Wellness & Mental Health

START for Life skills training

START for Life (Success through ART®—Aggression Replacement Training®) has been a life skills development program for individuals aged 18+ since April 2004. It uses ART®, a cognitive-behavioral intervention developed in the 1980s by Arnold P. Goldstein and Barry Glick, consisting of three components: Social Skills Training (behavioural), Anger Control Training (affective), and Moral Reasoning (cognitive) to target aggressive and violent behavior by incorporating how we think and behave while integrating new skills to foster healthy living.

START for Life is tailored according to the specific learning requirements of the pre-registered participants. Participants receive instruction to enhance the social skills necessary for good interpersonal communication, anger control, and decision-making. Program activities include reflective discussions, role modeling, and demonstrations. It is facilitated in 3-week sessions throughout Winter, Spring, and Fall from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturdays. The registration fee is $300 (payment options can be arranged for those in need) which includes:

  • 15 training hours in 6 group sessions
  • 8 individualized sessions
  • Course curriculum
  • Certificate of completion

The Skills for Life sessions available are as follows:

2025

  • Spring Session 1: April 19, 26, and May 3, 2025
  • Spring Session 2: June 14, 21, and 28, 2025
  • Summer Session: July 12, 19, and 28, 2025
  • Fall Session 1: September 13, 20, and 27, 2025
  • Fall Session 2: October 18, 25, and November 1, 2025
  • Fall Session 3: November 15, 22, and 29, 2025

2026

  • Winter Session 1: January 10, 17, and 24, 2026
  • Winter Session 2: February 14, 21, and 28, 2026
  • Spring Session 1: March 14, 21, and 28, 2026

 

Marjorie

When I was first told that I need to take an anger management class I laughed but, a couple of minutes later it hit me, and I realized how much I need it. These 10 weeks have helped me in areas I did not even know I needed help in.

Lawrence

This was a very enriching program. I used to be rude because I thought that was the only way I could get someone to listen but now I realize that it doesn’t work like that. I was able to recognize my negative behaviours and turn them into something positive.

Samuel

I didn’t want to go into the [START for Life] program because I thought that it would not work.   Fast forward to tonight, everything that we talked about over the last 10 weeks has transformed my life. The program was designed in such an easy way that anyone can grasp it. It causes you to be self-aware of all the small things in life. I learned to understand the feelings of others and to treat them appropriately. My favorite part of the program was the moral reasoning. It is a tremendous program and I want to thank all the facilitators for doing a great job.

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