Is Loneliness in Vancouver a Real Problem?
By Calen Trentini
Navigating social life in a major city can often feel surprisingly isolating, especially in a place like Vancouver where connecting with others comes with its own unique set of hurdles. From the rise of digital convenience that replaces in-person hangouts to the frustrating reality of last-minute cancellations, frequently referred to locally as "getting Vancouver'd", building a solid community takes real effort.
Fortunately, feeling lonely doesn't have to be a permanent state of affairs. By treating socialization more intentionally, tackling unhelpful thought patterns, or working through these challenges with professional guidance, you can break the cycle and start building meaningful connections that truly last.
Video transcript:
Is loneliness in Vancouver a problem? What is it about living in Vancouver that makes people feel so lonely? Well, let's think about this.
There was a survey that found one third of Vancouverites report difficulty making friends, and a quarter of us say we feel alone more than we'd like. In fact, it got so bad our former mayor launched a task force to combat loneliness.
And that was 15 years ago, a lot's changed since then. Now we have DoorDash, Uber Eats, Reddit, Twitch, Tinder, Hinge, YouTube, you name it, any reason we had to socialize and make friends has been engineered out by social media.
And for those of us who do try to make friends, that comes with its own problems. You could have unfulfilling social interactions, social anxiety, you could have someone cancel on you last minute, something that's so common in Vancouver, we call it getting Vancouver'd.
These are legitimate problems, but it doesn't mean that there aren't solutions. I've had so many clients come to me with loneliness and we've implemented some really practical things. Sometimes it's like treating making friends as if it's a numbers game and maximizing the amount of interactions you have through different activities that you do.
Or it can be taking a look under the hood and figuring out what unhelpful thoughts and feelings might be getting in the way of the life that you wanna live. Or maybe it's something entirely unique to you. Whatever it is though, it can be worked on in therapy to help you get back on track.
Book a free consultation at vantherapy.ca
About the author: Calen Trentini
I spent ten years as a coach and manager in the tech industry before training as a counsellor, and I bring a practical, grounded approach to that work now. My capstone research focused on therapeutic interventions for cannabis use disorder, and I draw on acceptance and commitment therapy, motivational interviewing, and dialectical behaviour therapy in my work with clients navigating anxiety, stress, burnout, addiction, and grief.
I offer a free 15-minute consultation so you can get a sense of what working together would be like and decide if we're the right fit.
