Mental Health Resources and Tools
This is where you’ll find our ever-growing list of mental health resources to try and find some help. If you’re looking for educational resources, please look at our Expert Content section. If you’re looking for a list of clinicians who have volunteered with us, please look at our Listing.
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If you or someone you know is in crisis, in need of immediate intervention, and based in the US, please visit the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline or call 1-800-273-8255. Information for other countries/areas can be found here.
Crisis Lines
When experiencing an emotional/mental health crisis, it can be helpful to talk to someone trained to support people in your situation. Here are some popular American and international lines that offer free support for up to 24 hours a day. More international and state-based lines can be found at Suicide.org.
International
- International Association for Suicide Prevention – Lists crisis centers & lines in Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, and South America.
United Kingdom
- Samaritans – 116 123 (UK) | 116 123 (ROI): UK-based helpline for mental health support, suicide prevention, and other issues.
Australia
- Lifeline Australia – 13 11 14: Australian crisis support and suicide prevention. Offers online support chat as well as phone chat.
United States/Canada
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – 1-800-273-8255: American crisis support and suicide prevention.
- Games and Online Harassment Hotline – Text SUPPORT to 23368 from anywhere in the USA 4-7PM PT, M-F. A free, text message-based, confidential emotional support hotline, created specifically for the gaming community.
- Stack Up – A military charity supporting veterans’ mental health through gaming. Stack Up’s trained suicide prevention volunteers, Overwatch, are online to help veterans and civilians 24/7 if you’re feeling overwhelmed and don’t know where to turn.
- Trans Lifeline – 877-565-8860 (US) | 877-330-6366 (CANADA): Crisis support line staffed by transgender volunteers offering support for transgender people. Available 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. PST.
- The Trevor Project – 1-866-488-7386: American crisis support and suicide prevention for LGBT youth ages 13-24.
- Veterans Crisis Line – Call 1-800-273-8255, Text 838255: Support line for U.S veterans, staffed 24/7 by Department of Veterans Affairs responders. Online chat is also available.
- Crisis Text Line (Canada) – Text 686868: Canadian message-based crisis support and suicide prevention
- Warmlines (US) – A warmline is a peer-run listening line staffed by people in recovery themselves and listed by state.
Therapist Directories
Considering looking for a therapist? We have an infographic and a flowchart that may help you decide what you need.
Below are searchable databases that list oodles of mental health professionals, and they can make finding a therapist much easier. They typically allow you to filter your search by a number of preferences, such as zip code, type of therapy, specialties, and insurance provider. Some even let you filter out things like the providers who are not taking new patients or those who provide services on a sliding scale. Once you’ve located some therapists in your area, our guide can help you find a good match.
Online Therapy Resources
Online therapy is an alternative to face-to-face therapy that’s often chosen because it can be less expensive, more accessible or less intimidating. Before choosing online therapy over in-person therapy, read the American Psychological Association’s recommendations. Below are some popular online therapy services that may be available in your area.
- 7 Cups of Tea: Free online text chat with trained non-clinician listeners and paid online therapy with licensed therapists.
- BetterHelp: Paid phone, live chat, and asynchronous messaging with licensed therapists.
- Breakthrough: Paid online appointments with licensed therapists.
- Doctor On Demand: Paid video chat with psychologists, psychiatrists and primary care physicians
- Talkspace: Paid plans for messaging or live talk with a therapies, supporting solo and couples therapy.
Culturally-Specific Therapeutic Support (US)
- Ethel’s Club: A social and wellness club designed to celebrate people of color, online and IRL. Ethel’s Club is hosting two free, one hour virtual group healing & grieving sessions open to Black people across the world.
- Therapy for Black Girls: An online space committed to encouraging the mental wellness of black women and girls. It features a directory of therapists as well as a weekly podcast highlighting all things mental health for black women.
- Latinx Therapy: Bilingual therapist directory and podcast working towards destigmatizing mental well-being in the Latinx community.
- South Asian Mental Health Initiative & Network: Non-profit that addresses the mental health needs of the South Asian community in the U.S. with education, resources, and services.
- National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network: Works to increase direct access to queer and transgender mental health practitioners, provide resources rooted in social justice and liberation, as well as technical assistance for social justice organizations.
- Asian American Psychological Association: Community of Asian American psychologists and other mental health professionals who advocate on behalf of Asian Americans as well as advancing Asian American psychology.
Online Harassment Support
Online harassment is endemic in our gaming communities, and harassment can contribute to mental health issues. These resources seek to provide practical and emotional help for anyone who is being harassed.
- Crash Override: A cybersecurity resource for those dealing with online harassment and anyone who wants to secure their online.
- IGDA’s Online Harassment Resource: A directory of tools and articles available to those dealing with online harassment.
- Speak Up & Stay Safe: A checklist for securing online and offline information to help avoid doxxing, or having your home address shared online.
- Uplift: Uplift is dedicated to combating sexual abuse in online communities through education and advocacy. We work to ensure that these flourishing communities are safe for the millions of people who connect through them.
Streaming Resources
- Creating a Culture of Support in the Gaming Community: A collection of tips for streamers from Take This, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and AdCouncil.
- Twitch Cares: Mental Health Support & Information Mental health resources for the Twitch community.
- YouTube Safety Center: Information on how to report self-harming or suicidal users to YouTube’s safety team.
Self-Care Tools
Daily self-care can be difficult, particularly when you’re dealing with mental health issues. These resources were created to make remembering important self-care steps easier.
- Everything is Awful and I’m Not Okay: A one-page, printable list of questions to ask yourself when you’re feeling bad.
- Self-Care Starter Kit: University at Buffalo’s guide to starting a self-care routine that prioritizes wellness.
- You Feel Like Sh*t: An Interactive Self-Care Guide: As described, a choose-your-path guide to taking care of yourself on days when that’s difficult.
Apps and Other Tools
There are thousands of mental health, self-care and wellness apps available. Below are a few that may be useful depending on your needs.
- 5 Minute Journal (iOS, Android): Daily journal for gratitude, positive reflections, and photos.
- BoosterBuddy (iOS, Android) Game-based self-care app offering self-care, medication and appointment reminders, mood tracking, and games to improve coping skills and socialization.
- Calm (Web, iOS, Android): Guided meditations accompanied by natural soundscapes.
- Calm Harm (Android, iOS): DBT-based app designed to help users manage the urge to self-harm.
- Daylio (iOS, Android): Daily mood tracker and microjournal.
- DBT Diary Card and Skills Coach (iOS): Coaching and ongoing support for users who are currently engaged in DBT with a therapist.
- Habitica (Web, iOS, Android): Gamified habit tracker and to-do list. Includes monthly self-care challenges from Take This.
- Headspace (iOS, Android): Paid guided meditation program.
- Mightier (Web): Paid clinically based games for kids with ADHD, ODD, or anxiety.
- MindShift (iOS, Android): Anxiety resources and coaching for teens and young adults.
- SleepCycle (iOS, Android): Sleep tracking and alarm clock.
- SuperBetter (Web, iOS, Android): Gamified app designed to increase resilience and encourage good habits.
- Stress and Anxiety Companion: Simplified CBT tools for dealing with anxiety and stress.
- Virtual Hope Box: Provides coping methods and tools for veterans and others. Designed for the U.S. Department of Defense.
- What’s Up (iOS, Android): CBT and ACT-based tools for dealing with anxiety and depression.
Disclaimer
The following list of mental health resources is not a substitute for medical advice or professional counseling. While we at Take This want to provide you with resources, we do not recommend or endorse any particular site, treatment, therapy, or resource. We provide these links at our sole discretion but have not necessarily vetted or reviewed any particular resource. We assume no liability for the use of the information or resources on these sites and encourage you to use your own best judgment when reviewing these resources.
If you live in the US and you’re having suicidal thoughts, reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or dial 9-1-1. If you’re outside the US, you can find local crisis lines at Suicide.org. If you’re even debating whether you should call them, you should call them. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline handles all psychological crises, not just suicide.