Try these free peer support groups. Peer support groups can be a great way to get free support from other people with a similar experience, without long waits. All groups listed below are facilitated by and for members of Asian American and Pacific Islander community or greater BIPOC community who have personal experience with the mental health system, with trauma, or with getting support themselves. Contact Compass for more support options.
This Mental Wellness Support Group for South Asian young adults, ages16-25, offers a supportive, nonjudgmental, and confidential space for participants to discuss their experiences related to mental health, stigma, bi-cultural identity, life challenges, stress, and more. The group is run by two facilitators in their 20s and 30s.
Learn more: https://samhin.org/mental-wellness-support-group/
NAMI Connection is a free, peer-led support group for people who are concerned about their mental health. Groups are led by NAMI-trained facilitators who’ve been there. Connection groups allow you to talk about your experiences in a safe and confidential setting. The groups encourage empathy, productive discussion, and a sense of community. You will gain insight from hearing the challenges and successes of others.
NAMI Massachusetts hosts free Zoom and call-in Connection support groups for members of the BIPOC community on Tuesday mornings and Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons. Learn more: https://namimass.org/nami-connection-recovery-support-groups/
Fireweed Collective Support Groups are unstructured spaces where folks can connect to, and offer mutual aid with others who share similar life experiences and struggles. Groups run for a month. They meet once a week online for one hour. All support groups are free and are facilitated by members of Fireweed Collective (donations welcome). Learn more: https://fireweedcollective.org/support-groups/.
Groups that are regularly offered:
- QTBIPOC (Queer and Trans Black, Indigenous, People of Color) Support Space
- Healing Verses: A Healing Justice Approach To Collective Poetry Crafting For BIPOC & Latinx Folks
- Spooned Out & Plugged In: A Group For BIPOC Disabled/Chronically Ill/Neurodivergent Folks
Join us for our Closed BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, Person of Color only) group: in this place we come together to enjoy meals or snacks and put down the heavy burdens of the world, at least for a little while. We hope to provide a space where we do things like meditation, arts and crafts, and whatever else we might come up with as a group that extends our goal of a healing environment.
Free Discord support group meeting on Mondays. Hosted by the Wildflower Alliance. Learn more: https://discord.com/invite/248Ty6J.
A closed support group for young adults (ages 18-28) with mental health and substance misuse challenges.
Free Zoom group hosted by the Southeast Recovery Learning Community on Fridays. Learn more: https://www.southeastrlc.org/brockton.
Check out these resources!
Finding a mental health professional that meets your needs can be hard. These websites can help you find a therapist that works for you. A therapist is someone you can talk to about what you’re experiencing and get support.
Asians for Mental Health Provider Directory
These free services can help you find a therapist (for people in Massachusetts – may be limited by city or town).
Try these websites for help finding a psychiatrist or other provider that can prescribe psychiatric medication.
These free services can help you find a psychiatrist or other mental health prescriber (for people in Massachusetts – may be limited by city or town).
Check out these online communities for more support!
This Sub-Reddit is focused on addressing mental health issues within the Desi community. Here civil discussions and solutions are shared in a safe space without the fear of judgement. Responders make an effort in understanding the cultural sensitivities and factors personal limitations when providing guidance. Learn more: https://www.reddit.com/r/ABCDesiSupportGroup/
A safe and private place for Asian Americans to discuss mental health issues without any judgment. Learn more: https://www.facebook.com/groups/AsianAmericanMentalHealth/
A Facebook page and forum for Asian mental health conversations, connection, support – offered by the Asian Mental Health Collective. Learn more: https://www.facebook.com/groups/subtleasianmentalhealth/discussion/preview
A subreddit that serves as an open, safe, inclusive, and non-judgmental space to share your thoughts and feelings about anything, especially Asian mental health. Learn more: https://www.reddit.com/r/samh/
A place to chat about mental health and destigmatization in the diaspora. Look out for support groups and discussions around the intersection of mental health and South Asian identity. Learn more: https://www.clubhouse.com/club/the-desi-condition
Check out these self-help resources!
A little self-care (and anti-racist) magic! In the spirit of fortune-telling practices so prevalent in our communities, we’ve created a new deck of tarot cards, featuring original art and text that work to reveal the hidden contours of our Asian American emotional, psychic, and spiritual lives, as well as the systems of violence that bear down upon them. Check it out: https://www.aalrmag.org/shop/p/asian-american-tarot
A guide from the Fireweed Collective. Madness & Oppression examines the intersections of oppression and mental health struggles, and takes you through the process of creating your own personal wellness document.
Check it out: https://fireweedcollective.org/publication/madness-oppression-paths-to-personal-transformation-and-collective-liberation/.
A zine from DiasporanSavantPress. A super helpful tool for:
- considering how you can care for yourself as an act of political warfare
- considering what models exist in your realms of experience and knowing that can aid you in sustaining your spirit and wellness
- examining what barriers exist to self-care in your life
- reflecting on how reducing harm in your personal life can aid in liberation on a societal level
- taking inventory of your strengths and how they can serve you on your journey
Check it out: https://www.etsy.com/listing/719036225/the-audre-lorde-harm-reduction-workbook.
Check out these podcasts that focus on mental health, wellness, and related topics for the Asian American/Pacific Islander community.
Here is a collection of Instagram accounts that focus on mental health, wellness, and related topics for the Asian American/Pacific Islander community.
Asian Mental Health Collective
National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association
Check out these self-help resources!
1-877-990-8585
Hotline for people who are thinking about suicide or those who are worried about someone else. Available in Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, Fujianese. Learn more: http://aaspe.net/
The Asian Mental Health Collective works to normalize and de-stigmatize mental health within the Asian community. They offer resource lists, a therapist directory, podcasts, and more. Learn more: https://www.asianmhc.org/
The Asian Mental Health Project aims to educate and empower Asian communities in seeking mental health care. Learn more: https://asianmentalhealthproject.com/
A website highlighting Asian people’s experience in therapy and as therapists and sharing culturally relevant information, to encourage more Asians and Asian Americans to seek therapy. Learn more: https://asiansdotherapy.com/
MannMUkti works to encourage healthy, open dialogue of South Asian mental health issues in an effort to remove stigma, improve awareness and promote self-care. Learn more: https://mannmukti.org/
Mustard Seed Generation is a faith-based, non-profit organization dedicated to education around mental health issues of Korean Americans. They directly work with first- and second-generation families, young adults, students, church leaders, and mental health professionals through conferences, workshops, trainings, and summits. Learn more: https://www.mustardseedgeneration.org/
The National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association promotes the mental health and wellbeing of the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. Learn more: https://www.naapimha.org/
South Asian Mental Health Initiative and Network works to address the mental health needs of the South Asian community. Their goal is to decrease the stigma and shame associated with mental illness and offer resources for people who seek help. Learn more: https://samhin.org/https://www.facebook.com/SAMHINorg
The South Asian Sexual and Mental Health Alliance targets youth and young adults of the South Asian diaspora to establish community and increase discussion on sexual health, sexuality, mental health, identity, LGBTQ issues, and navigating life as a third culture kid. Learn more: https://www.sasmha.org/
The UMass Chinese Mental Health Program works to build academic collaborations between mental health professionals in the United States and China. In addition to promoting this cross-cultural exchange, they provide Asian mental health consultation services and are working to develop Harmonious, an online resource to assist people of Chinese heritage in finding mental health support. Learn more: https://www.umassmed.edu/psychiatry/globalinitiatives/chinamentalhealthprogram/welcome/.
Check out these self-help resources!
DeQH offers free, confidential, culturally sensitive peer support, information and resources for LGBTQ+ South Asian individuals, families and friends around the globe. We want to offer a safe and supportive ear for callers to share their concerns, questions, struggles or hopes through conversations with our trained South Asian peer support volunteers. Learn more: https://www.deqh.org/
Our mission is to foster understanding and acceptance among Desi families, with the goal of affirming and celebrating our LGBTQ+ loved ones. Learn more: https://www.desirainbow.org/
Massachusetts Asian + Pacific Islanders (MAP) for Health provides health counseling and support, referral and screening services, and general health promotion and advocacy for API LGBTQ+ youth in the Boston metro area and beyond. They host virtual Asian Pride drop-ins, socials, webinars, and more. Learn more: https://www.maphealth.org/
QTPoC Mental Health empowers the community through knowledge and compassion, with the ultimate goals of creating online & offline spaces for LGBTQ2IA people of color to be comfortably, unapologetically our whole selves. The volunteer-led group uplifts QTPoC in our intersecting identities, understanding that this means different things to different people. Learn more: https://www.facebook.com/QTPOCsupport/
Check out these self-help resources!
Asian Women for Health is a peer-led, community-based network dedicated to advancing Asian women’s health and wellness through education, advocacy, and support. Learn more: https://www.asianwomenforhealth.org/
781-296-1800: weekdays 10 am – 4 pm, available in English and Japanese
The Japanese Bostonians Support Line (JB Line) supports members of the Japanese community in New England with problems they face in their daily lives by providing consultation, giving them needed information, offering them direct support services, or connecting them with other social resources.
JBSL Japanese language website
http://www.jbline.org/
JBSL English language website
https://jbline.net/wp/
1-866-472-4354
Saheli is a non-profit that offers many cultural and language-specific services to South Asian and Arab domestic violence survivors and their children. South Asian and Arab women with diverse religious, cultural and linguistic backgrounds, and varying English language proficiency often find it difficult to find vital culturally sensitive services. Lrean more: https://saheliboston.org/about/
Contact the NAMI Mass Compass Helpline. Compass is available Monday through Friday, 10 am – 6 pm. Call us at 617-704-6264 or email us at compass@namimass.org.