05/17/2026
Healing Within Group
Facilitating men’s groups in Punjabi
Gary Thandi, MSW, RSW
Gary Thandi has his Bachelors and Master’s degrees in social work and 25 years' experience in the social services sector. He is Executive Director of the non-profit and registered charity Moving Forward Family Services, which provides low-barrier counselling and support services to residents across Canada
In my 25 years in the field of social services, I’ve had the opportunity to both study and facilitate groups with Punjabi-speaking men. This group includes men whose first language is Punjabi who immigrated to Canada from South Asian countries, such as India and Pakistan.
I’ve been involved in studies to address their mental health and substance use needs, with a focus on culturally responsive prevention and intervention. That means I approach all care with an eye to these men's specific cultural upbringing and social ways. I’ve also facilitated groups with these men on substance use, mental health and intimate partner violence.
I’ve had the chance to engage with many others in the field over the years, too; here I share some of our observations about facilitating groups with Punjabi-speaking men.
A chance to share
While Punjabi men come from a collectivist community, they may not discuss topics like social and emotional health openly within their family and extended family circles. That’s because, as Dr. Nitasha Puri notes, the men may be “influenced by ideas of masculinity and the norms of patriarchy.”
Dr. Puri, a medical doctor in addictions medicine and clinical professor, adds that Punjabi men are often “under intense pressure to be so many things to so many people—financial provider, emotional support partner, very involved fathers, caring sons and sons-in-law.” Group therapy might be the first opportunity in their lives to explore topics like mental health, substance use, stress, the impact of patriarchy, trauma and self-care, she says.
Tejinder Gill is a certified addictions therapist with more than 25 years’ experience working with diverse men and their families impacted by substance use. Gill uses talk therapy and what’s called “motivational interviewing” with this group (where people find their own motivation to change). He says it’s a special honour working with the Punjabi community. He says men often come to group with alcohol use and family conflict problems.
Working in Punjabi can open men up who struggle to express themselves, he adds. “The men are able to express their emotions for the first time openly and not feel judged by anyone. It's always special to work with the South Asian community in a group setting and see the changes made.”
Keeping culture in the group
Therapist Gurmukh Aujla thinks a lot about culture in his work. Aujla facilitates substance use and mental health recovery retreats for men from diverse communities. “Working with South Asian men in group settings lets us take a culturally attuned approach,” he explains, “and shifts us away from Western individualistic models towards a relationship-centred approach, aligning with many South Asian worldviews.”
This approach validates cultural identity and creates a supportive environment where men can explore vulnerability and reconnect with cultural strengths that emphasize belonging, reciprocity and collective well-being,” he adds.
Therapist Keerat Singh agrees. “I have often asked clients this simple question: ‘who are you?’ The simple answer has always been: ‘I am a father, brother, mother, sister, friend or daughter.’ When we connect, we find purpose, connection, shared goals and interests that lead to increased levels of belonging.”
Moving past conflict
Often men are referred to a group program in Punjabi by the courts, social workers or probation officers after some involvement in the criminal justice system or the Ministry for Children and Families. These events do not happen in a vacuum. As Dr. Puri notes, “Structural factors of racism, vulnerable work conditions, immigration issues and legal issues are all adding to the men’s stressors.”
Therapist Sartaj Sandhu agrees. “I’ve noticed that their relationship with conflict and authority isn’t random. It’s shaped by histories of failed justice systems back home and the constant pressure to survive here.” Sandhu says that once trust is built with Punjabi men in group therapy, “they stop trying to ‘work away’ their emotions and start naming the pain.”
He adds, “What struck me most has been how emotional men became the moment their side of the story is finally heard. For many, it’s the first time they aren’t treated as the problem, but as human beings navigating trauma, stigma, migration and systems that rarely listen to them.”
Building on faith
Sandhu makes an important observation by noting that, for Punjabi men, self-care has a unique flavour. He says this care “rarely involves bubble baths and journaling; it's deeply rooted in culture, such as temples, service to the community, responsibility and honour.”
His conclusion? “We cannot support South Asian men by forcing Western templates onto their lives. We support them by understanding the culture that shaped their resilience and the systems that shaped their silence.”
Faith may be a healing factor for Punjabi men. Aujla facilitates a faith-based retreat for Sikh men battling substance use. “The nature-based setting helps soften emotional defenses and mirrors core Sikh principles of humility, interconnectedness and alignment with the natural order.”
Yet, as mental health practitioners, we all also look for what’s universal in the struggles of Punjabi men. “The need to connect begins early in the mother's womb,” says Singh. “This primal need continues throughout our lives, as we connect with parents, peers and our intimate partners.”
Themes uniting Punjabi men
Dr. Puri, meanwhile, says groups with Punjabi men should foster several key themes. These include knowledge and understanding of the brain and mental health, but also connection to:
· family members through healthy communication and empathetic skills for compromise
· the self and spirituality via nature, religion and mindfulness
· community via seva (volunteering)
· others who know the suffering and struggle (peer supports)
Dominant systems of care, while effective, are slow to respond to the needs of diverse communities. My colleagues are at the forefront not just in delivering culturally responsive health care, but also advocating for a system that can better support Punjabi men and all diverse communities.
To Punjabi-speaking men and their families considering accessing group, family or individual services—or anyone interesting in exploring ways to support diverse communities—please reach out through our email address: [email protected].
Related resources:
You can find out more about the work of the counsellors who’ve taken part in this article:
· Learn about Gary Thandi’s non-profit at: movingforward.help
· Visit Keerat Gala’s page at the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors, at: bcacc.ca/counsellors/harkeerat-gala/
· Gurmukh Aujla works at Vaapsi Recovery House, a culturally responsive sober living house. Learn more at: vaapsi.org
· Nitasha Puri and Gary Thandi are part of a long-term research program called Rahi Research. Discover their work at: rahibc.com
· Read Sartaj Sandhu’s profile at: linkedin.com/in/drsartaj/
