Resources

  • A handy list of some community resources that might be of help in times of crisis:

    • Emergency (Police, Ambulance, Fire Department) — Call 911

    • Police (Non-Emergency) – 416-808-2222

    • Ambulance (Non-Emergency) – 416-638-7306

    • Toronto Distress Center – 416-408-HELP (4357) www.torontodistresscentre.com

    • Gerstein Crisis Center – 416-929-5200 www.gersteincentre.org

    • St. Elizabeth Mobile Crisis (Etobicoke and North York) - 416-498-0043

    • Peel Mobile Crisis – 905-278-9036

    • Scarborough Mobile Crisis – 416-289-2434

    • 310 Cope (Community Crisis Response Service servicing York Region, Richmond Hill, Newmarket, and North York) – 1-855-310-COPE (2673)

    • Assaulted Women’s Helpline – 1-866-863-0511 www.awhl.org

    • Kids Help Phone – 1-800-668-6868

    • LGBT Youthline Peer Support – (Text and Chat Support Only) www.youthline.ca/our-programs/peer-support

    • Trans Lifeline (Run by and for trans folx) – 877-330-6366 www.translifeline.org

    • Anduhyaun (Support for Indigenous women and children fleeing violence) – 416-531-0330

    • Hope for Wellness Helpline (Immediate mental health counselling/crisis intervention for all Indigenous peoples) – 1-855-242-3310

    • Across Boundaries (Mental health and addiction services for racialized communities) – 416-787-3007 ext. 222

    • Sheena's Place (Support for those affected by eating disorders) - 416-927-8900

    • Maggie’s (Toronto Sex Workers Action Project) – 416-964-0150

    • Butterfly (Asian and Migrant Sex Worker’s Support Network) – 416-906-3098

    • Telehealth Ontario – 1-866-797-0007

    • Hassle Free Clinic (Anonymous STI/HIV testing) – 416-922-0566

    • Planned Parenthood Toronto Clinic (for ages 13-29 years) – 416-961-0113

    • Choice in Health Clinic (Reproductive health clinic) – 647-370-3203 www.choiceinhealth.ca

    • Women’s Health in Women’s Hands – 416-593-7655

    • National Overdose Response Service (NORS) – 1-888-688-NORS (6677)

    • Women’s Own Detox Crisis Line – 416-603-1462

    • General Assistance (Social Services, Programs and Community Support) – Call 211 www.211ontario.ca

  • If you love reading like me and want some recommendations, have a peek here. You might find a gem that can support you on your journey. I will keep the list updated, and if you have a book that really moved you on your healing journey, feel free to let me know and I will add it here!

    SHAME

    The Voice of Shame: Silence and Connection in Psychotherapy by Robert Lee and Gordon Wheeler (Eds.) 1997 Gestalt Press.

     

    TRAUMA AND SOMATIC HEALING

    My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies by Resmaa Menakem, 2018 Central Recovery Press.

    When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress by Gabor Mate, M.D. 2003 Vintage Edition.

    The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness and Healing in a Toxic Culture by Gabor Mate, M.D. 2022 Knopf Canada.

    The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel Van Der Kolk, M.D. 2015 Penguin Books.

     

    SEXUALITY AND GENDER

    The Courage to Heal: A Guide for Women Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse by Ellen Bass and Laura Davis, 2008 William Morrow Paperbacks.

    Polysecure: Attachment, Trauma and Consensual Nonmonogamy by Jessica Fern, 2020 Thornapple Press.

    The Polysecure Workbook: Healing Your Attachment and Creating Security in Loving Relationships by Jessica Fern, 2022 Thornapple Press.

    Love’s Not Colour Blind: Race and Representation in Polyamorous and Other Alternative Communities by Kevin A. Patterson, 2018 Thornapple Press.

    Trans Bodies, Trans Selves: A Resource by and for Transgender Communities by Laura Erickson-Schroth (Ed.), 2022 Oxford University Press.

    Nonbinary: Memoirs of Gender and Identity by Micah Rajunov and Scott Duane (Eds.), 2019 Columbia University Press.

    Thriving in Sex Work: Heartfelt Advice for Staying Sane in the Sex Industry by Lola Davina, 2017 Erotic as Power Press.

    When Someone You Love is Kinky by Dossie Easton and Catherine Liszt, 2000 Greenery Press.