Generally we provide services to local residents who cannot otherwise afford services due to poverty or the lack health benefit coverage. We also see LGBT people from the GTA as well as people who face barriers due to language.
If you fit within one of the categories listed above you are eligible for services. An intake counsellor will then determine if you are best suited to the services offered by Sherbourne Health Centre.
Through one-on-one counselling you may find the support and hope you need to build a healthy and balanced life for yourself and your family. Workshops and groups – offered at Sherbourne or at one of our partner agencies – provide even more opportunities for you to build a support network, share cultural experiences and learn new coping skills.
You do not require a doctor’s referral. Instead you will speak to an Intake Counsellor when you call to make an appointment. The Intake Counsellor will discuss your situation with you and assess your needs.
If he or she feels you may benefit from counselling services offered at Sherbourne Health Centre, a referral will be made. If you require assistance beyond what Sherbourne Health Centre provides, a referral is made to another health organization.
At Sherbourne Health Centre, we serve members of our local community – new Canadians, LGBT people, youth, and the underhoused – with creative and innovative mental health programs and services. Our mission is to reduce barriers to health. Therefore, we provide a range of mental health services – free of charge – to those who have trouble accessing quality care because of poverty, racism, culture, or social isolation.
Given the demand for the services we offer, a waiting list has developed. Currently, there is a wait list that is three to four months long for general services and five to six months long for LGBT specific issues.
As an alternative, you may be interested in one of our many support groups, which usually have a very short wait time or no wait period at all.
We also offer single-session consultation – a model of brief counselling that helps people to break down their issues and build an action plan for resolving issues. An appointment can usually be booked within one or two weeks, as opposed to waiting for several weeks.
It is important that you make an appointment to see a mental health cousellor, because we do not offer walk-in counselling services at this time.
To make an appointment, contact medical reception at 416-324-4180 between 10:00 am and 1:00 pm, weekdays and ask to speak to an Intake Counsellor. Please inform the intake counsellor if:
■ You require counselling for LGBT specific issues
■ You require counselling in Tamil or Punjabi
■ You require counselling services in another language
■ You are interested in Single Session Counselling
If you cannot make your appointment, please contact your counsellor directly at least 24 hours before your appointment to cancel or reschedule. If you cannot reach your counsellor, contact medical reception at 416-324-4180.
Currently, counselling services are offered in English, Tamil, and Punjabi. In some cases, we may be able to accommodate requests for interpreters – however, this is determined on a case-by-case basis. If we are unable to accommodate you, we can refer you to other health care agencies that may be able to better meet your language requirements.
If you require specific language services, please inform the Intake Counsellor.
Sherbourne Health Centre’s mental health services are free of charge for individuals who for financial reasons cannot afford to obtain mental health counselling services elsewhere. Groups and workshops are free unless otherwise stated.