Mental Health Resources
If you are in crisis and need immediate help please contact the Vancouver Island Crisis line at:
ph: 1‑888-494-3888 (24/7)
text: 250-494-3888 (between 6-10)
or online at https://www.vicrisis.ca/
Or go to the Royal Jubilee ER
NEW! READ FOR FREE
Your Mental Health Repair Manual: An Empowering, No-Nonsense Guide to Navigating Mental Health Care and Finding Treatments that work for you.
“It provides tips for patients on understanding their treatment options, how to use them most effectively, and how to better communicate with care providers.”
WEBSITES
Free resource for meditations, podcasts, blog posts, and talks that will help you build resilience and find some calm amidst the chaos. More resources are added as they are created - so keep checking back.
An interactive program designed to help you : identify whether you are having problems with emotions like anxiety and depression, and learn skills that can help you cope with these emotions.
An online therapy tool offering tailored treatments from an online therapist and self-help resources. All services are 100% free and publicly funded by Vancouver Coastal Health.
Antidepressant Skills Workbook
A self-care manual providing strategies on how to effectively manage depression and help guide you on changing patterns that trigger depression. The methods can be used in combination with depression treatments to help increase their effectiveness.
Looking After Yourself Modules
Self-help resources for mental health problems. If you experience a condition that is affecting your mental health and are looking for specific information about different types of problems then the ‘workbooks' or sets of modules may be relevant to you.
A comprehensive list of anxiety resources and tools.
A free skill-building program designed to help adults and youth 15+ manage low mood, mild to moderate depression, anxiety, stress or worry. Delivered online or over the phone with a coach, you will get access to tools that will support you on your path to mental wellness.
(ACT) Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is a unique and creative model for both therapy and coaching, based on the innovative use of mindfulness and values. The aim of ACT is to maximize human potential for a rich, full and meaningful life; to cultivate health, vitality and well-being through mindful values-based living.
A free online eight-week MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction) training course. This course is created by a fully certified MBSR instructor, and is based on the program founded by Jon Kabat-Zinn.
Free Cognitive Behavior therapy guide for people experiencing insomnia.
They offer online training, consultation and support by bringing together young people, families and service providers to learn with and from each other to develop practices that can enhance child and youth mental health support and services.
A comprehensive list of advice and tips on parenting.
A full list of BC mental health resources including a mental health check in tool and low-no cost counseling.
Here2Talk connects students with mental health support when they need it. Through this program, all students currently registered in a B.C. post-secondary institution have access to free, confidential counselling and community referral services, conveniently available 24/7 via app, phone and web.
Young people aged 12-24 and their caregivers can use the app to drop-in or schedule a virtual counselling appointment, find peer support, join a youth group or caregiver group or browse the library of tools and resources.
APPS
Headspace
Calm - good for sleep
Mindshift
CBT iCoach for insomnia
Calm Harm App - for self harm
Calm Fear App - for anxiety
Insight Timer - for meditation
Down Dog Yoga - free yoga, including prenatal!
PODCASTS
Tara Brach