The Samaritan Befrienders is an organization for mental health in Hong Kong. The non-religious organization has a reputation for doing its best to practice generosity and benevolence of the character its name alludes to.

The Samaritan Befrienders has been operating since 1960 as a suicide prevention hotline. Now, they made this hotline available for those who need it 24 hours a day.

What we like best about the organization is its range of services. The Samaritan Befrienders not only offers a 24-hour hotline but also offers another one for English speakers.

The institution also makes seeking help more accessible by using media such as online chat apps and blogs to offer emotional support.

We also appreciate how the Samaritan Befrienders help not only those experiencing the crisis but also their families and friends.

The Samaritan Befrienders’ Live the Rainbow program provides counselling and aid to family and friends who lost a loved one through suicide, which helps them cope with their grief.

Another unique offer the organization has are training, talks, and workshops for schools and businesses to raise awareness about mental health issues and suicide. It also trains teachers, social workers, and volunteers on how to respond to emotional crises.

Overall, Samaritan Befrienders’ decades of experience and range of accessible services given through patient volunteers make it a great place to seek help if you’re experiencing depression or distress.

The Caritas Family Crisis Support Centre is an organization for mental health in Hong Kong established in 2001. 

One of Caritas’ strengths is the wide range of issues they help. The organization’s workers know how to aid and counsel people experiencing various crises.

The professionals can give aid and support for issues relating to debt, grief, love, and others.

What we like best about their services is that they also help children express and cope with trauma and emotional distress.

Caritas offers these services over the phone or by setting face-to-face meetings with individuals and families experiencing a crisis.

We also appreciate how Caritas gives people a retreat from stressful and distressing homes. The organization runs dormitories that give people much-needed rest and support.

These dorms can act as temporary homes for people of all nationalities and ages, especially after a traumatic experience.

While in these dormitories, people get lodging for up to 14 days. Caritas also offers intervention, support, and up to three sessions of counselling, all for free.

We and other people we talked to also appreciated how easily accessible Caritas’ offices are. The organization is located right next to a highway, making them easy to reach in urgent and desperate times.

Overall, we believe Caritas Family Crisis Support Centre’s availability, range of expertise, and free services make it the perfect place to seek counselling and refuge to escape an abusive and traumatic home.

The Baptist Oi Kwan Social Service came into service in 1982. Beginning its services in Wan Chai, the organization has since spread to other districts throughout Hong Kong.

Since then, the organization has increased its services, which now include the Integrated Community Centre for Mental Wellness.

The ICCMW offers various services, primarily targeting the youth with suspected mental illnesses and former mental patients looking to reintegrate into society.

We like how the ICCMW also offers help for family members or guardians of the people mentioned and even average residents who just want to understand themselves.

We also like how ICCMW’s services help their target audience by creating supportive communities of all sizes.

One of the organization’s strengths is that it recognizes the importance of socializing and community-building for people’s mental health, as reflected by its services.

ICCMW hosts recreational services where people can talk to each other. The centre also offers educational courses, training, and support that prepare the youth for their first jobs.

We talked to a few people they have helped previously, and they all said they were thankful for the centre’s staff. They said that the staff were patient and had a heart.

We also like how the organization recognizes individual needs along with their group efforts. The ICCMW offers mental wellness assessments, counselling, and if deemed necessary, clinical psychological aid to people experiencing crises.

The ICCMW’s combination of individual and group activities and range of services makes them a good place to turn for help. However, it may be essential to note that most of their services are free, but cases may arise where you have to pay a fee.

St. John’s Cathedral Counselling Service is a non-profit organization. For over 40 years, the institution has been offering services that improve people’s mental health in Hong Kong. 

We believe that, with decades in the field, the organization has enough experience to be a primary choice for counselling.

What we like best about SJCCS is that its professionals make their services available to as many people as possible. 

SJCCS has over 30 qualified workers, including counsellors, therapists, social workers, and psychologists. This roster of professionals knows how to help people of all ages.

They can also speak 14 different languages, including Cantonese, English, Polish, German, and Spanish, which is a huge plus.

As an institution, SJCCS offers numerous counselling services for individuals, couples, families, and children. It also provides mediation services and support groups for those experiencing PTSD and addictions.

We like how the institution makes these services accessible not only in their offices but also in schools and offices. 

SJCCS offers in-school counselling and employee assistance programs for those experiencing burnout, bullying, and other issues.

However, it is necessary to note that these services are only available by setting an appointment beforehand. SJCCS does not accept walk-ins, nor are they a crisis support centre.

The organization also does not offer their professional work for free. Nevertheless, their counselling and therapy are more affordable compared to others. 

The Hong Kong Psychological Counselling Center is a clinic in Kowloon. 

What we like best about the HKPCC is that it employs numerous qualified professionals. In its offices are 15 experienced therapists with different backgrounds. 

We appreciate how the HKPCC put its therapists’ information on their website, including their credentials and accolades. This makes it easier for potential clients to see and trust the therapists before booking an appointment.

The therapists are also multilingual, making their services more accessible to the public. Some even know how to speak English, Mandarin, and Cantonese at the same time. 

The offices of the HKPCC are clean, accessible, and comfortable. However, what we liked best during our visit was how patient and friendly the therapists were, inserting their advice naturally into the conversation. 

Although all the clinic’s services are paid, we believe that their services are cheaper compared to other counsellors. The therapists even offer online video counselling, which makes it more affordable. 

Aside from counselling, the clinic also offers clinical psychologist consultation and art therapy.

Overall, HKPCC’s numerous services handled by qualified, experienced professionals make it a place to consider for all your therapy needs.