About The Haven

The Haven recognizes the traditional and unceded territories of the Snuneymuxw First Nations on whose ancestral lands we work, live, and play. We are grateful to them and all indigenous peoples for their ongoing stewardship of these ancestral lands and waters which they’ve caretaken for thousands of years.

Established in 1983, the Haven is a not-for-profit Centre for Transformational Learning on beautiful Gabriola Island in British Columbia, Canada.

We offer experientially based programs devoted to understanding ourselves and others, and creating a life you want. Our leaders are trained in a range of disciplines including western and eastern medicine, education, somatic experiencing, psychotherapy, trauma-informed counseling, and body and breath work. They’ve also trained here at the Haven in our diploma in counseling and group facilitation program.

Programs are offered in-person and are grounded in a fundamental respect for the uniqueness of each person and the belief that everybody matters.

Are you looking to:

  • Recover from the stress of the pandemic
  • Settle and soothe your nervous system
  • Learn communication tools to
    • come forward with honesty and caring
    • connect more deeply
    • have hard conversations
    • repair broken relationships
  • Clarify and speak your boundaries
  • Live in a more embodied and grounded way
  • Experience more meaningful relationships
  • Learn to express your anger in a safe and responsible way
  • Express your grief over
    • Personal losses
    • Isolation and disruption
    • Despair about the state of the world
    • Other overwhelming life-circumstances
  • Slow down and integrate your body-mind-spirit
  • Find more meaning and purpose in your life

For almost 40 years we’ve been synthesizing and developing innovative approaches to learning. Our programs inspire people from a diversity of backgrounds and communities to listen more deeply, share with others in ways that acknowledge and reach across our differences, and connect with curiosity, openness, and generosity of spirit.

We believe people grow and learn in different ways. Our programs offer many doorways (mental, emotional, physical, spiritual, and relational) to learning, exploring, and growing in a caring and respectful environment.

In these times of challenge and change in our lives, our communities, and our world, we continue to offer our tried-and-true core programming, like our 5-day Come Alive and 25-day Living Alive programs, as well as a range of new programs, online and in-person, with even more resources and tools for navigating change, opportunities to connect with others in community, and time for reflection and renewal.

Check out our current program offerings here.

The Haven is a not-for-profit charitable educational institute registered with the BC Private Training Institutions Branch (PTIB). As a federally registered educational charity in Canada our charitable number is 89280-6407 RR0001. In the United States, our charitable number is 30-0278642.