GreenShield Cares about women's mental health
Therapy isn't one-size-fits-all — we get that. That's why we're offering free virtual therapy to women 18+ in Canada, so you can explore your mental health needs with a therapist who understands you. Get personalized support today.
Talking to someone who understands your unique needs can be extremely helpful on your mental health journey. When you sign up for GreenShield Cares’ Women’s Mental Health program, you’ll receive free culturally sensitive, trauma-informed virtual therapy and a complimentary one-year subscription to internet-based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (Digital CBT).
Our personalized therapist matching tool prioritizes intersectionality, acknowledging the various factors influencing individuals' well-being. With 50+ selection options, such as culture, race/ethnicity, language, gender, sexuality, and religion, you can connect with a registered therapist who understands and relates to your identity and lived experiences.
Mental health and wellness library
Finding the right tools to support you on your mental health journey can be hard. We’re here to help. Working with registered therapists, doctors, community partners and women across Canada, we’ve curated resources that consider women’s unique needs to help further break down barriers and provide meaningful support.
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Partnering with community organizations
Everyone deserves access to mental health support. As a non-profit health and benefits company, our profits go back into improving the well-being of Canadians.
We work with community partners to expand access to culturally sensitive, trauma-informed virtual therapy and internet-based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (Digital CBT) for equity-seeking communities. Through these partnerships, we help remove financial and other barriers to accessing mental health services and collaborate to create new products and services.
It’s time women put their mental health first
Caring for your mental health should be a priority, and we want to ensure all your questions are answered.
How can I be sure my therapist is a good fit for me?
Our personalized therapist matching tool prioritizes intersectionality, acknowledging the various factors influencing individuals' well-being. With 50+ selection options, such as culture, race/ethnicity, language, gender, sexuality, and religion, you can connect with a registered therapist who understands and relates to your identity and lived experiences.
You can book a free 15-minute consultation and get to know the therapist. If you don’t feel like they’re the right fit, you can arrange another consultation with a different therapist to ensure they are the right fit for your mental health journey.
Understanding different forms of therapy and their specific benefits can help everyone find the support they need.
Read our therapy primer to learn more.
How does GreenShield Cares' Women's Mental Health program work?
Through GreenShield Cares’ Women’s Mental Health program, women 18+ in Canada get access to:
- One free hour of virtual therapy;
- A one-year complimentary subscription to internet-based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (Digital CBT); and,
- Access to our mental health and wellness library.
This program is open to those who identify as women, non-binary, and gender non-conforming, who often experience barriers to accessing mental health services and care. We recognize and acknowledge the intersection of race, Indigenous identities, individuals living with a disability and a range of gender identities, and we aim to provide programming that is inclusive and accessible.
I don't feel ready for virtual therapy. Is there a way to get started on my own?
When you sign up for GreenShield Cares’ Women’s Mental Health program, you get a complimentary one-year subscription to internet-based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (Digital CBT).
Digital CBT puts you in the driver’s seat of your mental health and well-being. You’ll receive one free year to get the support you need anytime, anywhere, and on your schedule.
This online program is designed primarily for individuals experiencing mild to moderate symptoms of anxiety and depression. Our online assessment tool will help determine if Digital CBT is the right fit for you.
Why did GreenShield Cares develop this program?
GreenShield is an innovative non-profit health and benefits company that exists to advance better health care for all Canadians.
Improving access to care is rooted in GreenShield’s DNA, grounded in our commitment to health equity, community well-being and making a significant impact on the Canadian health care landscape.
The GreenShield Cares about Women’s Mental Health program first launched as Room for Her in December 2021 to help remove barriers that women face when trying to access mental health support including the challenges of finding the right therapist, long wait times, and cost. Recent research indicates that women continue to experience challenges in accessing mental health support.
A recent study by GreenShield revealed that women believe they should spend one hour a day on their mental health, yet they spend only half that time caring for themselves. They spend nearly seven times more hours taking care of others and on household chores. The limited time for self-care is heightened among women who identify as part of equity-seeking communities, who spend 31 per cent less time on self-care activities than their peers.
Women also have financial barriers that impact their mental health. Seventy-one per cent of women say financial struggles brought on by inflation are impacting their mental health, noting that finances are becoming a barrier of increasing concern to access support. Women who needed mental health care but didn’t access it were twice more likely to report financial barriers as the reason when compared to men.
This rising trend was revealed in the first GreenShield Cares Women’s Mental Health Report, released in partnership with Mental Health Research Canada (MHRC). Read the full report for additional research insights.
If you or someone you know is in crisis and requires immediate support, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.
Alternatively, please call or text 9-8-8.
Through the 9-8-8: Suicide Crisis Helpline, help is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Or call Canada Suicide Prevention Service at 1-833-456-4566. For residents of Québec, call 1-866 APPELLE (1-866-277-3553).
Please know you are not alone. Support is available.