Free Self Help Resources

• Guided mindfulness meditation and relaxation practices, adapted and narrated by Dr. Ong, found here. Practices include the Three Minute Breathing Space and the Body Scan.

• Centre for Applied Research in Mental Health and Addiction (CARMHA) has downloadable self-help workbooks for managing depression, suicidal thoughts, and coping positively with health conditions.

• Mindfulness training - downloadable guided mindfulness practices

• Coping with Anxiety - Mindshift is a free mobile app, developed by Anxiety Canada, to help people cope with anxiety.

Psychology/Health Psychology:                                                     

• Psychosocial factors and cardiovascular disease: http://www.apa.org/monitor/jan01/coverheart.aspx

• Bringing psychology to cardiac care: http://www.apa.org/monitor/jan01/cardiaccare.aspx

• Canadian Psychological Association features good quality information about the practice of psychology and fact sheets on how psychology can help.   

• Support for Caregivers - Caring for a loved one with mental health concerns can be challenging. Resources to support caregivers are available through Vancouver Coastal Health and Here to Help.

• Mood Disorders of Canada provides information, support and advocacy for mood disorders like depression and bipolar disorders.

• Anxiety Canada provides information and resources for anxiety disorders such as panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, social anxiety disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder.

• Pain BC provides valuable information, supports, and resources about chronic pain and self-management (see the free downloadable "pain toolkit").

• Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies features information about psychological symptoms, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), and fact sheets on the effectiveness of CBT.

Sleep

• National Sleep Foundation: features helpful information about sleep, sleep issues, treatments and resources.

• CBT for Insomnia app

• Vancouver Sleep Solutions: sleep apnea assessment and online self-test