Resources

Note: Libero does not provide emergency support. If you are in crisis, please call 1-800-784-2433 or another helpline or 911.

About these Resources

We understand finding resources for mental health and recovery can be difficult. We work hard to provide a variety of resources and to keep this database current and ever-growing.

For areas where we can’t provide every available resource, vouch for legitimacy or efficacy, or where relevance may be more personal (such as finding a therapist or treatment centre), we provide tips and tools to better equip you to find what you are looking for and discover what will work best for you.

Please note that we do not guarantee the availability or quality of any resources provided and are not liable for any harm that may be caused as a result of utilizing any of the resources below. Please use your own best judgement and discretion.

Ask an Expert

Do you have questions about mental health? Visit our Ask an Expert column to submit your question anonymously to our panel of medical professionals and they will respond in a future article!

Browse our Articles by Topic

Topics:

You can also search for topics by using the search box at the top right of our site.

Helplines by Region

We recommend finding a helpline in your area (either from the list below or via https://befrienders.org) and saving it to your phone because you never know if/when you may need it–for yourself or a friend.

  • CANADA/USA: 1-800-784-2433 (1-800-SUICIDE) AND 1-800-273-8255 (1-800-273-TALK)
  • CANADA/USA Deaf hotline: 1-800-799-4889 (texting available)
  • MEXICO: 525-510-2550
  • AUSTRALIA: 13 11 14
  • NEW ZEALAND: 09 5222 999 (within Auckland) AND 0800 543 354 (outside Auckland)
  • UK/SCOTLAND: 08457 90 90 90
  • IRELAND: 1-800-247-100 OR text the word HELP to 51444
  • SOUTH AFRICA: 0861 322 322
  • HELPLINES WORLDWIDE: https://befrienders.org

Eating Disorder Helplines:

  • NEDA (USA): (800) 931-2237
  • NEDIC (Canada):  1-866-NEDIC-20 (1-866-633-4220)
  • BEAT (United Kingdom): 0808 801 0811 OR 0808 801 0711 OR 0808 801 0677

Finding Resources via Google

Searching on Google can be complicated and difficult. Sometimes it’s hard to know which keywords to use or how to state what you are looking for. We’ve provided some tips and sample searches below to make the process a little easier. Note: Google is constantly changing its algorithm and search options, which means some of these search features may not always work.

Google Shortcuts

  • AND: results must include both words on either side
  • OR: results must include at least one word on either side
  • -word: results should not include the word following the “-” dash
  • “[words]”: full phrase within quotation marks must be included in results
  • -“words”: full phrase within quotation marks must not be included in results 

Suggested Keywords

  • Therapists
  • Counsellors
  • Resources
  • Books
  • Depression/Anxiety/Anorexia
  • “Mental Health”
  • “Recovery Support”
  • “Support Groups”
  • Your City/Town

Sample Searches

  • “eating disorder” AND therapist AND Vancouver
  • recovery AND “support group” AND Seattle OR Bellingham
  • anxiety AND “support group” AND “British Columbia” -Vancouver -Coquitlam
  • “Intuitive eating” AND “eating disorder recovery”
  • “overcoming emotional abuse” -physical -sexual AND book
  • depression AND books -fiction -“The Happiness Trap”

Finding a Therapist Who’s Right for You

Finding a therapist who is right for you is an important and very personal decision that can sometimes feel overwhelming. Because everyone is different, there is no “one size fits all” when it comes to therapies or therapists. When faced with difficult life situations, often the last thing you want to do is “shop around” for the right fit, but taking the time to do it can save you money, time, and potential harm.

Checklist

Here is a short checklist to go through that should help you find the right therapist for you:

  1. Ask for recommendations
  2. Double check their credentials
  3. Know their experience with the particular issues you are facing
  4. Trust your instincts (if it doesn’t “feel right” listen to yourself)
  5. Be willing to travel, but don’t commit to a travel distance you cannot maintain
  6. Cheaper isn’t always better. Counselling can be pricey, but there are often subsidized payment options. Look into insurance coverage, student rates, internship programs, and other reasons for discounted rates.

Things to Consider

  • Does the counsellor try to foster independence or dependence?
  • Do they offer support groups with other patients outside of regular counselling sessions?
  • Does the counsellor have a flexible schedule? Or will you need to adjust your life to fit theirs?
  • Is your counsellor open to feedback? It is important that you feel comfortable to address him/her openly without reservation.
  • Does it feel right? Do you feel like you can open up to this person?

Remember: Having one session is not a commitment. Try out a few different places; find one that works for you!

Downloadable Worksheets + Resources

The following resources are available for download. Links either lead to external sites with documents available for download or to a direct download. The content within these resources is not created by Libero unless specified otherwise, and the proper citation should be found in the footer of each if the author(s) included it. The opinions and suggestions within the documents below or those of their authors/creators and don’t necessarily reflect the views of Libero (though we do our best to provide the best resources we can find).

Anxiety Downloads

Depression Downloads

Eating Disorders Downloads


Books We Recommend

Note: The opinions and suggestions within the books below or those of their authors and don’t necessarily reflect the views of Libero (though we do our best to suggest the best books we can find).

Mental Health & Wellbeing

  • The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown
  • Breaking Negative Thinking Patterns by Gitta Jacob
  • The Problem is You by John Burke
  • The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van Der Kolk, MD
  • Changing Minds: The go-to guide to mental health for you, family, and friends by Dr. Mark Cross and Dr. Catherine Hanrahan
  • Staying Strong 365 Days a Year by Demi Lovato
  • The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook for Anxiety by Alexander L. Chapman, PhD, Kim L. Gratz, PhD, Matthew T. Tull, PhD
  • Monkey Mind: A memoir of anxiety by Daniel Smith
  • Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson
  • F**k It: the ultimate spiritual way by John Parkin
  • Hardcore Self Help: F**ck Anxiety by Robert Duff, PhD
  • Cold Tangerines by Shauna Niequist
  • How to Make Yourself Happy and Remarkably Less Disturbable by Albert Ellis, PhD
  • The Happiness Trap by Russ Harris
  • The Book of Awesome AND The Book of (even more) Awesome by Neil Pasricha

Eating Disorder Recovery

  • Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole, MS, RD, and Elyse Resch, MS, RD, FADA
  • Life Without Ed AND Goodbye Ed, Hello Me by Jenni Schaefer
  • The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook for Bulimia by Ellen Astrachan-Fletcher, PhD, and Michael Maslar, PsyD
  • Food to Eat: guided, hopeful, and trusted recipes for eating disorder recovery by Lori Lieberman, RD, MPH, CDE, LDN, and Cate Sangster
  • Beating Ana by Shannon Cuts
  • Telling Ed No! by Cheryl Kerrigan
  • Regaining Your Self: understanding and conquering the eating disorder identity by Ira M. Sacker, MD
  • <Gaining> the truth about life after eating disorders by Aimee Liu
  • Brave Girl Eating: A family’s struggle with anorexia by Harriet Brown
  • Women, Food, and God AND When Food Is Love AND Feeding the Hungry Heart AND Breaking Free from Emotional Eating by Geneen Roth
  • Eat What You Love Love What You Eat by Michelle May, MD
  • The Diet Survivor’s Handbook by Judith Matz and Ellen Frankel

For Professionals

  • Motivational Interviewing in Nutrition and Fitness by Dawn Clifford, PhD and Laura Curtis, MS, RD
  • The Non-Diet Approach Guidebook for Psychologists and Counselors by Fiona Willer and Louise Adams
  • Beyond a Shadow of a Diet by Judith Matz and Ellen Frankel