feeling overwhelmed by thinking about post-secondary education? Join the team at Foundry North shore to go over where and how to find information about post-secondary programs. They’ll also explore sources and supports available to fund your education and how to access them.
Open to youth ages 12-24. (Do not have to be enrolled in the Work & Education Program).
Email us at FWEP@foundrybc.ca if you have any questions.
Missed the workshop? Check out the recording HERE.
Brave in Your Body: Summer Cohort
June 7, 14, 21, 28 and July 5th on Wednesdays, 4:00-5:30pm.
Summer time and warmer weather can be a challenging time for folks with poor body image. Join Foundry Virtual for a free 5- week body image group where you will gain tools/skills and explore your relationship to your body. This group is for anyone who has felt the pressure to look a certain way based on society’s standards or is struggling with body image, disordered eating, diet culture or weight stigma.
This session is offered to youth ages 15-24.
Questions? Email online@foundrybc.ca
Cultural Connections: Smudging Workshop
June 5th from 5:00-6:30pm
Join Foundry Virtual BC and Cree/Metis Two-Spirit artist, Lynette, for a cultural connections workshop on the Nehiyaw/Michif Smudging Ceremony. Come and learn about the Smudging Ceremony- a ceremony that is commonly used in Indigenous cultures for self-care and community. Youth who register for this group will receive workshop materials in the mail, so sign up soon!
Questions? Email online@foundrybc.ca
Seeking Safety
May 17th – June 21st. 6:00pm-7:30pm
This group is now full! Please email online@foundrybc.ca to be added to the waitlist for future groups.
This virtual group is open to youth between the ages of 19-24 living in BC who self identify as experiencing past trauma, and are feeling the impacts of these experiences. Symptoms of trauma can include, but are not limited to: anxiety, exhaustion, numbness, isolation, low self worth, fear, anger, etc.) This group will support youth who feel a sense of readiness and would like to develop new coping strategies. This group is based on the Seeking Safety curriculum by Lisa Najavitis.
Questions? Email online@foundrybc.ca