Depression and Anxiety-Related Concerns – Ontario Structured Psychotherapy Program

Depression and anxiety-related concerns are the most common mental health issues faced by people in Ontario.

Adults with these concerns can get free cognitive-behavioural therapy and related services through the Ontario Structured Psychotherapy Program.

Our Approach

Ontario Structured Psychotherapy services are based on cognitive-behavioural therapy approaches. Cognitive-behavioural therapy teaches people how to change their patterns of behaviour and thinking. This can improve mental health and make it easier to cope with difficult emotions and situations.

Our Services

We offer two types of services to meet your needs:

  • Self-led resources guided by a coach:
    • BounceBack helps build coping skills through workbooks, videos and telephone calls with a trained coach.
  • Therapist-led cognitive-behavioural therapy:
    • one-on-one or group sessions
    • in-person or online

Most people will begin with the self-led resources as the first step. The care team will monitor clients closely and if they need more support, they will move to individual or group therapy.

Register or Get a Referral

To participate in the program, you must be 18 years of age or older, and be experiencing symptoms related to depression or an anxiety-related disorder.

Ontario Structured Psychotherapy is not suitable for everyone. Some people have complex needs, or other conditions that this program does not treat.

If you are interested in Ontario Structured Psychotherapy, please let your doctor or health care team know. They can tell you whether the program might be right for you and can refer you to one of the program’s regional networks.

In some regions you can also register yourself (“self-refer”) for the program. Check the networks’ websites to see if self-referral is possible in your area.

Services may be available in a variety of languages depending on the network. Please contact your local network to learn what is available.

Find Ontario Structured Psychotherapy Networks

After You Register

Once you have been referred to the program, a trained mental health professional will do an assessment and offer the right support to meet your needs. If you participate, you will need to attend sessions and complete readings or homework between sessions. The amount of time that will take is different for each person because it depends on the service.

Your coach or therapist will monitor your progress and make changes as needed to make sure the service meets your needs.

Find Ontario Structured Therapy Networks

The program is coordinated by 10 networks across the province, who work with different organizations across their regions to offer services.

To learn more about the networks and how to get assessed, visit their websites:

Central

Toronto

West

East

North East

North West

Last Updated: January 23, 2023