Moving Forward Family Services

Moving Forward Family Services Moving Forward Family Services is a registered charity that provides low-barrier counselling for individuals, families, couples, and children.

Our vision at MFFS is to ensure no one is ever turned away from quality counselling services.

12/25/2025
12/24/2025

ਮੁਸੀਬਤ ਵਿੱਚ ਫਸੇ ਹੋ ਤੇ ਸਮਝ ਨਹੀ ਆ ਰਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਕੀ ਕਰਨਾ ਹੈ ? ਤਾਂ ਸੁਣੋ ਇਹ PODCAST
Exclusive Podcast with Gary Thandi

At a time when many local, provincial and federal departments speak of austerity, Moving Forward Family Services (MFFS) ...
12/12/2025

At a time when many local, provincial and federal departments speak of austerity, Moving Forward Family Services (MFFS) is well positioned to advocate for and meet the mental health and well-being needs of our diverse communities.

MFFS is a made-in-Canada solution to address the mental health and wellbeing needs of Canadian residents, using a unique community-based model of care that includes nearly 200 students on practicums for counselling and social work, plus over 300 registered therapists contributing their skills to support tens of thousands of clients in 30+ languages. In 10 years, Moving Forward has provided 100,000+ mental health counselling and support sessions, with an average cost of $5-$7 per session. We are a non-profit that embraces social enterprise, creativity and innovation to address the massive gaps between our public and private mental health counselling models. Most of the services are free, and a client’s financial circumstances will never be a barrier to accessing services. Last year, we provided 20,000+ sessions with our interns and anticipate that number continuing to rise substantially.

We can connect diverse clients to mental health support typically within days (however due to holiday break, there may be longer than usual waits). In addition to individual, couples and family therapy, we offer group programs and psycho-education one-to-one coaching on topics including Life Skills for Adults, Healthy Relationships, Mindfulness, Substance Use Management, Seniors Support, Life Skills for Neurodiverse Adults, Life Skills for Youth, Sleep, Parent Support, Caregiver Support. Many of our clients access 3-4 hours of mental health care support per week.

Such a model makes Moving Forward one of the largest non-profit counselling and support services in Canada, and yet it operates without any directly funded counselling positions from government sectors responsible for publicly funded counselling – we have made inroads in terms of funding support with some federal and provincial bodies, yet the agency in large part relied on the community for much of its operational support (donations, donations of space).

This lack of funding also makes us less susceptible to times of government austerity/priority shifts, allowing for long-term planning and sustainability. We are currently developing a Mental Health and Wellness Ambassador Program, so that we can continue to contribute to continuity of mental health care: a one-stop shop for prevention, early intervention, intervention and maintenance; and nature-based and horticultural therapies at a recently donated farm space. So, at a time of austerity, we will be ramping up, not winding down.

Interesting in collaborating? Please email us at hello@movingforward.help

We strive to become a centre of excellence - by not only providing interns with the opportunity to work with a diverse r...
12/09/2025

We strive to become a centre of excellence - by not only providing interns with the opportunity to work with a diverse range of clients, but by ensuring they are well supported in that effort. Hence our providing individual supervision, 20+ group supervision, and extensive training ... this past term our training manual was 46 pages long!

Outreach at Vaapsi hosted event at Khalsa School, North Surrey soccer, mall in New Westminster, Surrey Schools
12/06/2025

Outreach at Vaapsi hosted event at Khalsa School, North Surrey soccer, mall in New Westminster, Surrey Schools

12/05/2025

How to Cope with the Busy Holiday Season: A Relatable Series Offering Sound Advice

By Amber Mangat, MSW Intern

December often arrives with a mix of joy, stress, and everything in between. At Moving Forward Family Services, we understand how overwhelming this season can feel. From financial pressures and grief to excitement and family obligations, holidays bring a flurry of emotions that can be hard to balance.

As the month unfolds, we will continue sharing daily posts that prioritize emotional well-being, self-care, and boundary-setting. We will also provide tools and resources to help you navigate complex family and peer relationships, preventing emotional fatigue and burnout.

If you or someone you know is struggling with this holiday season, our counsellors and interns are here to help. We offer low-barrier, affordable, and compassionate services designed to meet people where they are. We wish you a gentle and peaceful start to December!

Remember, this holiday season it is okay for you to:

🌅 Start your day slowly, replenishing emotional energy and creating a sense of safety.
😴 Admit when you feel tired and prioritize rest — shorter days and colder weather affect mood and energy.
🚪 Leave a gathering early if you feel overwhelmed; protecting your time and emotional space is self-care.
Creating a holiday routine that honors your personal needs can help you stay grounded, connected, and emotionally regulated throughout the season. 🌟

Our next How to Cope with the Busy Holiday post will continue our journey toward balance and self-care — we hope you will check in!

My favourite place to be has always been behind the scenes, but I realized I needed to get out and step into the spotlig...
11/30/2025

My favourite place to be has always been behind the scenes, but I realized I needed to get out and step into the spotlight – not because I want it – but rather after all these years I figure I have something important to say and an approach that deserves attention. So if I have to step out of my comfort zone, so be it.

MFFS is a made-in-Canada solution to address the mental health and wellbeing needs of Canadian residents, using a unique community-based model of care that includes nearly 200 students on practicums for counselling and social work, plus over 300 registered therapists contributing their skills to support tens of thousands of clients in 30+ languages. In 10 years, Moving Forward has provided 100,000+ mental health counselling and support sessions, with an average cost of $5-$7 per session. We are a non-profit that embraces social enterprise, creativity and innovation to address the massive gaps between our public and private mental health counselling models. Most of the services are free, and a client’s financial circumstances will never be a barrier to accessing services. Last year, we provided 20,000+ sessions with our interns and anticipate that number continuing to rise substantially.

Such a model makes Moving Forward one of the largest non-profit counselling and support services in Canada, and yet it operates without any directly funded counselling positions from government sectors responsible for publicly funded counselling – we have made inroads in terms of funding support with some federal and provincial bodies, yet the agency in large part relied on the community for much of its operational support (donations, donations of space). This lack of funding also makes us less susceptible to times of government austerity/priority shifts, allowing for long-term planning and sustainability. We are currently developing a Mental Health and Wellness Ambassador Program, so that we can continue to contribute to continuity of mental health care: a one-stop shop for prevention, early intervention, intervention and maintenance; and nature-based and horticultural therapies at a recently donated farm space. So, at a time of austerity, we will be ramping up, not winding down.

I welcome the opportunity to connect with anyone who wants to collaborate. I can be reached at gary@movingforward.help or 778-321-3054.

11/29/2025

Honouring a true Mental Health Change Maker ✨

We are proud to highlight Gary Thandi, a dedicated advocate with a Bachelor’s and Master’s in Social Work and over 25 years of experience in the social services sector.

Gary is the Executive Director of Moving Forward Family Services, a non-profit and registered charity he founded after witnessing the heartbreaking reality of having to turn away people in distress. His vision was simple yet powerful: mental health support should be accessible to everyone.

Today, Moving Forward has grown into one of Canada’s busiest community counselling services, with:
⭐ Nearly 200 supervised practicum students
⭐ 30 experienced supervisors
⭐ 300+ alumni offering sliding-scale counselling
⭐ Over 100,000 mental health sessions delivered since 2015

All of this achieved without direct government funding, powered instead by community-university partnerships and a deep commitment to ensuring no one suffers alone.

Gary’s leadership continues to transform mental health access across Canada, proving what compassionate innovation can achieve.

A true champion for change. 🌟

11/12/2025

Address

MULTIPLE SITES
Surrey, BC

Telephone

+17783213054

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Our Story

Moving Forward Family Services opened its doors in 2016 and set about revolutionizing the way people access quality mental health services throughout the Lower Mainland. Frustrated by the need he saw all around, and the lack of integration between primary health care providers and those in the mental health field, our Executive Director Gary Thandi founded Moving Forward Family Services (MFFS). Our vision at MFFS is to ensure no one is ever turned away from quality counselling services because of lack of funds or long waitlists. MFFS uses a client-centered, anti-oppressive approach to provide safe, accessible, affordable counselling to all. If you want counselling, we will provide it. Since we don’t rely on government funding, we turn to the community to support our programs through donations.

In just over two years, MFFS has provided counselling to over 3000 patients ranging in age from 4-94 in donated office space all over the lower mainland for people from literally every corner of the globe. We serve clients in 15 different languages. We receive approximately 30 new client requests every single week. We see clients for depression, anxiety, trauma, addiction, we do couples counselling and see clients who are mandated to attend. We offer group counselling and hold psycho-educational programming as part of our commitment to community-university engagement. The demand is daunting, but our commitment is limitless.

MFFS is a not-for-profit and a registered Canadian charity. We have an active, engaged Board that brings attentive oversight and an impressive breadth of experience to our operations. Our founder and Executive Director oversees a very small team of contracted administrative employees, intern counsellors from schools across Canada and the US, and affiliated clinical counsellors. It is a lean operation with no extras: we hold pot-lucks and we do our own tidying up. Our focus is on delivering high quality counselling services to clients who wouldn’t otherwise be able to access it, and everything we do furthers that mission. We have had enormous impact throughout the community have been honoured to receive many awards and citations since inception, including the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Difference Makers Award and the DRISHTI Magazine Award for Community Engagement.