Our team offers individual, couple, and family mental health counselling in Toronto free of charge. We do our best to make services accessible and low barrier and are committed to supporting community members wherever they may find themselves.
Counsellors at YSM can support community members who may be experiencing:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Social Isolation
- Trauma
- Relationship Conflict
- Grief
- Addiction
- Or any other emotional difficulty
Mental health counselling Toronto: offering the services you need
For the comfort and convenience of our clients, YSM is now offering remote counselling for mental health by phone or video.
Many of the group sessions, listed below, are also being offered virtually as a convenient option.
If you are in crisis and need immediate support, please contact:
- Gerstein Crisis Centre: call 416 929 5200
- Toronto Distress Centre: call 416 408 4357
- Kids Help Phone: Call 1 800 668 6868 OR Text HOME to 686868
- Call 911
Walk-In and Ongoing Tele-Counselling:
- For more information on how to register for counselling (individual ongoing or virtual walk-in), click here.
- To be connected with a counsellor for a single session or to set up ongoing appointments please call 416 355 3568.
- We’re open Monday to Friday from 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM, and Thursdays from 10:00 AM – 7:30 PM. If the line is busy, please leave a message with your name and number and we will return your call as soon as possible.
Virtual Groups:
- Anger Management: This group focuses on finding ways to process and deal effectively with anger. To register, call 416 929 9614 x 2269
- Trauma and Transformation: This psycho-educational group focuses on fostering safety to support people with past trauma. To register, call 416 929 9614 x 3235
Questions about psychiatry:
- Youth (16-24): Call 416 929 9614 x 2200
- Adults (24+): Call 416 929 9614 x 3235
- Ask about our alternative options if you do not have access to a phone/wifi. Download our Mental Health and Counselling Services flyer here.
YSM offers three types of mental health counselling services to help meet the needs of youth and adults in our community: walk-in counselling, ongoing counselling, and group sessions & workshops. To determine which of our free mental health counseling services are right for you, information about each of our offerings can be found in the following sections.
1. Walk-in counselling
For the comfort and convenience of our clients, we are offering tele-counselling. To connect with a counsellor, please call 416 355 3568. This service is available Monday to Friday from 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM, and Thursdays from 10:00 AM to 7:30 PM. If the line is busy, please leave your name and number and we’ll get back to you ASAP.
Whether you are looking to learn more about our free mental health counselling in Toronto, have a short conversation, or address an immediate problem, we are here to support you.
Hours of operation:
We offer two options for walk-in mental health counseling services for youth and adults. They are available at the following dates, times, and locations:
|
Program |
Date & Time |
Location |
|
Walk-in Clinic (Ages 16+) |
Thursday, 3:30 pm – 7:30 pm |
YSM Davis Centre 270 Gerrard St. E., Toronto |
|
Drop-in Youth (Ages 16 – 24) |
Monday – Friday, 1:00 pm – 4:30 pm |
YSM Evergreen Centre 365 Spadina Ave., Toronto |
How to book an appointment:
This is a walk-in service, so no appointments are necessary. Simply visit us and ask to speak with one of our counsellors.
Keep in mind that wait times may vary significantly depending on a variety of circumstances.
If you have any questions, please call 416 355 3568 for more information.
What to expect at your appointment:
- Reception: Once you have signed in at reception, you will be greeted by our program assistant and led to the waiting room.
- Intake: The program assistant will give you some general forms to fill out while you wait.
- Session: When it’s your turn, your counsellor will greet you and meet with you for 45 minutes in the counselling office.
- Consultation: Your counsellor will lead you back to the waiting room while they speak with the counselling team for 10-15 minutes to supply you with resources.
- Closure: Your counsellor will speak with you for another 15 minutes in the counselling office to give you the resources provided by the counselling team and close the session.
2. Ongoing counselling
For the comfort and covenence of our clients, we are offering tele-counselling. To connect with a counsellor, please call 416 355 3568. This service is available Monday to Friday from 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM, and Thursdays from 10:00 AM to 7:30 PM. If the line is busy, please leave your name and number and we’ll get back to you ASAP.
Our free mental health counselling is a beneficial service in Toronto for those with ongoing struggles who require assistance improving their mental health. Youth, adults, and families in need can receive up to 12 sessions with a professional counsellor to help them get back on their feet and work towards recovery.
Ongoing counselling is an incredible resource for those looking for continued support and aiming to invest in their mental health.
There are two streams of this service, depending on the participants’ age:
|
Program |
Counselling Office Location |
|
Youth (Ages 16 – 24) |
Evergreen Centre (365 Spadina Ave) |
|
Adults (Ages 25+) |
Davis Centre (270 Gerrard St. E) |
How to book an appointment:
Please call 416 355 3568 to book an appointment or get more information.
3. Group sessions & workshops
For the comfort and convenience of our clients, our workshops are being offered either virtually or in person. Please call the number provided for more information about your group session of interest. If the line is busy, please leave your name and number and we’ll get back to you ASAP.
We offer a variety of groups and workshops where you can find community and specialized support. These are the main group sessions we offer currently:
Anger Management (virtual and in-person)
This group focuses on finding ways to process and deal effectively with anger. Participants are taught techniques and practices for better self-regulating their emotions. They are also provided with psychoeducational materials that allow for engagement within the group. The program runs for 6 weeks.
How to attend:
Meetings take place every Monday, from 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm, at YSM Evergreen Centre (365 Spadina Ave.).
How to register:
To register, please speak to Nazreth by calling 416 929 9614 x 2269, or emailing nmebrahtu@ysm.ca.
Learn more about our group by checking out this flyer.
YSM's Mental Health and Counselling Services Calendar
Trauma and Transformation (in-person)
This psychoeducational group fosters safety to support people with past trauma. The group setting allows participants to gain a better understanding of their situation while showing support for the other attendees. Everyone feels safe to explore their mental health while encouraging each other to journey forward.
How to attend:
Meetings take place every Tuesday, from 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm, at the Davis Centre (270 Gerrard St. E.).
How to register:
To register, please speak to Kayon Green by email at kgreen@ysm.ca.
Learn more about our online group by reviewing this flyer if you’re new to the program, or this Level 2 flyer if you’ve already completed Level 1.
Youth Advisory Committee
We are looking for youth from ages 18-29 from diverse cultures and races who are currently dealing with issues prevalent in the community such as unemployment, isolation, anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and / or involvement with the criminal justice system.
How to register:
To register, please speak to Nazreth by calling 416 929 9614 x 2269, or emailing nmebrahtu@ysm.ca.
Learn more about the group in this flyer.
Breaking Free from Trauma (virtual and in-person)
Sometimes bad things happen that are not our fault. We provide a safe space to learn, listen, and share, and together, we’ll learn ways to cope with the effects of these experiences as we journey towards healing.
How to attend:
Meetings take place on Thursdays, from 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm.
How to register:
To register, please speak to Kerry Brown by calling 416 929 9614 x 3236, or emailing kbrown@ysm.ca.
Learn more about this group in our flyer.
Art Therapy Trauma Informed Group (virtual)
Art therapy combines the process of art making an psychotherapy to help individuals explore and express their thoughts and emotions in a safe, non-judgmental environment. No art skills needed to join – only basic art materials!
How to attend:
To join the open group, come to the Martin Centre at 306 Gerrard Street East on Tuesdays from 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm. If you’ve participated in the Trauma & Transformation group (Level 2), you can join the closed group instead on Tuesdays from 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm.
How to register:
To register, please speak to Mafalda by calling 416 355 3568, or emailing msilva@ysm.ca.
Learn more about the open group here, or the closed group here.
Connecting you with a psychiatrist
At YSM we have a network of volunteer healthcare professionals that includes psychiatrists, allowing us to match you with a psychiatrist who is the right fit for you and / or your family.
Please note: the length of time needed to connect you with a psychiatrist is dependent on availability.
In all cases, referrals to psychiatry are based on a needs assessment.
There are two ways you can get connected with a psychiatrist: by calling to make an appointment or visiting a location to meet with a counsellor in person who can make a referral.
1. Make an appointment over the phone
Please call 416 929 9614 x 2200.
2. For youth (aged 16-24), visit YSM’s Evergreen Centre, 365 Spadina Ave
Psychiatric consultations are available at Evergreen on Mondays and Tuesdays, but require an appointment. Call 416 929 9614 x 2238 to make or change an appointment.