Peer Support
How We Can HelpConnect with volunteers who have experienced concussion or brain injury themselves, are trained to support new members, and can refer survivors to useful community resources.
Peer Support for Concussion and Brain Injury Survivors
A place where you belong.
Living with a concussion or brain injury can feel isolating, but you don’t have to go through recovery alone. The VBIS Peer Support Program connects brain injury survivors across Greater Victoria and the Capital Regional District with a supportive community that understands the challenges of life after brain injury.
Our peer support groups are facilitated by trained volunteers with lived experience of concussion and brain injury. These mentors help guide discussions, share their personal recovery journeys, answer questions, and offer practical coping strategies that have helped them along the way.
Participants can talk openly about symptoms, recovery, relationships, work, and everyday life after brain injury in a safe, welcoming environment.
VBIS hosts weekly brain injury peer support sessions every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, providing consistent opportunities to connect with others who truly understand.
We also offer a Women’s Peer Support Group on Monday mornings, designed for brain injury survivors who identify as women. This group provides a safe and inclusive space to share experiences, explore coping strategies, discuss community resources, and build meaningful connections with others navigating brain injury recovery.
With A Sense of Community
Brain injury and mental health are closely connected. Many concussion and brain injury survivors report losing friendships, feeling misunderstood, or becoming socially isolated after their injury. Research suggests this is often linked to stigma and a lack of public awareness about brain injury (Poritz et al., 2019; Simpson et al., 2000).
The VBIS Peer Support Program helps address this by creating a welcoming community where survivors can connect with others who share similar experiences.
In our groups, participants don’t have to repeatedly explain their symptoms or justify their struggles. Instead, they can focus on healing, learning new coping strategies, and rebuilding social connections.
For many survivors in Victoria and the Capital Regional District, peer support becomes an important part of recovery — offering understanding, encouragement, and hope.
At VBIS, there is always someone ready to listen.
Join a Group Today!
While Peer Support is a drop-in program, those attending group sessions must be existing clients of VBIS. To start the process of becoming a client, contact a member of our team or fill out our online New Client Application. We can’t wait to meet you!