Resources
Reaching out for help can feel intimidating, especially when you’re struggling. But support is available in many forms, from self-help tools to therapy, and it’s okay to start wherever you feel comfortable.
If you’re ever in crisis or worried about your immediate safety, urgent help is available 24/7 through crisis lines, hospitals, and emergency services.
Crisis Resources
Call 911 if you are at imminent risk of harming yourself or another person, or visit your nearest emergency room.
To speak to someone if you are thinking about suicide:
ConnexOntario
Free, confidential support for mental health, addiction, and gambling concerns. Available 24/7 across Ontario via text or phone.
Good2Talk (Post-Secondary Students)
Text GOOD2TALKON to 686868
Free, 24/7 mental health support for Ontario college and university students.
Talk Suicide Canada
24/7 crisis line for suicidal thoughts, intent, or emotional distress.
Population Specific Services
Assaulted Women’s Helpline
24-hour crisis support for women experiencing any form of abuse.
Ontario Caregiver Helpline
Emotional support, information, and service navigation for caregivers.
Boots On The Ground (Ontario-Wide)
Peer support Available 24/7 for first responders
Victim Services Ontario
For victims (all genders) of violence, abuse and crime
Peer Support for First Responders and Public Safety Personnel
Boots On The Ground (Ontario-Wide)
Confidential, anonymous peer-support line answered by current and retired First Responders. Support for police, fire, paramedics, corrections, and other emergency personnel.
Badge of Life Canada (National)
Peer-support, education, resources, and family supports for First Responders living with PTSD or operational stress injuries. Offers peer groups, workshops, and community.
Wounded Warriors Canada
Provides trauma-informed clinical programs, group therapy, couples therapy, and family support for Canadian Veterans and First Responders. Includes programs for PTSD, OSI, and trauma-related challenges.
PSPNET: Online Support for Public Safety Personnel
PSPNET offers free, confidential, online cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) courses specifically designed for current and former public safety personnel (PSP), including first responders and their spouses/significant others.
Fact sheets / Information Sheets
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) fact sheets.
Canadian Psychological Association Fact Sheets
Self-help Books/Resources
Self-help resources do not replace therapy but can be helpful. Here are some recommended books:
Anxiety
Worry Less, Live More (Orsillo & Roemer, 2016)
The Anti-Anxiety Program (Norton & Antony, 2021)
The Cognitive Behavioral Workbook for Anxiety
Panic
Mastery of Your Anxiety & Panic — Workbook (Barlow & Craske, 2022)
10 Simple Solutions to Panic (Antony & McCabe, 2004)
Social Anxiety
The Shyness & Social Anxiety Workbook (Antony & Swinson, 2017)
OCD
Getting Over OCD (Abramowitz, 2018)
Generalized Anxiety
The Worry Workbook (Robichaud & Buhr, 2018)
Mastery of Your Anxiety & Worry — Workbook (Craske & Barlow, 2006)
Phobias
Mastering Your Fears and Phobias — Workbook (Antony, Craske, Barlow, 2006)
Post-traumatic stress
Getting Unstuck from PTSD (Resick, Wiltsey Stirman, LoSavio, 2023)
Depression
Mind Over Mood (Greenberger & Padesky, 2016)
The Behavioral Activation Workbook for Depression (Josefowitz & Swallow, 2024)
Perfectionism
When Perfect Isn’t Good Enough (Antony & Swinson, 2009)
Other
You can find resources on a variety of clinical mental health topics at the Centre for Clinical Intervention. https://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/Treatment/Program-Brochures
The ADAA (Anxiety and Depression Association of America) list of self-help books focusing on anxiety/OCD/depression. https://adaa.org
Podcasts
On Psych
On Psych is a podcast by the Ontario Psychological Association that shares easy-to-understand conversations about mental health, psychology, and well-being with experts in the field.
Quick Takes
Quick Takes is a CAMH podcast that provides short, practical, easy-to-understand episodes where mental-health experts share up-to-date information, treatment insights, and helpful education for clinicians and the general public.
Thoughts on Record
Thoughts on Record is a podcast where mental-health experts talk about anxiety, trauma, depression, and overall well-being in a clear, supportive, and easy-to-understand way.
Boots on the Ground Peer Support Podcast
A Canadian podcast where police, fire, EMS, dispatch, and corrections members share real stories about PTSD, trauma, recovery, and peer support in an honest, destigmatizing way.
OHIP-Covered Services
Ontario Structured Psychotherapy Program (OSP) - Across Ontario
OSP provides free, evidence-based CBT for anxiety, depression, OCD, PTSD, and related conditions, delivered by trained clinicians through individual or group therapy and guided self-help.
Anxiety Treatment & Research Centre (ATRC) – St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton
The ATRC offers OHIP-covered assessment and treatment programs for anxiety disorders, OCD, PTSD, and related conditions using CBT, exposure therapy, and group-based interventions.
Sunnybrook Hospital – Frederick W. Thompson Anxiety Disorders Centre
Sunnybrook’s Thompson Centre provides specialized, OHIP-covered assessment and treatment for OCD, anxiety disorders, PTSD, and related conditions, including gold-standard therapies such as ERP and CBT.
Support for Families
Loving Someone With Anxiety (Thieda, 2013) - A practical guide to understanding anxiety and supporting a loved one without enabling avoidance.
The Family Guide to Getting Over OCD (Abramowitz, 2021) - Evidence-based guidance for families on how to support ERP and reduce reassurance.
Helping Your Loved One with PTSD (Williams & Poijula) - A compassionate guide for families on what PTSD is, how to respond, and what helps vs. hurts.
When Someone You Love Is Depressed (Rosen & Amador) - Helps families understand depressive symptoms and support healthy behaviour change.
CAMH Family Resource Centre- Guides and fact sheets for families supporting someone with mental illness. https://www.camh.ca/en/families-and-caregivers
NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Family Resources - Practical information on supporting loved ones across mental health concerns https://www.nami.org/Support-Education/Support/Family-Members-and-Caregivers