The Whistler Waldorf School is partnering with the Whistler Health Care Foundation to launch the Community Youth Mental Health Speaker Series. The first event will take place on Thursday, November 7, at the Maury Young Arts Centre, featuring renowned speaker and advocate Guy Felicella.
The series, titled Shifting Perspectives: Stories of Mental Health, Adversity, and Resilience, aims to bring diverse voices together to address youth mental health, focusing on overcoming adversity and building resilience. This three-part series is designed to foster community dialogue around these critical issues.
Guy Felicella, a prominent advocate for drug policy reform and harm reduction, will share his journey of overcoming a decades-long battle with substance use disorder.
Felicella’s story includes his struggles with trauma, a learning disability, and emotional pain that led him into a cycle of addiction, homelessness, and gang involvement in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Now over a decade in recovery, Felicella is a leading voice for trauma therapy and reformed drug policies, offering a message of hope and transformation, particularly for youth facing mental health and addiction challenges.
“Bringing the Sea to Sky community together to discuss youth mental health and resilience is crucial,” said Ali Blancher, High School Program Coordinator at the Whistler Waldorf School. “Our young people face unprecedented challenges today, and it’s vital to address these topics openly. Hosting speakers like Guy Felicella allows us to inspire meaningful conversations that can make a real difference in the lives of our youth.”