Free Professional Counselling
Face-to-face support.
“I felt alone, over-whelmed, ashamed and afraid. I picked up the phone and called. Your compassion, kindness and gentle insight helped me access a counsellor. It was then I started to re-claim my life. Thank you. You saved my life.”
To help with more complex issues, our professional crisis counsellors provide free counselling for individuals, couples and families at Distress Centre. We have both evening and emergency appointments available.
Please note that counselling is not a 24 hour service.
Counsellors are all regulated professionals with the Alberta College of Social Workers or the College of Alberta Psychologists.
To get started, call our crisis line at 403-266-HELP (4357) and ask for an intake to counselling or use the online intake form via the button below. Please note that the form does not work with the Internet Explorer browser. Please use a different browser, such as Firefox, Chrome or Safari.
Counselling Frequently Asked Questions
We provide free, general, short-term crisis counselling at Distress Centre. One to six counselling sessions are provided to help support an individual, family or couple coping with a crisis. Please note that we do not provide specialized assessments or treatment for specific mental health/psychiatric disorders.
Our intake coordinator will contact you by phone in 3-4 days to ask you some questions and set up an appointment if our counselling is a good fit for you. You need access to a phone. We cannot communicate with you by email because of the privacy limitations with it.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, walk-in counselling services are suspended until further notice. If you would like to see a counsellor, please call our crisis line (403-266-4357) or submit an intake form below.
Our offices are located in downtown Calgary, Alberta, Canada at Suite 500, 999 8th Street SW. Please note that we are not able to provide counselling services outside of the Province of Alberta.
Yes, our offices are accessible on the 5th floor by elevators.
Yes, service animals are welcome to attend counselling with you. Just let the Intake Coordinator know that you’ll want to bring your service animal with you.
No, our counselling services are free of charge.
