The list below is our selection of the many programs, support groups, apps and self assessments tools available. We suggest it as a starting point for at-home, self-led exploration of mental health techniques.
To the best of our knowledge, these resources are offered in English, and most are free of charge (unless otherwise indicated). Important note: These resources should not be considered as a replacement for seeking professional help when required.
If you are in crisis, please rely on other means of support. If you or someone close to you is in imminent danger, call 911. If you are looking for immediate assistance offered 24/7, please see our Crisis Care Helplines page.
My Anxiety Plan (MAP) by Anxiety Canada
An anxiety management program based on cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), an evidence-based psychological treatment. MAPs for Children, Teens and Adults are easy to navigate and helpful for those with mild to moderate anxiety. Takes around four hours to complete.
A free personalized self-management support tool that can help you regain your balance and feel good again by helping you clearly identify what you are already doing to get better, and then to plan actions to take care of your mental health. This tool can be a complement to treatments such as psychotherapy or medication.
BounceBack by the Canadian Mental Health Association
A free program designed to help adults and youth 14+ manage low mood, mild to moderate depression, anxiety, stress or worry. Working with workbooks and a trained coach to guide you and encourage you to reflect, BounceBack® can help you build skills to improve your mental health.
Bliss by the Centre for interactive Mental Health Solutions
A free eight-session interactive online therapy program for depression that you complete on your own. The program is based on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). It is designed to teach you techniques that have been shown to be effective at improving mood and mental health. Also available as an app.
An online self-help program for ages 14+ designed to help users prevent and manage symptoms of depression and anxiety. It is like an interactive, online self-help book which teaches skills based on cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) through five interactive modules which are completed in order. There is a subscription charge for this program.
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA)
Take an MHFA course virtually or in-person to learn about mental health and stigma, signs and symptoms, effective intervention, resources and supports. Courses last between 9 to 20 hours and cost about $200, depending on the course.
Pyschological First Aid by Red Cross
Learn how to anticipate stress whenever possible and equip yourself with the skillset to practice self-care and to provide care for others during times of stress, crisis or trauma.
Two self-directed Psychological First Aid courses are available online to learn at your own pace: Self-Care and Caring for Others. Each course takes about 90 minutes and costs $20 per course.
Be There Certificate by Jack.org
Primarily designed for youth, this is a self-paced learning experience designed to increase mental health literacy and provide you with the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to safely support anyone who may be struggling with their mental health. The course takes about two hours and is free of charge.
CAMH Mental Health 101 online tutorials on Mental Health, Addiction and Depression
Knowledge is power and these online tutorials are a starting point for learning about mental health so you come away with a greater understanding of core concepts presented and begin to break down barriers and dispel the stigma associated with mental illness and addiction. Free of charge.
Pathfinders Network Training – Coming soon!
Training offered by the Wellness Centre. Gain helpful skills and become a Pathfinder to support others in the local Québec City community in need of psychological support.
E-courses offered for free in English by Homewood Health.
If you are looking for a support group related to a specific mental health matter, see our Mental Health Services page organized by topic.
Below, you will find our selection of online mental health support groups offered in English by other organizations across the province and within Canada.
- Peer Support Warm Line
- Substance Use Peer Support Group
- Togetherall Online Peer Support Forum
- Humanest Meet and Motivate Groups
- Lifewise Group Peer Support
- Lifewise Family Peer Group Support
- Family and friends only: Family & Friends, Young Family & Friends, BPD for Families, South Shore (of Montreal)
- Those suffering from mental illness only: Kaleidoscope
- Mixed groups for both: Anxiety/OCD, Bipolar, Depression, Hoarding
- Peer-to-Peer Community – online support forums for youth (aged 12-26)
See our WE Mind Lending Library. We have a collection of books relating to mental health and well-being available for you to borrow free-of-charge.
Below is a list of other suggested reading which is currently not available in our Lending Library. If you are unable to access, but would be interested in reading, any of these books listed below, please contact Verity, WE Mind Mental Health Program Coordinator by email at vjordan@jhpartners.net.
For adults:
| Title | Author |
| Codependent No More | Melody Beattie |
| Facing Codependence | Pia Mellody |
Women Who Love Too Much | Robin Norwood |
Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway | Susan Jeffers |
Homecoming: Reclaiming and Healing Your Inner Child | John Bradshaw |
When Anger Hurts: Quieting the Storm Within | Mathew McKay, Peter Rogers and Judith McKay |
The Road Less Traveled: A New Psychology of Love, Values, and Spiritual Growth | Scott Peck |
Heart coherence 365: A guide to long lasting heart coherence | David O’Hare |
The Tapping Solution: A Revolutionary System for Stress-Free Living | Nick Ortner |
Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art | James Nestor |
Scattered Minds: A New Look At The Origins And Healing Of Attention Deficit Disorder | Gabor Maté |
The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness and Healing in a Toxic Culture | Gabor Maté |
When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress | Gabor Maté |
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, HER Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed | Lori Gottlieb |
For youth (or their parents):
| Title | Author |
| The Anxiety and Phobia workbook | Edmunds J. Bourne |
| Beyond the Relaxation Response: How to Harness the Healing Power of Your Personal Beliefs | Herbert Benson |
Help for The Hard Times: Getting Through Loss | Earl Hipp |
| Help Your Teenager Beat an Eating Disorder, Second Edition | James Lock & Daniel Le Grange |
Let’s Clear the Air: 10 Reasons Not to Start Smoking | Deanna Staffo |
Young Sober and Free: Experience, Strength, and Hope for Young Adults: Teen-to-teen Stories of Hope and Recovery | Shelly Marshall |
Helping Your Chemically Dependent Teenager Recover: A Guide for Parents and Other Concerned Adults | Peter R Cohen, M.D. |
Sober For Good: New Solutions for Drinking Problems — Advice from Those Who Have Succeeded | Anne M. Fletcher M.S. R.D. |
If Your Adolescent Has Bipolar Disorder: An Essential Resource for Parents | Dwight L Evans, Tami D Benton, Katherine Ellison |
If Your Adolescent Has Depression: An Essential Resource for Parents | Dwight L Evans, Moira A Rynn, Katherine Ellison |
Below is a selection of apps created by mental health services across Canada. Our Wellness Centre Mental Health Program Coordinator has verified that these apps are available in English free of charge on the App Store and Google Play, and are based on recognized principles for maintaining well-being.
For more suggestions, MindTools.io has put together a useful list of platforms and apps, each rated for its quality, source credibility, and explanation of privacy.
PocketWell by Wellness Together Canada
A companion app for Wellness Together Canada which allows you to complete your self-assessment and access Wellness Together Canada resources from your mobile device. PocketWell also has an exclusive, app-only feature: the Mood Meter. Use it to keep a daily log of how you’re feeling and the situations or circumstances that might have affected your mood.
Be Safe by Mind your Mind
Use this app to create a safety plan, find local mental health and addiction resources for support, and be prepared if you find yourself in a crisis. While intended for young people who have experienced or may experience a mental health crisis, it can also be used by everyone, regardless of age.
MindShift by Anxiety Canada
This app uses scientifically proven strategies based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to help you learn to relax and be mindful, develop more effective ways of thinking, and use active steps to take charge of your anxiety. Tools to tackle worry, panic, perfectionism, social anxiety, and phobias. The Community forum feature also enables you to find and offer peer-to-peer support.
The iSMART app (which stands for Stress Monitoring Assessment and Resolution Technologies) was developed by mental health researchers to aid people in managing chronic stress by identifying triggers and neutralizing them more effectively. Across a month, the app will check in with you at regular intervals to ask about your stress levels and use this data and an algorithm to determine when you might be most at risk of experiencing chronic stress. The application will suggest ways to neutralize factors that trigger a stress response in you and give immediate suggestions on how to alleviate anxiety.
+FORT is a mobile application that offers support to young victims of bullying. The app helps them to better understand what they’re going through and offers them strategies to help diminish bullying. The app is easy to use, completely confidential, and prompts the user to confide in an adult when they feel ready.
Audio tracks for adults
- Progressive muscle relaxation
- Body scan
- Diaphragmatic breathing
- Paced breathing
- Guided visualisation
- Guided meditation
- Guided self hypnosis with positive affirmations
HelpGuide – Audio meditations
This website offers a variety of guided meditation audio tracks, including progressive muscle relaxations, body scans, mindful breathing, gratitude, meditations for sleep.
Audio tracks for children
Your Calm Spot – Calming strategies for children
This web app, developed by Dr. Nancy Heath from McGill University, provides youth with evidence-based, age-appropriate stress management and mindfulness-based strategies they can practice on their own, in the classroom, or at home. All strategies are presented audio-visually in both French and English.
The resources listed below are at home assessments and evaluations that you can do yourself. Again, we would like to remind you that they should not be considered as a replacement for seeking professional help when required.
If you are looking for a professional assessment and evaluation for a mental health illness, please visit our Mental Health Services page.
Create a free account through Wellness Together Canada to access their quick self-assessment that asks about your mood, well-being, and functioning (whether you feel able to carry out your regular activities).
Use the mental health meter to help you determine how mentally fit you are.
An interactive questionnaire with 25 questions to identify if different forms of intimate partner violence are present in your relationship with your partner or ex-partner.
