Crisis & Urgent Help

Emergency Support — help that’s available right now

If you’re in crisis, you don’t have to wait for a session. Every service below is staffed around the clock by people trained for exactly this — and you’re allowed to call even when you’re not sure it’s bad enough.

24/7FreeNewmarket & York RegionGTAOntarioCanada-wide
Call or text 988 now
If you’re in immediate danger

If you or someone else is at risk of serious harm right now, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency department.

In Newmarket that’s Southlake Health, 596 Davis Drive — the Emergency Department is open 24 hours. Main line: 905-895-4521.

You don’t have to be certain it’s an emergency to treat it like one.

And if it’s urgent but not dangerous — you’re frightened, you can’t settle, the night is long — the lines below are the right call. Every one of them is free, and most will talk to you by text or chat if picking up the phone feels like too much.

Crisis lines you can call any time

9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline →

Call or text 988 · 24/7 · English and French, anywhere in Canada. For anyone thinking about suicide, or worried about someone who is.

310-COPE — Community Crisis Response →

1-855-310-COPE (2673) · TTY 1-866-323-7785 · 24/7 · Phone, text and online chat for York Region, South Simcoe and North York.

Krasman Centre Warm Line →

1-888-777-0979 · Phone 24/7, chat 10 a.m. to midnight · Peer supporters with their own lived experience. Good when you want to talk and you’re not in danger.

Yellow Brick House →

1-800-263-3247 · Call or text, 24/7 · York Region’s line for people experiencing abuse or violence at home.

Kids Help Phone →

1-800-668-6868, or text CONNECT to 686868 · 24/7 · For young people.

Distress Centres of Greater Toronto →

416-408-HELP (4357) · 24/7 · Across the GTA.

Gerstein Crisis Centre →

416-929-5200 · 24/7 phone and mobile crisis team · For adults in Toronto.

Common questions

Do I have to be suicidal to call a crisis line?

No. You can call because the day fell apart, because you can't stop crying, because you're frightened of your own thoughts, or because you just need a person on the other end of the phone at 3 a.m. You don't need to have it organised into a coherent story first — someone answers and asks what's going on.

Will calling send police or an ambulance to my door?

Not automatically. Most calls are exactly what they sound like — a conversation. Emergency services are involved only when there's an immediate risk to someone's safety, and in most cases that's discussed with you rather than done to you. If you want to know how a particular service handles that, you're allowed to ask at the start of the call.

What if I'm not in crisis but I don't know where to start?

ConnexOntario (1-866-531-2600) is free, confidential and available 24/7 to help find mental health, substance use and problem gambling services anywhere in Ontario. The Krasman Centre warm line is another option when you'd rather talk to someone with lived experience and nothing is urgent.

Can I bring this up in a session?

Yes, and it's worth doing before you need it. If crisis is part of the picture, building a safety plan together early means you already know who you're calling and when. It's a normal part of the work, not a sign that anything has gone wrong.

Before you call

Do I have to be suicidal to call a crisis line?

No. You can call because the day fell apart, because you can’t stop crying, because you’re frightened of your own thoughts, or because you just need a person on the other end of the phone at 3 a.m. You don’t need to have it organised into a coherent story first — someone answers and asks what’s going on.

Will calling send police or an ambulance to my door?

Not automatically. Most calls are exactly what they sound like — a conversation. Emergency services are involved only when there’s an immediate risk to someone’s safety, and in most cases that’s discussed with you rather than done to you. If you want to know how a particular service handles that, you’re allowed to ask at the start of the call.

What if I’m not in crisis but I don’t know where to start?

ConnexOntario (1-866-531-2600) is free, confidential and available 24/7 to help find mental health, substance use and problem gambling services anywhere in Ontario. The Krasman Centre warm line is another option when you’d rather talk to someone with lived experience and nothing is urgent.

Can I bring this up in a session?

Yes, and it’s worth doing before you need it. If crisis is part of the picture, building a safety plan together early means you already know who you’re calling and when. It’s a normal part of the work, not a sign that anything has gone wrong.

These services are independent of Ontario Therapy and are listed here as a convenience. Details were verified in September 2026; if a number has changed, 911 and 988 remain the fastest routes to help. The full policy on contacting your therapist between sessions is on the Informed Consent page.

You don’t have to be in crisis to reach out.

Ontario Therapy is a private practice, not a crisis service — sessions are by appointment, and there’s no after-hours or on-call coverage. But the door is open for the ordinary weeks too.

Schedule a free consultation