LOCAL & WEB-BASED RESOURCES
WHO DO I TALK TO?
1
TRUSTED ADULTS
There are many adults in your life that would be happy to sit down and talk to you or help you such as your parents, aunts/uncles, grandparents, or even close family friends.
2
TRAINED PROFESSIONALS
If you feel uncomfortable reaching out to your family, consider looking for trained professionals. Schools often have guidance counsellors who are trained to help, you can seek out community counsellors, or even talk to your doctor about what's going on.
3
CARING FRIENDS
Usually our friends are the people we turn to first. If you are struggling with your mental health, your challenges might need more attention and knowledge than your friends are equipped with. If talking to your friends isn't helping you feel better it's possible you are struggling with your mental health and should seek an adult.
YYC RESOURCES
Calgary Counselling Centre
A charitable organization, CCC delivers counselling services to adults and adolescents on a sliding scale depending on family income.
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The Distress Centre
Offers free, short-term face to face counselling or a wide range of web-based services in connection with Connecteen.
Serenity Now Foundation
Offers a sliding scale model, no session limits, and no wait list.
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Canadian Mental Health Association
Offers counselling for individuals living with and/or supporting someone with mental health challenges on a sliding scale, no one is turned away for financial reasons.
YouthSMART is a CMHA initiative for adolescents.
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WEB-BASED
Anxiety Canada
An interactive webpage that outlines different areas of concern, such as negative thinking patterns or how to practice relaxation techniques, with question/answer sections, helpful tips, and exposure challenges as well as healthy habits and wellness activities to support overall well-being.
TIP: Check out the Smartphone app Mindshift CBT which offers tips, strategies, and psychoeducation around anxiety.
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This website is a comprehensive resource for adolescent mental health which includes a vast “toolbox” section of downloadable publications and curricula with topics ranging from specific disorders (OCD, anxiety, depression) to identifying if a parent is struggling with their mental health. It includes VLOGS from doctors explaining various disorders at length, slideshows explaining the neurology behind some mental health challenges, and ways to connect with others in the community.
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Working as an offshoot of the Distress Center, Connecteen is focused on supplying adolescents with resources while also connecting them with their peers. An adolescent in need can access peer support via the phone or their online chat platform any day or time. Their blog also covers a variety of relatable topics written by adolescents who have had similar experiences. Additionally, being part of the Distress Center offers even more connection to resources and 24/7 support.
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This Smartphone app offers direct access to volunteer listeners who are available 24/7 for support. They also have structured relaxation, meditation, and cognitive behavioural therapy activities that users can go through on their own, as well as mental fitness challenges and community message boards at no cost.
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This Smartphone app is a large resource of guided meditations with the ability to choose specific topics the user would like help with (anxiety, depression, sleep, self-esteem). The meditations can be long and thorough or “mini” and quick, suited to the user’s lifestyle. It has meditation and mindfulness exercises for almost every situation or challenge a person may be facing.