What is a Psychologist?
What is the difference between Psychologists, Psychiatrists and Counsellors?
Should I be seeing a Psychologist?
What do Psychologists do?
How do I find a psychologist or psychological associate?
Who pays for the services of a psychologist?
How do I know if a Psychologist is right for me?
Who do I contact if I am in a crisis?
What are the educational requirements to become a Registered Psychologist?
How do I become a member or an affiliate of BCPA?
How do I locate an individual psychologist?

If you are in immediate crisis, you can contact a local crisis line. Most of these lines are open 24 hours per day and you will be able to speak with someone immediately. The crisis line may also be able to put you in contact with a community psychologist or mental health counsellor. The following is a list of crisis line numbers by region.

Crisis Lines in British Columbia

Province-Wide
Provincial Suicide Helpline	1-800-SUICIDE(784-2433)	24 hours
Vancouver Coastal
Crisis Intervention & Suicide Prevention Centre of BC, Regional Distress Line Serves Vancouver, North Vancouver city & district, Bowen Island, West Vancouver, BurnabyToll Free Number serves Powell River, Sunshine Coast, Squamish, Whistler, Pemberton and Howe Sound	604-872-3311Toll free: 1-866-661-3311 TTY - 604-872-0113 1-866-872-0113	24 hours
CHIMO Crisis Services (Richmond)Serves Richmond, South Delta, Ladner, & Tsawwassen.	604-279-7070	9am-midnight
S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Chinese Help Lines	Cantonese: 604-270-8233 Mandarin: 604-270-8222	10am-10pm
Fraser Valley
Greater Coquitlam Crisis & Information Line Serves Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Pitt Meadows, New Westminster, Belcarra, & Anmore	604-540-2221	24 hrs
South Fraser Regional Crisis Line Serves Surrey, White Rock, Langley and Delta	604-951-8855	24 hrs
Central Fraser Valley Telecare Crisis Line (Abbotsford)	604-852-9099	24 hrs
Fraser Valley Regional Crisis LineServes Mission, Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Agassiz / Harrison, Hope, Yale & Boston Bar	604-820-11661-877-820-7444	24 hrs
Vancouver Island
NEED Crisis & Information Line Serves Victoria, Oak Bay, Esquimalt, Sooke, Colwood, Langford, Saanich, Metchosin, Sidney & Port Renfrew ands erving the Gulf Islands through a 1-866 #s.	250-386-6323 Crisis250-386-TALK - Youth line 1-866-386-6323 (Gulf Islands)	24 hrs4-10pm daily 24 hrs
Nanaimo	250-754-4447	24 hrs
Cowichan	250-748-1133	24 hrs
District 69Serves Parksville & Qualicum Beach.	250-248-3111	24 hrs
KUU-US Crisis Line Society Serving Port Alberni,Ucluelet, Tofino, Bamfield, and West coast of Vancouver Island	250-723-4050 / 1-800-588-8717250-723-2040 (Teen line)	24 hrs
Crossroads Crisis Centre SocietyServing the Comox Valley area, from Fanny Bay to Oyster River including Hornby and Denman Islands	250-334-2455	24 hrs
Campbell River Crisis Line	250-287-7743	24 hrs
North Island Crisis & Counselling Centre Society (Port Hardy)	250-949-6033	24 hrs
Northern B.C./Cariboo
Crisis Prevention, Intervention and Information Centre for Northern BC (Prince George) Serves all of Northern BC north of Quesnel, except the Peace River country, Fraser Lake, Fort Fraser & Vanderhoof. Service provided outside Prince George through 1-888 #	250-563-1214 / 1-888-562-1214250-564-8336 /1-888-564-8336 Youth Line	24 hrs4-11pm
Fraser Lake	250-699-6315	Ê
Quesnel	250-992-9414	24 hours
Williams Lake	250-398-8224	24 hours
Okanagan/Kootenay West Kootenay, Boundary Region Serves Trail & Rossland. Also serves the West Kootenay and Boundary regions, including Nelson, Grand Forks, Castlegar, Christina Lake, New Denver, Nakusp and Salmo through a 1-800 number.	250-364-1718 / 1-800-515-6999	24 hours
Vernon	250-545-2339	24 hours
Salmon Arm	250-833-1488	24 hours
Enderby	250-838-0880	24 hours
Revelstoke	250-837-6601	24 hours
Cranbrook Also serving the entire east Kootenay region from Golden to the Alberta and USA borders through a 1-800 number.	250-426-8407 1-800-667-8407	24 hours
Kelowna Serves Kelowna, Westbank, Winfield, & Lake Country.	250-763-9191	24 hours
Penticton & area Serves Penticton, Summerland, Oliver, Osoyoos, & Princeton.	250-493-6622	24 hours

Suicide Information/Prevention/Intervention Services:

• YouthInBC.com - A web-based hotline for youth in distress covering all of BC. Main features include a live, confidential chat allowing people between the ages of 12 and 29 to talk one-on-one with Crisis Centre volunteers. Help is also available via email. The site also contains extensive information and links on a number of issues.
• SAFER (Suicide Attempt Follow Up Education & Research) - Provides counselling and support to people who are feeling suicidal or who have attempted suicide, people who have lost someone to suicide and education and support for people concerned about someone who is suicidal. Call: 604-879-9251
• Vancouver Suicide Survivors Coalition - email: bballrjb@shaw.ca
• Canadian Association For Suicide Prevention (CASP)
• Centre for Suicide Prevention
• Suicide Prevention Help
• Centre for Research and Intervention on Suicide and Euthanasia
• American Association of Suicidology
• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
• National Strategy for Suicide Prevention (US)
• Suicide Awareness Voices of Education (US)
• Parents of Suicides - Support for parents who have lost children to suicide.
• Tears of a Cop - Information and resources about suicide and post traumatic stress disorder among law enforcement officers.

Mental Health Information and Services

• Canadian Mental Health Association - BC Office
• Canadian Mental Health Association
• Vancouver Coastal Health - Vancouver Community Mental Health
• Fraser Health - Burnaby Mental Health
• British Columbia Schizophrenia Society
• University of British Columbia Counselling Services
• Mental Wellness Self-help Support Group
• World Health Organization

Stress Information and Services

• Canadian Mental Health Association
• Operational Stress Injury Social Support - Support for stress, suicide, bereavement, etc for serving members of the military, veterans and their families.

Grief & Loss

• BC Bereavement Helpline
• Griefworks BC

Youth Issues

• YouthInBC.com - A web-based hotline for youth in distress covering all of BC. Main features include a live, confidential chat allowing people between the ages of 12 and 29 to talk one-on-one with Crisis Centre volunteers. Help is also available via email. The site also contains extensive information and links on a number of issues.
• The Josh Platzer Society for Teen Suicide Prevention & Awareness

Other Resources

• Information on self-injury
• The Red Book online - Resource directory for Greater Vancouver.
• Native Courtworker and Counselling Association of British Columbia - Provides a range of counselling and support services and assists First Nations people in dealing with the justice system