Mental health has never been discussed more openly than it is today, yet access to care remains a challenge. In Surrey, Moving Forward Family Services is quietly doing the work many assume belongs to large government systems – and in many cases, reaching as many people as they do.

“Most people think because we’re a nonprofit, we must be publicly funded,” says Gary Thandi, Executive Director of Moving Forward Counselling. “We receive no funding from the government sectors that are primarily responsible for publicly-funded counselling, , yet we’re supporting thousands of people – often the very same people the public system can’t keep up with.”

That independence is what makes Moving Forward so unique – not just in Surrey, but across Canada and even internationally. Without the restrictions of government funding, the organization operates as a true grassroots service. “There’s no wrong door,” Thandi explains. “If someone comes to us wanting counselling, we will support them. They don’t have to fit a rigid set of criteria or wait a year for an intake call.”

Instead of focusing solely on crisis response, Moving Forward embraces early intervention and prevention, aiming to meet people before they reach breaking points. “Too often, the public system waits until significant harm has already been done. We want to flip that approach,” Thandi says.

The organization also takes a holistic view of mental health, recognizing its ripple effects on families and communities. Traditional systems tend to silo individuals into different programs – for individual issues – though mental health and substance use often impacts families and communities, and cuts across sectors like health, education, and criminal justice. Moving Forward offers a more integrated and family-centred model, with counselling available in over 30 languages, flexible evening and weekend hours, and access to complementary individual psycho-educational support and group programs alongside one-on-one therapy. 

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Beyond its general counselling services, Moving Forward has also launched innovative initiatives such as:

  • The Veteran Wellness Program, funded by Veterans Affairs, which helps veterans and their families navigate trauma and reintegrate into civilian life.

  • The LIFT Program, supported by Women and Gender Equality Canada, designed to remove barriers for women of colour seeking leadership opportunities in small to medium-sized organization

  • Psycho-educational one-to-one support on topics such as life skills, healthy relationships, mindfulness, parenting, substance use management, self-esteem, seniors support and more

“These programs reflect what communities themselves have been asking for,” says Thandi. “We don’t dictate how support should look – we listen, and then we build services around those needs.”

For Thandi, the passion lies in applying evidence to practice. “For decades, we’ve known prevention matters. We’ve known mental health services should be flexible, culturally responsiveholistic, integrated with other services to offer a continuum of care, and accessible. . At Moving Forward, alongside other like-minded grassroots agencies, we’re actually doing it.”

He’s quick to add that no single agency can tackle mental health alone. “This work cuts across education, health and social services. We need like-minded organizations to collaborate rather than compete. That’s how we build a truly integrated system of care.”

In Surrey and beyond, Moving Forward Counselling is proving that with innovation, collaboration and a commitment to low-barrier access, meaningful change in mental health care is possible.

Looking for support? Call 877-485-5025 or email [email protected]. Moving Forward offers accessible, culturally responsive counselling – get started today and take the first step toward healing and growth.