Free Mental Health Resources in South Africa

Need mental health support in South Africa? From local care to national helplines, here’s a quick guide to trusted resources near you.

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Mental health support in South Africa is delivered through a broad network of non-profits, research centres, advocacy groups, and community programmes. From school-based services in the Western Cape to national helplines and international research collaborations, these organisations are working to make mental healthcare more accessible, affordable, and stigma-free.
This curated list highlights key mental health organisations across South Africa—grouped by region and reach. Whether you're looking for in-person counselling, school support, maternal mental health services, trauma care, or national awareness campaigns, these groups offer a wide range of interventions and resources.
Whether you're a parent, student, caregiver, professional, or someone simply seeking support, this guide can help you find reliable mental health resources in your area or online.
Western Cape-Based
- FAMSA Western Cape - A non-profit specialising in relationship and family counselling, community outreach, employee wellness, and professional training. Their services include individual, couples, divorce, and violence-prevention counselling—available online and at multiple offices across Cape Town—using sliding-scale or free fees to support diverse communities
- Cape Mental Health - Delivers comprehensive, community-based mental-health services, including assessment, treatment, rehabilitation, residential care, and skills-development programmes for adults and children with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities, alongside public-awareness initiatives.
- Waves for Change - Implements evidence-based surf-therapy programmes for vulnerable children and adolescents from under-resourced communities, using the ocean and surfing as tools to improve mental health, coping skills, and overall well-being.
- Perinatal Mental Health Project (PMHP) - Focuses on maternal mental health by providing free mental-health services to pregnant and postnatal women in low-resource settings, conducting research, training healthcare workers, and advocating for policy change.
- Centre for Public Mental Health (CPMH) - A research and teaching centre dedicated to improving public mental health in South Africa and Africa through policy development, advocacy, postgraduate training, and research into scalable mental-health interventions.
- Neurodiversity Centre - Provides multidisciplinary assessments, therapeutic interventions, and support services for neurodivergent individuals (including those with Autism, ADHD, and learning differences) and their families, promoting a neurodiversity-affirming approach.
- Help Kids - Delivers therapeutic services, support programmes, and resources aimed at assisting children and adolescents who are facing emotional, behavioural, and developmental challenges, particularly within vulnerable communities.
- Community Keepers - Provides school-based mental-health services, including professional counselling, psychosocial support, and life-skills training for learners, educators, and parents in under-resourced schools.
Johannesburg-Based
- ADHD Online Congress - Organises virtual congresses and events focused on ADHD, bringing together experts, professionals, and the public to share knowledge, research, and best practices.
- Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR) - Provides trauma counselling and psychosocial support for victims of violence and torture, conducts research, advocacy, and community interventions to prevent violence and promote reconciliation.
- Goldilocks & The Bear Foundation for ADHD (gb4adhd) - Delivers support, awareness campaigns, and resources for individuals with ADHD and their families, aiming to improve understanding and management of ADHD.
- Mental Health SA - Acts as an informational portal and awareness platform, providing articles, resources, and links to mental-health support services across South Africa.
- MentalHealth.org.za - Functions as a central online resource for mental-health information, news, and directories of support services.
- Netcare Akeso - Operates a national network of private psychiatric hospitals and clinics offering inpatient and outpatient treatment for a range of mental-health conditions.
- Psychological Society of South Africa (PsySSA) - The professional body for psychologists in South Africa, advancing psychology as a science and profession, promoting ethical practice, and advocating for psychological well-being.
- SAME Foundation - Improves healthcare infrastructure and services in under-resourced communities, including projects that equip and upgrade mental-health facilities.
- South African Bipolar Disorders Association (SABDA) - Provides support groups, education, and advocacy for individuals living with bipolar disorder and their families.
- South African Federation for Mental Health (SAFMH) - Conducts national advocacy, awareness campaigns, policy work, and training to promote human rights and destigmatise psychosocial and intellectual disabilities.
- The South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) - Offers extensive mental-health information, toll-free helplines, support groups, workplace and school programmes, and referrals to mental-health professionals.
National / Online / International Organisations
- African Alliance for Maternal Mental Health (AAMMH) - An alliance working across Africa to improve maternal mental health through advocacy, research, capacity building, and sharing best practices.
- Centre for Global Mental Health - An international collaboration focused on research, capacity building, and influencing policy to widen access to mental-health care in low- and middle-income countries, with active projects in South Africa.
- Global Mental Health Peer Network (GMHPN) - Connects individuals with lived experience of mental-health conditions to promote peer support, advocacy, and inclusion of lived-experience perspectives in services and policy worldwide.
- HEAL-SA (Health Empowerment and Livelihoods in South Africa) - Focuses on health empowerment and sustainable livelihoods nationally, often integrating mental-health components within broader community-development projects.
- Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) - The regulatory body for health professions, including mental-health practitioners, setting standards for education, training, and professional conduct.
- Healthcare Workers Care Network - Provides free psychological support, resources, and psycho-education for healthcare workers across South Africa, addressing burnout, stress, and trauma.
- Higher Health SA - A national agency dedicated to promoting the health and psychosocial well-being of students in higher-education institutions throughout South Africa.
- LifeLine Southern Africa - Offers confidential 24/7 crisis support and counselling through a national network of centres and helplines, addressing emotional distress and suicide prevention.
- South African Society of Psychiatrists (SASOP) - The professional body representing psychiatrists in South Africa, promoting psychiatric practice, research, education, and advocating for mental-health services.
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Important:
TherapyRoute does not provide medical advice. All content is for informational purposes and cannot replace consulting a healthcare professional. If you face an emergency, please contact a local emergency service. For immediate emotional support, consider contacting a local helpline.