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Where to turn, and when.
Crisis lines first, because that is what people need fastest. Then national organisations, condition-specific support, and directories for finding a therapist who is not me — because sometimes that is the right answer.
If you are in immediate danger
Call 911 or go to your nearest emergency department. If you are thinking about ending your life, please tell someone right now — a crisis counsellor, a friend, a family member, anyone. You do not have to explain it well.
This website cannot respond to emergencies. Email and contact forms are not monitored around the clock.
Twenty-four hours a day
Crisis lines.
All of these are free, confidential to the extent the law allows, and staffed by trained people who have heard it before.
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
For thoughts of suicide, emotional distress, or worry about someone else. Call or text 988. Available in English and Spanish, 24/7.
Crisis Text Line
Text HOME to 741741 to reach a trained volunteer counsellor. Good if speaking on the phone feels impossible.
Veterans Crisis Line
Dial 988 then press 1, or text 838255. For veterans, service members and their families — no VA enrolment needed.
The Trevor Project
Crisis support for LGBTQ+ young people, 24/7. Call 1-866-488-7386 or text START to 678-678.
National Domestic Violence Hotline
Call 1-800-799-7233 or text START to 88788. Safety planning, advocacy and local referrals.
RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline
Call 1-800-656-4673 for confidential support and connection to local services, 24/7.
SAMHSA National Helpline
1-800-662-4357. Free, confidential treatment referral and information for mental health and substance use — 24/7, 365 days a year.
Postpartum Support International
Call or text 1-800-944-4773. For perinatal mood and anxiety difficulties — pregnancy, postpartum, and loss.
NAMI HelpLine
1-800-950-6264, weekdays. Not a crisis line — an information and navigation service, and an unusually good one.
Reliable information
National organisations worth trusting.
The internet has a great deal of mental-health content and much of it is selling something. These are not.
National Institute of Mental Health
The US government’s research institute. Plain-language explanations of every major condition, plus the actual statistics rather than the ones in headlines.
American Psychological Association
The professional body for psychologists in the United States. Public-facing articles on therapy, stress, parenting and relationships, written by practitioners.
Mental Health America
Community-focused, with free screening tools and a large library of practical guidance for people and for the families around them.
Anxiety & Depression Association of America
Specialist, evidence-focused material on anxiety disorders, OCD, PTSD and depression, plus free peer support communities.
Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
Peer-led support groups, online and in person, for mood disorders. Peer support is a genuine complement to therapy, not a substitute for it.
RESOLVE: National Infertility Association
Support groups, advocacy and clear information for anyone navigating infertility, treatment decisions or family building.
American Society for Reproductive Medicine
The professional body for reproductive medicine, with patient-facing fact sheets that are rigorous and refreshingly free of marketing.
Association for Behavioral & Cognitive Therapies
The home of CBT research and practice in the US, with excellent free fact sheets on what the evidence actually says.
Florida Psychological Association
The state association for Florida psychologists — useful for finding local practitioners and for understanding your rights as a patient here.
Finding someone
How to find a therapist who fits — including if it is not me.
A good fit matters more than a fancy list of credentials. If I am not right for you, these are the places I would look.
- APA Psychologist Locator — search doctoral-level psychologists by location and speciality.
- ABCT Find a CBT Therapist — the right directory if you specifically want cognitive-behavioural work.
- ADAA therapist directory — clinicians with a declared focus on anxiety and depression.
- Psychology Today directory — the largest listing; filter by insurance, speciality and approach.
- PSI provider directory — specialists in perinatal mental health.
- Florida Board of Psychology — verify that any Florida psychologist’s licence is current.
Five questions to ask on a first call
- What is your experience with what I am bringing? Specific experience matters more than general seniority.
- How do you actually work? A clinician should be able to describe their approach in plain English in under a minute.
- What would the first few sessions look like? You are listening for a structure, not a script.
- How will we know if this is working? Good therapy has a direction and a way of checking it.
- What are the fees, and what happens if I cancel? Never awkward. Always worth asking before the first session, not after.
And afterwards, ask yourself the sixth question: did I feel slightly more able to be honest by the end of the call than at the start? That instinct is worth trusting.
A note on links
Every external link on this page was checked when the site was built. Websites move; if you find one that no longer works, please email DrDonnaDuffin@gmail.com and it will be corrected. Listing an organisation is not an endorsement of everything it publishes.