Resources
If you’re experiencing abuse, violence or oppression in your relationship or marriage, you’re not alone. There are many people and organizations here to help you. If you are in immediate danger please call 911.
Crisis Support & Shelters: National
Ontario Resources
- Assaulted Women’s Helpline – Call toll-free 1-866-863-0511; service offered in 154 languages and referrals to legal services and shelters
- Toronto Rape Crisis Centre – Provide support services for all survivors of sexual violence and sexual harassment
- Interval House – Crisis support line: 416-924-1491, building economic self-sufficiency, housing resettlement services, counselling
- YWCA Toronto’s Breakthrough program – A safe space and support group where women can explore how abuse/violence has affected their life
- Yorktown Shelter for Women – Provides one-to-one support and assistance in obtaining services
- Interim Place – Emergency shelter, crisis support: 905-676-8515
- Barbra Schlifer Clinic – Legal representation, professional counselling, interpreter services
Toronto Resources
- Ernestine’s Women’s Shelter – Ernestine’s provides a roof over your head, a bed, basic necessities, counselling and other supportive services that are free and confidential.
- Women’s Habitat of Etobicoke – Provides emergency shelter and child care programs
- Red Door – Emergency shelter
- Nellie’s Place – Shelter, counselling, and services for survivors of abuse and families
Durham Region-Shelters
- Herizon House – Shelter in Ajax
- The Denise House – Shelter in Oshawa
- YWCA Durham – Shelter in Oshawa
- Bethesda House – Shelter in Bowmanville
Dufferin Country
- Domestic Assault Review Team – Map to help people find service agencies in the area
Peel Region
- Sakeenah Homes – Sakeenah Homes provide a safe and nurturing environment for Muslim women and children so that they may be given equal opportunities to excel, grow, and thrive with respect and dignity.
- Victim Services of Peel – Crisis support service for victims of crime and trauma including domestic abuse
York Region
- Victim Services of York Region – Support services for victims of crime and trauma including domestic abuse
- Yellow Brick House – Emergency shelter for abused women and children, also offers counselling services, and a crisis line: 1-800-263-3247
Simcoe County
- My Friend’s House – Emergency shelter and 24-hour hotline: 1-800-265-2511
- My Sister’s Place – Shelter and transitional housing support and crisis hotline: (705) 435-3835
- La Maison Rosewood Shelter – Emergency accommodation for up to 6 weeks, support referrals, legal support, 24-hour crisis line: (705) 526-4211
Halton
- The Women’s Centre – Counselling, support groups, employment resources, and legal support
- Halton Women’s Place – Emergency shelter and crisis support
Rest of Ontario
- St. Catharines and Beamsville – Gillian’s Place – Gillian’s Place provides safe refuge and non-residential programs tp women and their children.
- Birchway (formerly Niagara Women’s Place Nova House) – Women’s Place Nova House provides safety through shelter, counselling, education, advocacy and community partnerships.
- Waterloo Region – Women’s Crisis Services – Women’s Crisis Services of Waterloo Region operates two emergency shelters for abused women and their children: Anselma House in Kitchener and Haven House in Cambridge.
- Thunder Bay – Faye Peterson House – The Faye Peterson House provides a safe and supportive temporary shelter environment, crisis services, counselling, outreach, transitional support, advocacy, early childhood education, and support groups to women, youth and their children.
- Stratford – Emily Murphy Centre – The Emily Murphy Centre provides second stage housing and services for women and children.
Resources in other provinces
British Columbia
- VictimLinkBC – A toll-free, confidential, multilingual telephone service available across B.C. and Yukon 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-563-0808.
Alberta
- Alpha House – Alpha House provides protective and affordable fully furnished housing and individual and group counselling for women and children.
Saskatchewan
- Isabel Johnson Shelter – The Isabel Johnson Shelter is a safe place to stay while you work through future plans and a place to turn to by phone if you need someone to talk to about the abuse you’ve experienced.
- Regina Transition Women’s Society – Regina Transition House is a recognized leader in responsive, effective human service. We create space for women and children where they can change their lives.
- SOFIA House – SOFIA House is a second stage housing facility that provides safe housing and support for families trying to escape violent homes.
- Moose Jaw Women’s Transition House – The Moose Jaw Transition House has been a respected community agency since 1978, serving the Moose Jaw-South Central Region. We provide services to those experiencing interpersonal violence and abuse.
Manitoba
- Agape House – The mission of Agape House-Eastman Crisis Centre, Inc. is to empower women and children experiencing family violence by providing safe shelter, information, counseling, and ongoing support to our family of clients.
- Genesis House – Genesis House offers support groups and counselling for adults, teens, and children, as well as residential services and referrals.
- Nova House – Nova House is an emergency and transitional shelter for women and children experiencing domestic and or family violence.
- Bravestone Centre – Bravestone Centre provides women and their children affected by domestic violence with the skills to lead a life free of violence through full-time counselling and support programs while living in the safety of our program.
- Ikwe-Widdjiitiwin – Ikwe offers caring, sharing, listening and understanding in an environment of unconditional support and advocacy.
- Manitoba Association of Women’s Shelters – Find confidential, toll-free crisis line at: 1-877-977-0007.
Nova Scotia
- Harbour House – Harbour House provides safe temporary housing and counselling for women who are victims of abuse and their children.
- Alice Housing – Alice Housing provides safe second-stage housing and supportive counselling for women and children in Nova Scotia..
- Bryony House – Bryony House is a 24-bed shelter. Each year, approximately 470 women and children stay with us and 2,500 distress calls are answered. Our dedicated counsellors are there to answer the 24-hour distress line, provide individual/group supportive counselling, public education, advocacy and referrals.
Newfoundland
- Iris Kirby House – Iris Kirby House provides shelter and a safe haven for women and children who are experiencing domestic violence.
- Libra House – Libra House provides an emergency domestic violence shelter for women, with or without children, who are experiencing violence/abuse or are at risk.
- Cara Transition House – Cara Transition House is a safe haven for women and children who are fleeing violence.
- Willow House – Willow House provides a supportive, safe environment in which women can make decisions about their future and help them obtain services like legal aid, health and community resources, medical help, accommodations and employment counselling.
Prince Edward Island
- Anderson House Shelter – Anderson House is a provincial emergency shelter for women and children who are in need of safety because of violence in their lives.
Territories
- Northwest Territories – Status of Women Canada – Government list of resources specific to domestic violence in the Northwest Territories
- Nunavut – Department of Family Services – Provincial list of resources to turn to in cases of family violence
- Yukon– Department of Family Services – Provincial list of resources to turn to in cases of family violence
Legal Services
- Barbra Schlifer Clinic – Legal representation, professional counselling, interpreter services
- Family Law Education for Women – Plain language legal information on women’s rights under Ontario law
- Legal Aid Ontario – Anyone in Ontario who is experiencing domestic violence can get a free emergency two-hour consultation with a lawyer
- Luke’s Place – Family law support for women and their children
- Your Legal Rights – Learn about your legal rights in a situation of domestic abuse
- Violence against Women Coordinating Committee – Provides links to many legal assistance resources
Community & Social Services
- Affordable Therapy Network Directory of low-cost, sliding scale psychotherapists
- Connex Ontario Directory of mental health and addictions services, by region
- YWCA National Charitable organisation offering services to women
- Women’s Health in Women’s Hands Community Health Centre
- Durham Family Court Clinic – A non-profit agency fostering a healthy and safe community by enhancing and supporting the well-being of children, youth and families
- Family Services of Peel – Provides one-to-one counselling, therapy groups, education, and support services to women who have experienced domestic abuse
- Chantel’s Place – Mississauga Hospital-secure hospital wing which provides injury assessment and treatment and which offers emotional support and counselling, medical, and legal information
- Catholic Family Services of Peel – Provides group counselling and crisis support: (905) 897-1644
- Central Health Line – Comprehensive database of health providers in York
- eMentalHealth – Provides definition on abuse and domestic abuse
- Women’s Centre of York Region – Services for post-crisis women to become economically independent
- Safety Networ Durham – Domestic abuse and sexual abuse counselling, legal consultations with family lawyers, access to language interpreters, and more
- Catholic Family Services of Durham-in-depth counselling programs for women who have been abused
- Dufferin County Sexual Assault, Headwaters Health Care Centre – Program to help victims recover from aftermath of domestic and/or sexual assault
- Dufferin County Sexual Assault, Headwaters Health Care Centre – Program to help victims recover from aftermath of domestic and/or sexual assault
- Shelter Movers – Provides no-cost moving and storage services to survivors of abuse and their families.
- Courage in Action Courage in Action is a national charity providing mentoring, education and bursaries for women so they can build courageous lives. Our support helps our members live free from violence, poverty and trauma and create a sustainable path forward.
Education
- Abused and Brain Injured – Information on Traumatic Brain Injury in Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence
- The Learning Network from the Centre for Research and Education on Violence Against Women and Children
- Women’s Shelters Canada — Shelters and Transition Houses United to End Violence Against Women
- Peel Committee Against Woman Abuse (PCAWA) – A hub for a number of support agencies and provides service referrals
- Peel Committee Against Woman Abuse (PCAWA) – A hub for a number of support agencies and provides service referrals
- WomenAct – Research, education, and advocacy organization hosting free webinars for survivors and service providers
- CMHA Halton Region – Research, education, and advocacy organization hosting free webinars for survivors and service providers
- Ontario Structured Psychotherapy Program
- Jamal Family Law –