Links
A wide range of resources are available online for people experiencing psychological distress. The inclusion of any links here should not be taken as an endorsement and is purely meant to provide useful information. Green Door Therapy does not earn anything from any of these links. Please contact us if you feel that any useful resources are missing. Many of these links refer to Hong Kong resources, which we will gradually update with more Portuguese-specific links. Please feel free to contribute any that you think may be particularly useful to other people.
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If you are having suicidal thoughts and are concerned that you might act on them, there is always help at hand.
In Portugal, you can call 808 24 24 24 for 24-hour crisis support in Portuguese. You can also call the emergency services on 112 or access their suicide hotline on 218 540 740 and 968 982 150.
There is also online support available at the SNS 24 portal.
You can always ask for A&E (Serviço de Urgência) at any hospital if you think you are in danger of harming yourself.
Further advice on emergency contacts can be found here at the UK government website for nationals abroad.
For clients in Hong Kong, you can call 999 and ask for an ambulance or go to an Accident and Emergency (A&E) department at your nearest hospital.
The Samaritans operates a free 24-hour suicide prevention hotline in English and Cantonese on 2896 0000.
The Suicide Prevention Service offers a 24-hour hotline for those in immediate need of help on 2382 0000.
The Hospital Authority also offers a 24-hour Mental Health Hotline on 2466 7350.
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Mind HK is a charity working to remove the stigma around mental health in Hong Kong. It has links to other resources including information and advice on a range of mental health topics.
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A handful of practices in Hong Kong are able to offer counselling at reduced rates for those on low incomes or otherwise in need. This may involve counselling trainees completing their clinical placements, experienced practitioners offering their services at a reduced rate or through subsidies paid for by benefactors or grants.
AMindset offers affordable counselling through trainees working under the close supervision of an experienced therapist.
ReSource operates a sliding scale for fees, seeking to make counselling affordable to all clients.
St John’s Counselling in Central is a non-profit practice that has been offering low-cost therapy for more than 40 years.
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Clinical psychologists are able to conduct psychological assessments and offer a diagnosis, through which they often formulate an intervention or treatment plan for clients. For further information on the differences between clinical psychologists and other mental health professionals, see the FAQ page.
Central Minds has several clinical psychologists and is based in Central.
Therapy Partners is also based in Central and offers individual and family therapy as well as psychological and psychoeducational evaluations.
Central Health has a large team of in-person clinical psychologists.
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Family doctors or GPs may refer patients to psychiatrists if necessary, but you may be able to see a psychiatrist without a referral, depending on the practice and on your insurance plan, if applicable.
Central Health has two psychiatrists, Dr Jenifer Chan and Dr Maxine Cheung.
The Central Practice Is also based in Central and has a number of psychiatrists.
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Many of the physical symptoms that we feel when experiencing anxiety, panic, depression or stress may overlap with symptoms that can be a sign of physical illness. It is therefore important that you have regular check-ups with your family doctor, especially if you are experiencing something new in the way of physical symptoms. This is to rule out any physical illness that may be present and avoid overlooking a physical explanation for any symptoms before starting to look at mental health options.
If you do not already have a family doctor, these two practices are well-established and centrally located.
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From time to time, I post recent articles about mental health and well-being that I have found interesting or useful.
Slowing down racing thoughts (Harvard Health)
How to Improve Your Mental Health (NYT)
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Some excellent mental health support is available online, from popular mindfulness and meditation apps to well-researched podcasts and dedicated websites.
Here are just a few of them, which I try to add to from time to time. Please feel free to suggest others you have found work for you.