#15 - Battling Depression & Anxiety in a South Asian Home with Nisany

Nisany is a registered psychotherapist qualifying in Ontario. She offers free counseling sessions and is a content creator around mental health. TRIGGER WARNING: In this episode, we talk about depression, abuse, and other topics that might be difficult for some listeners. We talk about finding a therapist, communicating with your parents, abusive relationships, drugs, coping mechanisms, and more. This is meant to open discussions about therapy, counseling and mental health within our South Asian community.
Follow Nisany on IG @nisany_
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Below is a list of Virtual Individual Therapy available in the Greater Toronto Area.
Mental health resources Crisis Talk Suicide 1-833-456-4566 (available 24/7)Text 45645 (available 4pm to 12am)   
Toronto Distress Centres 416-408-4357 
Self-help Bounce Back program
- online free self-help program for individuals 15 and up with mild to moderate anxiety or depression or difficulties feeling low, stressed, worried, irritable or angry. https://bouncebackontario.ca/ 
Anxiety Canada
- online resource with information about anxiety related issues https://www.anxietycanada.com/ 
Mood Disorders Society of Canada
- online resource with information about various mood and anxiety
related difficulties such as depression, bipolar disorder etc. https://mdsc.ca/ 
ConnexOntario
- support with health care service information. If unsure what services
you may need or have questions about how to access services in your
area, staff at ConnexOntario can help. 1-866-531-2600 (available 24/7) https://www.connexontario.ca/en-ca/ 
Family doctor -
if you have a family doctor they are a great initial point of contact. They can help guide you through the mental health system and send referrals for therapy. When in doubt, they are a good starting point. 
Therapy (free or sliding scale)Ontario Structured Psychotherapy Program (OSPP) - FREE
-  virtual or in person cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for mood and anxiety related disorders such as depression, generalized anxiety, OCD and PTSD. No diagnosis required.  Self-referral or referral by a
health care provider.  This program is offered at various sites throughout the province.   https://www.ontarioshores.ca/services/ontario-structured-psychotherapy-program 
Family health teams - FREE
- if you have a family doctor who works with a family health team, there is a good chance that there are therapists on staff available to patients at the clinic.  To obtain a referral, speak with your family doctor. 
Community agencies offer therapy on a sliding scale based on income. For individuals receiving ODSP, OW or another form of social assistance, therapy is typically free.  Therapy at a community agency is usually more affordable than therapy through a private clinic. Some agencies offering this services in Toronto include: 
- Family Service Toronto https://familyservicetoronto.org/  
- Catholic Family Services of Toronto https://www.cfstoronto.com/ -
There are many family services agencies including Jewish Child and Family and Native Child and Family that offer similar services.  Note that you do not need to be a member of a particular community or
religious background to receive therapy.  
Private therapy (fee for service) 
Psychology Today - online registry of therapists https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca Affordable Therapy Network - another online registry of therapists https://affordabletherapynetwork.com/